The document discusses the importance of vocal projection, illustrating it with a story of a music conservatoire student who excelled due to her vocal skills. It provides a step-by-step guide to developing vocal projection through techniques such as proper posture, relaxation, deep breathing, and aiming the voice. The document emphasizes the role of passion and intent in effectively communicating one’s message to an audience.

1. At a music conservatoire, a Master musician wanted to impress everyone with the singing prowess of his
students. He accessed each and every student. Those with the seemingly strongest voices were put in
front line while all others at back. There was one student with a small, high voice and she was put into the
second row.
When the show started, something strange happened. Students with the strongest voices struggled
because of the size of venue. After some time, the student with the small, high voice came to center to
sing her part. Everyone was amazed. Her voice filled the whole venue with her beautiful voice.
The master musician couldn’t comprehend that the little student had a skill… the skill of Vocal Projection.
What is Vocal projection?
Imagine you are on-stage, giving a speech on your chosen subject. As you are speaking, someone from
the back rows shouts – “Can you please be louder?”
As a speaker, your instinctive reaction would be to speak louder by forcing out the words. This makes you
look like you are yelling. Soon, people start feeling uncomfortable. Your throat starts hurting as you
continue to shout louder. You feel it in your gut that this is something you cannot sustain.
Suddenly, there is a huge drop in the volume of your voice (along with your confidence).
Nice way to imagine your future speech, isn’t it? J
To make sure this never happens, let me introduce you to a very important part of any public speaker’s
arsenal – Vocal Projection.
Vocal projection is the skill of making your sound bigger and louder, without yelling and shouting. This is a
skill which any public speaker, singer, actor cannot do without. Because of its importance, vocal
projection is discussed very frequently all over net.
When I looked into it, I found many misconceptions floating around this topic. Everybody seems to have
their own opinion about how it works. Well, I thought the only way to find the best method for vocal
projection is to try out as many as I could and see what works best.
So let me share with you the way I turn myself from a guy with average voice to someone who can be
heard across the room without making effort. Let’s get on with it…
Vocal Projection: Step by Step method

2. 1. Posture
Keep your posture straight but not too rigid. It should be relaxed and upright. Slouching interferes with
flow of breath and resonance of sound inside the body. For the sound to be louder without yelling, it has
to be resonating with many parts of the body… like bones, muscles, cavities etc.
If your posture is not right, sound will not travel properly inside the body to create resonance. Same with
breath. If you are slouching, breath will not be able to flow optimally through your lungs to your mouth,
which can cause loss of volume.
2. Relax
Make sure your body is relaxed. There is no tension in your shoulders, neck, throat, jaw, chest and
abdomen. These body parts play an important role in vocal projection and have tendency to get tensed
easily. A slight tension can severely impact the quality of your voice.
Fortunately, these body parts are easy to relax at a moment’s notice. Before or during your speech, when
you catch yourself feeling tensed, consciously relax yourself. If you are relaxed, sound will resonate in
your body better, making your voice stronger and richer.
3. Breath
Breath is the foundation of sound. Your voice is the result of air moving through your vocal cords (which
are very small muscles). Breathe deeply before projecting your voice. While talking, breathe through your
mouth. Breathing through nose in middle of the speech puts too much of a halt in between sentences.
It will feel strange at first if you are not used to it, but soon it will become completely natural. Breathing
through mouth during speech makes you breathe through your diaphragm. Have you noticed babies
breathe during their sleep? They breathe through diaphragm.
You can see their belly going up and down with every breath they take. This is called deep breathing or
breathing from diaphragm. This is the foundation for your voice and has a critical importance in vocal
projection.
While taking deep breaths, you can feel you abdomen rising and falling with every inhale and exhale. If
you are providing proper breath to your lungs and mouth, the sound coming from out from your mouth will
be louder and travel much further.
4. Placing your voice

3. When you speak, aim your voice at the point till where you want to be heard. (for example: the last row of
the room). Then imagine your sound is going in the form of a big vertical ARC from your mouth to that
point. The longer the distance, the bigger the arc. Make sure you DO NOT force your voice.
Just aim at the point and imagine the arc once, then focus on the delivery of your speech. You will find
you are naturally projecting your voice till the far end of the room without any strain.
5. Optional: Abdomen boost
For any reason, if you want even more power in your vocal projection, this is an optional part. You are
inhaling and exhaling through your mouth during speech, while obliviously speaking on your exhale.
Now, while exhaling (and talking), squeeze your stomach muscles inside. This will push even the last
remaining breaths in your stomach to your mouth powerfully, causing big boost in volume and richness.
It takes a little bit of practice but once you get it, it is a powerful tool in your speaking skill arsenal.
6. Passion
I believe this is the most important aspect of vocal projection. What is your intent? Do you really want to
communicate what you are saying to people? How passionate are you about what you are saying?
When you really believe that people will gain benefit from what you say, you will always find energy and
power in your voice that can be heard by the entire room. Passion is an energy which cannot be faked.
If you really believe your speech can make a positive difference to your audience, you will speak with an
energy which requires no tools and techniques. You automatically breathe deeply and free up your body.
If you really intend to be heard, you are heard.
Summary:
So here is what you should do to project your voice–
Make a good posture and relax your body. Take a deep breath and place your voice till where you wish to
be heard. You are now projecting your voice instead of yelling.
For even more power, you can use abdomen pulling technique.
And remember why you are giving this speech. How will it benefit audience? Be passionate. Speak with
enthusiasm. You and your audience will feel that energy.

4. Use what you have learned here. Practice vocal projection, and soon people will start coming up and
complimenting you on your voice and energy.
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