Top 3 Tips to Project Your Voice Through a Mask
Are you speaking or presenting with a mask on?
If you’re exhausted, you’re not alone.
I returned to in-person keynote speaking and classroom teaching in July of 2021. Some engagements required me to keep my mask on at all times. Others allowed me to remove my mask only when I was at the front of the room. And in case you’re wondering, whenever I teach at Loyola University, I keep my mask on at all times - it’s required for all professors and students. (Thank you, Loyola, for keeping us safe!)
I love presenting and teaching in-person. But ever since July, 2021, I noticed something: I was super exhausted after each presentation or class. I had only been speaking for an hour - why was I so wiped out?
Partly because there’s still a collective anxiety around this pandemic. When I must take public transportation these days, my shoulders are up to my ears.
But there’s more than that contributing to my fatigue: I have to speak through 2 (or more) layers of cloth.
So how can speaking through a face mask be a little easier? Here are my Top 3 Suggestions for Projecting Through a Mask.
Top 3 Tips for Speaking Through a Mask.
Warm up your vocal cords.
It’s not just for singers or actors. Warming up your vocal cords is essential to protecting your voice. In my 20+ years of corporate training and teaching, I’ve had countless clients approach me and ask, “Why did I get a sore throat after a 4-hour meeting yesterday?”
Answer: It’s not a sore throat. Your vocal cords are worn out. Speaking a lot without proper breath control and support will do that. Try some vocal warm-ups from Voice Coach Eric Arceneaux (video below).Speak from your gut.
Most of us very naturally speak from our throats - which is why your voice will be worn out after an all-day meeting. Instead, try belly breathing (breathe with air going all the way down into your stomach), and then speak as you exhale. An easy way to achieve this is to visualize your voice living in your stomach and coming up and out through your mouth.Project to the back of the room.
Keep using that belly breath/speak from your gut, and imagine you have a loved one who is hard of hearing, and they’re standing all the way in the back of the room. Speak loud enough so your fictional friend can hear you. Visualize your voice hitting the back wall.
Warm-up exercises from Vocal Coach Eric Arceneaux below.
Want to work together and learn how to project your voice better? Get in touch.
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make the process of public speaking easier for my clients. And I present at conferences! I help speakers and presenters (even reluctant ones) with everything from preparation to managing anxiety and nerves to speaking with strength and confidence. Want to work together? Click that red button below and let’s talk.