CHARM IN YOUR VOICE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6812, 16 January 1929, Page 11

CHARM IN YOUR VOICE

Personally I would give quite 40 per .eeht .of my marks for voice charm if I were a judge in a beauty contest and could make my own rules, states a Writer in ah English paper. . voice should be, and generally is (though you may not realise it), the expression of your whole character and ■ personality. Some people are blessed by nature with beautiful voices—others are not. But the voice is perhaps the one pos- • session wc have which we can train, if we take the trouble, to be charming . and expressive of what wo would iiko to be in appearance. First, you must speak distinctly, so that the person you are talking to can hear without effort. I can think of nothing more irritating than to have to keep on saying, “I beg your pardon, I’m afraid ‘I didn’t quite catch that,” and straining one’s ears all the time to hear what someone is saying. There are many people, on the other hand, who speak at the top of their naturally loud voices regardless of time or place. They can be, and generally are, most embarrassing, and seem to enjoy letting all and sundry know .about their own and their friends' private affairs.

Perhaps .the real secret of speaking well is to adapt the voice to one’s surroundings; making it perfectly clear and audible to those who are intended to hear it and to no one else. The quality of the voice is important, and this can be cultivated. A thin, shrill voice is not at all attractive, 'nor is a gruff rumble or a aionotonous Singsong. One should try to get variety of tone into the voice and make it express

; different moods and the meaning of the 1 words one uses. It is possible to make the speaking voice just as expressive and thrilling as a singing voice. 1 Singing lessons will help, of course, and are useful just as a training for the speaking voice, even if you can never hope to sing well. Deep breathing is marvellous for developing the voice, 'both for speaking and singing. It opens the chest and lungs and makes the voice fuller and richer. With no other sort of training ten minutes of deep breathing every day of their lives will improve anybody’s voice.