I received an email this week from someone having issues with their voice at work. They informed me that they were having trouble “projecting their voice” in a clear way that can be heard in a busy/loud environments, but also in group meetings/conversations.
They were looking for advice on whether there’s anything practical they could change or exercises they could do, or whether it’s something they were stuck with.
The reply I put together is something I realise that I’ve covered with clients in sessions, but not actually written down anywhere, so I thought I would relay the content of my reply here for you to read.
While this reply is centred around issues regarding being heard in work, the same logic applies if we are trying to be heard singing in bands/groups, or with other instruments.
Issues around “projection” and loud environments
The stated problem is multivariate, as such there is no short answer or simple solution. However, I’ll try to break it down as simply as I can, then provide some practical suggestions.
1) Some voices are quieter/louder than others
Just like some people’s physiological starting point predisposes them to be able to lift heavy in the gym, and others less so. Of course everyone can train to be stronger, but the physiological starting point is a big deal.
In the same way, certain voices’ physiological starting points are quieter, and others are louder. Everyone can train to improve the volume, quality, audibility and stamina in their voice, but some have louder/more easily heard starting points than others. This is just one factor.
2) “Projection” is a bit of a myth
There’s some weird cultural ideas about singing out there, and projection is one of them. There are absolutely certain qualities to great singers or orators where their voice seems to carry particularly well (which gets labelled as ‘projection’) but this is not an abstract concept or a switch that gets tripped. It’s a combination of trainable qualities, involving volume, intensity and specific frequencies in a given voice to name but a few.
Some voices have more of these qualities to begin with, some have less. This is why it’s not just about the volume of a given voice. Yes, these traits are absolutely trainable, but there’s no set of exercises or “trick” that switches these things on, especially in the casual voice user. It’s something we would look at in sessions, but it’s not something I can advise someone on without working with their voice.
3) The demands on your voice outstrips your vocal ability
Regardless of how loud/quiet your voice is, all issues like this are a result of the environments you are in outstripping your vocal ability. But you should know that even extremely loud voices encounter similar issues, simply because they are constantly asking more of their voice than it can deliver.
Through training my voice carries very well and is extremely audible in loud scenarios, but even my voice gets worn and fatigued in loud environments, e.g. loud pubs, swimming pools, sporting events, etc. Training your voice will undoubtedly improve it, but we need to recognise that some demands are too great for any voice to bear up under.
Without working with someone’s voice or being in their specific environments I cannot assess this fully, but I can give some preliminary suggestions to help voice users cope better.
Practical suggestions
1. Use amplification in excessively loud environments – use amplification (e.g. loudhailer, speaker system) when you need to be heard in excessively loud environments. There is no point trying to compete with a room volume that you cannot win over.
2. Get close to individuals to speak whenever possible – in environments where you can get close to a given individual you need to communicate with, do so, thereby reducing the required volume to be heard.
3. Use your voice for less time when you cannot do the above / use hand signals where possible – By speaking less often and for less time, you reduce the duration you have to sustain it for, hence you can do so for longer.
4. Reduce vocal inflammation and damage – Once we accept that certain environments are going to cause some wear/tear no matter how well built your voice is, the best we can hope for is better recovery and minimise the damage. Hence, rest, sleep, plenty of water, reduced alcohol consumption, and some light rehab exercises can go a long way to mitigating the damage you cannot avoid.
Conclusion
The concept of projection while legitimate, is a bit of a red herring that people seek after. That if they “Just knew how to project”, then all their troubles would be over… when in reality it’s a bit of a constellation of things, and sometimes none of them make a substantive difference. Ultimately, there are limits to what a given person’s voice can handle in a given environment.
If you are personally finding yourself having issues with being heard and/or keeping your voice healthy after long days at work, certain loud environments, or maybe even your gigging schedule, rest assured it is entirely common but also very improvable with the right training. If you would like to book in a consultation to look at your voice and build a routine for your specific needs, you can do so via my booking form at www.markjwgraham.co.uk/booking.