Do you experience a shiver down your spine when tasked with delivering a speech? The nerves kick in as you gaze upon hundreds of faces, all anticipating a flawlessly executed and captivating presentation. In that critical moment, your voice may crack, and you stumble and falter, losing your way. You forget the meticulously prepared content, and the momentum you had diligently built dissipates into thin air.
Trust me, even the best speakers have experienced it. Public speaking is an arduous and stressful task, which is why it is essential to comprehend every aspect of what constitutes a good speech and master it. In this article, I want to focus on the role of voice modulation in the art of effective speech.
In a speech, your voice holds paramount importance; you aim to communicate something relevant, and engaging with the material is the crucial aspect. Passion and zeal are indispensable when it comes to the voice of your speech, serving as the foundation for a great oration.
In light of this, the significance of confidence in your voice is undeniable. Many fall prey to the myth that a speech should be ‘perfect.’ The truth is, perfection is a myth; there is no such thing. Your voice doesn't need to be flawless; it just needs to be memorable. It requires power and conviction, and it's the emotive quality of your voice that holds much greater importance.
Alright, I understand your sentiment! Thank you for the motivation, dear writer; as if we didn't already know that. Now, the question becomes, what specific aspects of our voice should we focus on to genuinely instill these skills?
According to Rahul Bhatnagar, the co-founder of USP, variation in your voice is crucial (Bhatnagar). This entails emphasizing specific words in your speech that best represent your ideas. Let’s illustrate this point with an example:
“Every day in school has been a memory to be cherished.”
“Every day in school has been a memory to be cherished.”
Which sentence leaves a more significant impact? Well, clearly the first one does. This is because, in a farewell speech, emphasizing the fact that you've made these memories in school matters more than what those memories themselves mean to you. Memories can be cherished in many places even after you leave school, but the significance lies in the positive memories you associate specifically with school. In this context, the word ‘school’ becomes relevant to the specific idea of bidding farewell to school life.
Your tonality is equally important alongside voice modulation. Tonality is defined as “the way you sound when you speak” (Barot). The tone of your voice can significantly impact your message. For instance, a topic like a college trip should have a very different tone compared to a subject related to social or environmental concerns. Understanding the content of your speech also implies that your tone should align with the atmosphere you aim to create, whether it be a moment of deafening silence, a roar of applause, or an audience in fits of laughter.
Finally, the use of rhetoric is crucial. Rhetoric involves the use of hand gestures and other non-verbal cues. To complement your voice, your body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions matter to create impact. In the context of our previous example, a contemplative look—perhaps looking up, almost in a moment of remembrance and thought—combined with confident body language can go a long way. However, how one chooses to use rhetoric is dependent on the speaker themselves, and it is a learning process. Alongside voice modulation, the use of rhetoric comes naturally to express an idea.
There you go! These tips will not turn you into a public speaking wizard, but they provide a place to start, and sometimes, that is all you need. Sometimes, just believing in yourself matters because that will automatically reflect in what you say.
WORKS CITED
Bhatnagar, Rahul. “7 Vital Tips on Voice Modulation.” 7 Feb. 2021, www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-vital-tips-voice-modulation-rahul-bhatnagar
Barot, Hrideep. “8 ESSENTIAL TIPS ON VOICE MODULATION AND TONALITY.” Frantically Speaking, 16 Oct. 2022, franticallyspeaking.com/8-essential-tips-on-voice-modulation-and-tonality