Voice and Public Speaking Class
Next Dates TBA
This 6-week class will introduce participants to principles and techniques of voice and public speaking work for honing your communication skills in work and life. Using principles of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, Organic Intelligence®, and other methodologies, participants will learn technical skills, which include more “classic” elements of public speaking and voicework, combined with practices for finding ease and authenticity while speaking.
The people who reach out to me for public speaking coaching generally fall into one of two categories:
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People who enjoy public speaking, but have room for improvement around their delivery. They need technical skills so that they can be more clear and dynamic in their delivery, and they may also need help finding their authentic speaking voice. Many speakers who love public speaking often have a “public speaking voice” which sounds fake or “preachy” to their audience.
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People who fear public speaking, so that their delivery suffers from nerves and overwhelm. Learning technical skills helps them feel more confident, but they also need tools for finding relief from nerves so that they can better connect to their material and the audience in front of them.
I offer a holistic approach combining more traditional voice and public speaking techniques along with contemporary practices for nervous system regulation. My approach supports all speakers regardless of their level of experience with or enjoyment of public speaking. Whether you love public speaking and are looking to up your skillset, or you fear any speaking or networking opportunities, you'll benefit from my 6-week Voice and Public Speaking Class.
Do you feel like you "lose" your audience—they become bored or distracted and you don't know how to get them back?
I'll teach you tools for connecting to your audience, and tactics for regaining their attention in the moments they become distracted.
Does your voice become fatigued after giving a presentation, or after a full day of speaking?
I'll teach you a series of warm-ups for your voice, body, and presence so that you feel more ease in your breathing and speaking. I'll also teach you how to effortlessly and healthily modulate your volume from Zoom to the conference room.
Do you struggle with staying present when giving presentations, or even in one-on-one conversations?
I'll teach you tools for engaging with others that allows you to feel good and authentically present with the people in front of you.
Does your delivery feel flat or monotone?
I'll teach you how to add musical variety to your voice, so that you sound vocally dynamic, while staying grounded and connected to your authentic speaking voice.
Do you have a "public speaking voice"--so that you sound or feel "fake"?
I'll teach you how to find your authentic speaking voice, and an authentic connection to your material, so that your talk has a conversational quality.
Do you "black out" in presentations—so that you can't remember large portions of what you said?
I'll teach you how to find—and then stay in—a state of presence and ease, so that you don't become overwhelmed as you speak.
In this 6-week class, you'll learn:
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How to warm-up: Being an effective speaker and being “quick on your feet”—able to quickly and calmly respond in the moment—requires the speaker to feel an authentic sense of presence and ease, and warm-ups establish this foundation. I’ll guide participants through a series of brief warm-ups to prepare their body, voice, and presence for any speaking engagement.
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What it means to be present, and how to consistently return to a state of presence: We’ll dig into common areas of focus that tend to make us less present, and ways in which we can redirect our attention to find flow in our communication.
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How to deal with nerves and overwhelm: This will include in-the-moment interventions you can give yourself to help feel more calm, as well as concepts and practices for cultivating more long-term ease and relaxation on the nervous system level.
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How to authentically connect to your material and your audience: Effective public speaking requires an authenticity from the speaker—if the audience doesn't connect with you, or feels that you're not being yourself, they're less likely to do take the action you want. You'll learn the neurobiology of emotions and how to consistently and authentically connect with your audience on an emotional level.
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Tools of Prosody (the musicality of speaking) and Rhetoric: Understanding how to frame rhetorical devices (lists, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, etc.) and helping your audience to really hear and then understand the most salient points of a talk, requires having a range of musicality to your speaking (without having a forced or inauthentic musicality).
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How to calibrate your volume (without fatiguing or losing your voice): You'll learn the basics of vocal support and volume calibration so you can be effortlessly heard, whether you're speaking on Zoom or in a conference room.
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How to Practice: Practice is an important transition point toward an effective talk in front of an audience. In this section, we’ll talk about how to practice so that you feel confident in your material, and are prepared for dealing with the audience who will be hearing the material.
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How to apply these techniques to a talk: In addition to the 6-week group class, you'll also get two private coaching sessions with me so you can implement your new process and fine-tune your skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where & when does class meet?
All sessions, including the two private coaching sessions, are over Zoom.
The next round of class dates are TBA, but will likely be in 2023.
Will I get to give my talk in front of the group?
Part of the benefit of being in this group setting is the opportunity to practice giving your talk to an audience (in a highly supportive environment!). Most weeks, you'll be doing exercises, including practicing your talk, in breakout rooms with one other person, so that you get to slowly grow your capacity to speak in front of others. The final class will include presentations to the whole group.
Do I have to provide my own talk or presentation?
Yes! We won’t be focusing on the writing of content, but rather on tools for effective delivery. Therefore, you'll need to have a short talk/ presentation prepared in advance. This can be a talk you might actually give as part of your work, or it can be a talk you write for this workshop. I'll give more guidance on this once you register for the workshop.
Is class recorded?
Yes! I record each class, and upload it to an online class portal. The recordings are available for you to review and replay for 30 days following the completion of the 6 week class. Recordings are only available to those enrolled in class, and you'll only be recorded if/when you speak. You won't be recorded while you're doing class exercises.
How many people will be in the class? Can I audit?
Class is limited to 10 participants to allow for ample one-on-one attention and feedback.
Once all 10 participant spaces are filled, I'll also open up the class for auditors. Auditors will get to participate in class exercises, view recordings, and download warm-ups. The auditor fee does not include the two private coaching sessions.
Anything else included with the live class?
Your enrollment also gets you access to a library of guided warm-ups for voice, body, articulation, and presence. These warm-ups are also downloadable so that you can keep them and access them after the completion of the class.
TESTIMONIALS
"This holistic approach allows Ryan to masterfully guide her students to reach their individual goals."
Chris Bianez, Certified Speaking Professional
"I love being in Ryan's presence. I feel like just watching her speak and communicate and guide us through the meditative restructuring [voice] practice made me more comfortable in my voice."
Mary Jelkovsky, TedX Speaker
