“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.