Page 323 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

290 Part 3 Putting Theory Into Practice

the placement of the teeth and tongue and
position of the lips will result in variations
in the sounds produced. Shallow breathing
and the rapid expulsion of air across the vocal
cords, for example, will produce a much dif-
ferent sound than breathing deeply and then
slowly expelling the air. In the fi rst case, your
voice is likely to be described as feminine and
in the second masculine, even though neither is
necessarily true. The basic mechanical opera-
tion of the voice, however, is not as important
to the topic at hand as are the characteristics of
the voice. These include volume, pitch, range,
rhythm, and tempo.

Volume
How loudly you project your voice is a con-
sequence of both the amount of air you expel
when speaking and the force with which you
expel it. For example, try to speak loudly with-
out fi rst taking a fairly deep breath. Surprising,
isn’t it? Some examples of people capable of
speaking with great volume are actor/talk show
host Oprah Winfrey, broadcaster Rush Lim-
baugh, actor James Earl Jones (the person you
hear saying “CNN”), and Audioslave singer
Chris Cornell. On the other hand, some ex-
amples of more soft-spoken voices include actor
Chris Cornell of Audioslave is known for his powerful voice.
George Clooney, TV host Diane Sawyer and
singer Norah Jones.
You need not be loud to be heard. What’s
more, speaking in a consistently loud voice is likely to grate on the ears of your
audience. You want to project your voice, not break eardrums with it. The key
is to vary the volume of your voice depending on the impact you hope to have
with your audience. Sometimes lowering the volume of your voice will draw
your audience in, whereas a sudden increase in volume may startle your audi-
ence. As a public speaker, you need to have enough volume to be heard by your
audience. But that can vary tremendously depending on the size of your audi-
ence, the room in which you are speaking, and the availability of a microphone.
Seasoned speakers prepare differently depending on these factors. That is to
say, they vary the volume with which they practice depending on where and
with whom they will be speaking. You should do the same thing. Practice your
speech as if you were delivering it in the classroom where you will speak, to an
audience equivalent in size to your actual class. When you actually do speak to
your class, moreover, look for feedback about volume in the faces and posture
of audience members. If those in the back of the room are leaning forward or
look puzzled, you may need to raise your volume. On the other hand, if people
seated in the fi rst row are leaning back in their seats, you may be speaking too
loudly.