Plus, 3 simple ways to relax your body for a better vocal preparation to ace your audition.

Let’s say you read my review on Voices.com and decided to sign up. Now, you’re ready to begin a voice-over career, but you need some help on how to prepare your voice for a performance or voice-over session.

You’ll want to do everything in your power to ace your audition and land your first job. #Money!

Taking a few vocal preparation steps before the audition can help warm up your voice, get you into character, ease your nerves, and prepare you for the audition ahead. Your vocal preparation session doesn’t have to be long, either. 10-15 minutes is more than enough time to center yourself and prepare mentally and physically for the audition.

Try some of these vocal preparation techniques and see which one works best for you.

How to start a Voice Over Career

Looking to start a voice-over career? Get your pen and paper ready to learn the best tips and tricks on how to start a voice-over career, with this episode of Always Acting Up Podcast.

Don’t have time to listen? Don’t worry, Always Acting Up can be found on all podcasting platforms as well.

Vocal Warmup 

You know how your voice cracks in the morning and sounds scratchy? That’s because you’ve gone a full 8 hours without speaking to anyone. That same scratchy voice can come out in your voiceover audition if you don’t warm up your vocal instrument. This is why it is so important to prepare your voice first.

Here are a few methods to warm up your entire mouth before the audition:

1. Start With the Lips- Before speaking, warm up your lips. Our lips play a huge roll in forming sound, so it’s important you get them ready for the lines ahead. You can start by flapping your lips with a lip trill. This will loosen the muscles around the lips, allowing for more movement. 
2. Massage- No, you don’t have to run to the nearest spa. Warm your mouth up by massaging your jaw, stretching your lips open, and clenching them closed. The goal is to relax the facial muscles, giving you the control, so massage whatever facial muscles feel tight. 
3. Hum- Before speaking, hum a tune through your lips. This is another way to activate those lip muscles and get a sense of the vibrations that come from your vocal cords. 
4. Form Alphabet Sounds- Go through the sounds of the alphabet to warm up all corners of your mouth. This can include singular-letter sounds, like “m” or “z” or multiple-letter sounds, like “ng” or “sh.” Allow your mouth time to soak up and re-familiarize itself with various sounds, so that you’re ready for whatever pops up.
5. Breath- Proper breathing techniques can help you not run out of breath in the middle of an audition. Forgetting to breath because of nerves, or not breathing correctly can distract from your acting. Practice breathing into your diaphragm to emit the deepest and most fluid breaths. Place a hand on your lower stomach. On your inhales, your diaphragm should inflate like a balloon and deflate on your exhales. 
6. Articulation- Now that all of the surrounding muscles and structures of your mouth are warmed up, you can begin speaking. Articulation is important in voiceovers because the audience won’t see your lips. If your speech isn’t clear, there’s no way for the audience to decipher what you’re saying. You can use tongue twisters to really challenge your articulation or run through your script a few times to make sure you hit all the important words.

Body Warmups for Vocal Preparation

Along with warming up your voice, it’s incredibly important to warm up your body! Your body and voice are connected, so if you’re feeling stiff, your voice will come out clenched as well. These exercises can match your body up with your voice:

1. Body Rolls- A great way to warm up the spine, torso, and entire upper half of the body, start in a rag-doll position and slowly roll up vertebrae by vertebrae.
2. Neck Rolls- A stiff neck can cause you to stiffen up your other facial muscles and even your vocal cords. Rolling your neck from one side to the other can release any unwanted tension before you begin. 
3. Correct Your Posture- Posture is super important when it comes to voice acting. Your body and voice are connected, so make sure your posture aligns with the character you’re portraying. No one will see it, but hunching over may help you connect with an elderly character or a servant. Standing up tall can help you emit authority and power. Correct your posture to allow breath to flow in while staying true to your character. 

Keep Your Mouth Hydrated 

*Pro Tip* Rumor has it that dairy products cause mucus. Try to steer clear so that you can have the best vocal preparation possible

Conclusion on How to Prepare Your Voice for a Performance

In conclusion, your body is the powerhouse of your voice. It is imperative to warm up your mouth before you step in front of the microphone, on stage, or if you have an audition. In addition, you want to make sure that your body is fully warmed up and ready to go as well, they are connected after all.

Don’t worry about a complete hour-long sweat-fest, a simple 10-15 minutes of vocal preparation will be a great solution on how to prepare your voice for a performance.

Let me know in the comments and if you liked this blog, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date on the latest and greatest tips to look, feel, and perform better in front of the camera AND in life!

Plus, by subscribing, you’ll get my free cheat sheet on how to prep for the BEST photo shoot ever!