Biology - Human Impact: Station 2 - Voice Projection

1. Take a moment to read through the tips for changing your vocal variety. 

• A lot of vocal variety and voice control comes from practice, practice, practice! 

2. Choose one of the the children's books and flip through and get comfortable reading a few pages. You will be reading a few to your classmates practicing changing your vocal variety and tone. 

3. Taking turns each member of this station will rotate through and practice reading a few pages from their children's book standing on one side of the flex space while the rest of the group stands on the other side and listens. If the reading member uses filler words he or she must start over. 

How can tone and pitch be used in a presentation?

To Place Emphasis

• During your presentation there will be times when you really want to emphasize a certain point. These important points need to be clarified so the audience understands that they are important. We can stress importance by changing the tone and inflection of our voice. Try putting emphasis on particular words to grab the audience’s attention by raising your pitch and strengthening your tone.

To Convey Emotion

• If you are passionate about something, you can show it through your voice. When you use inflection, you can convey a wide range of emotions such as sadness, anger, excitement, fear, or humor. The tone of your voice also can also convey different feelings to your listeners and this is a great way to captivate them and engage them in your message. 

To Demonstrate Authority

• If you attend a presentation and the speaker introduces themself loud and clear with a nice low tone, you are likely to assume that this person is confident and credible. Now, if that same person has a very high pitch and speaks softly, you are more likely to assume they are nervous or unsure about speaking. The tone and pitch of your voice can change the way others perceive you, so be sure and speak with the right tone to demonstrate that you are an authority on the topic and a credible speaker. 

To Add Vocal Variety

• We have all sat through a class or presentation at some point where the speaker had a monotone voice throughout the entire presentation. More than likely, this left you bored, uninterested, and on the verge of falling asleep. The most successful speakers are those who change the tone and pitch of their voice throughout their presentation. Vocal variety increases your charisma and makes you more interesting. 

To Make it Conversational

• When we are speaking in normal conversation, we are always adjusting our pitch and tone without even thinking about it. You want to do the same in a presentation so you don’t sound stagnant. When you use inflection and vocal variety, your presentation feels more like a conversation between you and the audience.