Improving your on-air (or online) delivery takes practice, but what kind of practice? We’ve shared tips and tricks before, but here’s a new idea that might be helpful the next time you prepare to record narration.
Try it drunk.
Not literally! The Common Language Project at the University of Washington suggests pretending that you’re at the bar, telling a friend about an amazing character you met.
Read your script or tell your story as if it had nothing to do with the radio. Read it through as if you’re drunk, laughing uncontrollably, or even in a complete monotone, a couple of times…Then go back to your normal read.
The concept behind the suggestion is that breaking free from the way you typically sound when recording narrations will not only warm up your voice but loosen you up, as well.
Playing with your voice like this opens you up to new possibilities in your read – your tone, pitch, speed, emphasis – trying it in a new way allows you to hear more of those possibilities, and come up with a read that just sounds right. You’ll be amazed how different it sounds.
Now all you need is a secluded spot where you can try this out! Let us now if it’s helpful. And check out more tips from CLP in their Audio 101 guide.
2 Comments
One word of advice to ALL narrators, announcers and radio talkers… BACK THE HECK AWAY FROM THE MIC! NPR is expecially bad about allowing “mouth” noise to go out over the air. Some of their people are so bad about it that they sound like they are eating while trying to tell us the news. Nechel Norris is so bad that I have to turn to another channel when she is on. I don’t need to hear your tongue moving around, or lips smacking, or even your exasperated sighs….tell me the news but dont gross me out!
Thats more than snsebile! Thats a great post!