| Have you ever considered the sound of your | | | | them on one of these trips. I lasted 3 months in that |
| speaking voice and what it says about you? Have | | | | particular vocation: my boss, Harry, however, was a |
| you given any thought to the fact that your | | | | different story. A former priest who had taught |
| speaking voice could be holding you back from landing | | | | English at a Catholic seminary, Harry had a voice that |
| a particular job or getting that promotion? | | | | was captivating - deep, rich, warm - his voice made |
| Take this scenario for example. There are two | | | | you listen. Harry sold tours right and left. I sold |
| candidates for a job. Both have an excellent | | | | nothing. |
| education; both have the same work experience. | | | | After that demoralizing job, I went to graduate |
| One of the candidates has a dynamic speaking voice, | | | | school to pursue music composition with the goal of |
| exuding confidence and personality. Candidate #2, on | | | | writing Broadway musicals. During my studies, |
| the other hand, has a whiny nasal voice or possibly | | | | however, one of my professors pointed out my 'real' |
| he/she is soft-spoken, thus hard to hear, or maybe | | | | voice. Whereas my habitual voice sounded young, |
| the person sounds like a 12-year-old. Who gets the | | | | thin, and high-pitched, the professor showed me that |
| job? | | | | my 'real' voice was lower, richer, warmer, resonant. |
| Now let's look at the picture differently. Again, there | | | | After graduate school, I moved to New York City |
| are two candidates for a job. Candidate #1 has a | | | | (still planning on meeting Stephen Sondheim!) but I |
| very good education; however, candidate #2 went | | | | needed a job and I thought music publishing would be |
| to a better school. Candidate #1 does not have as | | | | a logical step since I had studied composition. What I |
| much experience as candidate #2. Candidate #1 has | | | | didn't realize during those early years in New York |
| that great speaking voice and confident delivery; | | | | was that my speaking voice was my greatest asset. |
| candidate #2 has neither. Who gets the job? | | | | Not only did I sound more mature than I was, but it |
| Unless you're looking for an employee who will have | | | | was getting me the jobs I wanted. |
| no communication with the outside world, chances | | | | There are many beautiful, dynamic speaking voices |
| are good that you will select candidate #1. | | | | and you may possess one of them. Until you learn to |
| Before attending graduate school, I worked for 'Your | | | | place your sound properly, however, you will never |
| Man Tours' in the Philadelphia area. They specialized in | | | | know just how fantastic your voice may be. |
| prearranged tours to Hawaii, Mexico, and California. | | | | Is the sound of your speaking voice an asset or is it |
| After seeing the advertising for these vacations, | | | | a liability? |
| people would call in; and, it was my job to try to sell | | | | |