0732 – The 4 P’s of Speaking Outdoors

2023.01.02 – 0732 – The 4 P’s of Speaking Outdoors

VOICE BOX

Speaking outdoors

‘Public speaking’ at out-door events, garden parties, open-air weddings, theatres and so on can put an added strain on your voice, but some tips are the same as indoor work: warming up (even though the weather may be warm, you need to prepare your voice for what is to come), and hydration (again, the warmer weather may cause you to need more fluid both before and during your open-air speaking engagement[1]).

The Four Ps

Posture – As you will be outside, you will likely be standing and giving your presentation. Relax, don’t lock your knees but have a bit of ‘give’ in them, stand on the balls of your feet rather than the heels and have them shoulder-width apart. Relax and drop your shoulders. You may be tempted to help your voice ‘reach’ the audience by jutting your chin forward, but this not only looks odd but it can cause a strain on your neck.

Power – As we saw before when we spoke about resonance, you don’t always need to shout to make yourself heard. Power can be the combination of breath control and the use of your resonance chambers (the chest, throat, mouth and so on) to give the illusion of a greater sound, but without causing the strain that comes from sheer volume. Put simply, resonance provides the most output for the least vocal effort.

Plosives – Your enunciation will also help you cut through outside sounds: the buzz of the audience, the breeze in the trees, traffic, and birds…. So, speak clearly and put energy into plosives and the hard consonants.

PAs – using a public address system needs careful use too: don’t be too close to the mic; don’t drop your voice too much at the end of sentences; don’t speak too fast as there may be a delay in the relay of your voice from outlying speakers and some of what you say may be repeated in an echo-effect or taken by the wind.

[1] Indeed, as we will see in our section on vocal health, some medication such as for hay fever can dry out your vocal folds.

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