Ep. 7: How can I express myself without vocal fry? What warm-up should I do before going on set?

“I realized coming to Los Angeles that there’s not a strong emphasis on voice—or at least I didn’t notice that. I felt that I had lost some of the training that I had gotten in college. I felt myself either pushing (that was on stage) and what I realized I was doing on set was vocal fry.” – Eddie Ramos

On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by actor and founder and Creator of The Modern Actor, Eddie Ramos.

Eddie had two questions: “How can I express myself without using vocal fry? What sort of warm-up should I be doing before going on set?”

Eddie and I talked about how on-camera actors, in particular, often rely on vocal fry in their speaking. We talk about what vocal fry is, why it’s so common, and why it might actually be a useful choice for an actor. Then I share thoughts on how to find a fuller, more expressive voice as well as what type of exercises actors might do in order to perform in any context.

Interview Highlights:

• What vocal fry is, and who has that vocal quality.

• How vocal fry limits the voice, and therefore vocal expressiveness.

• How core support helps combat vocal fry.

• How to calibrate your vocal support to project or speak in a more intimate way.

• What emotions really are, and how limiting your breath limits your capacity to feel affected.

• Why it’s so important to have a vocal practice, especially for actors.

• Exercises you can do—at home or on set—to help you find more connection to your breath and voice.

• What sort of foods you should—and shouldn’t—have before performing.

Featured on the Show:

• Eddie Ramos | Instagram | The Modern Actor

• Weekly Class in Fitzmaurice Voicework with Ryan O’Shea

• Other opportunities to study Fitzmaurice Voicework

• Patsy Rodenburg’s writings

• Zafu (aka meditation cushion)