Why voicemoves?

Well, a number of reasons, one being that the human voice has the potential to move us - it touches us, its essential nature is of vibration and we feel vibration. Vocal communication relies primarily on the subtle and profound effect of sound. In fact something like 37% of communication is through the sound of the voice, 55% is attributed to body language and only a tiny 8% relates to the words we say. It is through the resonant, tonal qualities of our voices, that we make our presence felt as we communicate, whether we're speaking, singing or laughing.

With 'movement' we come into the domain of the body and its language - the kinaesthetic territory of how we feel, how we breath and how we 'hold' ourselves. Our bodies speak but one language, 'the truth'. They literally embody all that has ever fed them physically and emotionally. The voice as an instrument of the body relies on the availability of its musculature particularly the diaphragm, to support vocalisation. It's not hard to see how unresolved tensions and restrictive breathing patterns can limit vocal freedom. One word for the inhale of a breath is 'inspiration' and this is what full, expansive breathing gives us.

In every culture it is the voice that has expressed a people's deepest truths whether through the words of a great speech, a traditional song that marks a rite of passage, or a much-loved singer who through the expressive qualities of their voice, can express the universal soul of a nation.

As a sophisticated society of chair, car and office-dwellers, we have fewer opportunities these days to let our voices loose. We live in a culture that from an early age, tends to limit vocal expression into a narrow and 'socially acceptable' range, that inhibits vocal development, freedom and playfulness, but voices grow to fit who we are - and who we are becoming...They respond to exercise, to disciplined practice and to creative play.

Through our voices we can sing our souls, speak our truth, make ourselves understood... or clinch the deal.  There is nothing that speaks of our personal authority or our sense of  being 'at home' and comfortable in our skin, more than a fully embodied voice, which is tonally rich, warm and vital.

I offer a practical approach to voice work that draws on contemporary vocal training, creative and therapeutic process, performance research, voice movement therapy and yoga. I'm a qualified yoga teacher and a voice movement therapist as well as a singer and performer. I've been working in this field for  many years - voicemoves (formerly thevoicepractice) was established in 1998.

People who benefit from this work often operate in demanding environments in which they have to present, perform or communicate to others effectively, but it is a method that is relevant to anyone who wants their voice to function at its natural best as an extension of themselves. Some specific vocal issues such as stammering or dysfunction relating to trauma or habitual tension patterns also respond well.

For information on individual and group work, see the teaching page - or call me for a chat about your needs - 07980 555 893

A healthy, well functioning voice that is liberated, resonant and “lived in” contains the essence of our vitality and our personality.

the truth cannot be known - only embodied

W.B Yeats