More Notes from the Basement:

[ellenkushner]

Heading back into the studio (which really is in a basement, in a private house in Brooklyn - studio built by our engineer, in fact; it's one of his specialties) tomorrow to continue recording that thing - you know, that thing I can't tell you about. Yet.

Did more voice work with my beloved George Russell yesterday to prepare for the next section.

Did you know that you sound a whole lot more like a man if you drop the pitch of your voice to emphasis a word, rather than raising it?

Try it:  It works!  Just go through a text and underline the "key" word in each sentence, the most important one. Don't even think about the meaning, or try for a particular character.  

It's hard.  It's fascinating.  It's a total genderf*ck - like cross-dressing with your voice.  For me, anyway.  Delia & I read through several chapters - dialogue only - last night (and may I just say that it makes a pretty good script all by itself?), with her doing all the other characters, while I paced and sat, reading and repeating, trying to get that way of speaking into my body until I was dropping the voice without thinking - and then could actually start working on characterization, etc.!  (Oh, and one more thing:  No pauses in the dialogue lines for that particular character. If the author wants a pause or hesitation, it's there in the punctuation!  Otherwise: no pauses before words! I have written this down.  George kept saying - and demonstrating with handy prop: "Look: It's a cup. I'm putting it down.  On the table. That's how he speaks.")

You who have actually studied acting at an adult level probably already know all this stuff.  But for me, it was a revelation.  And a challenge.

* * * 

In other news:  Delia is off to Mexico tomorrow for 2 weeks, going on the Writing Retreat with Holly Black & other friends.  I'm staying here to record, then heading down to Endicott West for a week to write with my brother Phil.  Should be good.  And let me just say that it is a lot more fun being someone's aide de camp as they pack for a big trip, than it is to be - as I was last year - going, too?  Inasmuch as I am not the least bit fussed about whether or not I have toothpaste, or have answered all my mail, or . . . .  well, you know.  I suppose that will all come next week when I pack for Endicott.  But why worry about that now?

Comments

[oracne.livejournal.com]

That voice thing is really cool.

[csecooney.livejournal.com]

I have an acting minor and I still find all of this fascinating! I love hearing about voice work. There are probably all sorts of tricks voice actors know that stage actors don't, because they'd have to use more kinds of voices in a single project than an actor would. It's something I totally want to do more of. It sounds like you're having the time of your life! VERY EXCITING!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! Thank you. It is. I am.

Amazing to be able to engage with and - well, I won't say "master," but begin to gain traction on a whole set of skills I never thought I'd get the chance to do more than aspire to. And LEARN something that is truly scary and truly joyous (unlike the internet. It is . . . a challenge. And always full of new tricks I never thought I'd need. But it was never exactly my life's dream. . . . You understand, Clairelette.)

[shadefell.livejournal.com]

So, you know how some people, usually women, have a lilt? At the end of each sentence? Like they're asking a question? And it's really common? But kind of seems like they're insecure or looking for approval? Or reassurance?

Yeah. I've been trying to excise that from my speaking patterns for a few years now. I'ma try the voice lowering as well. I'm short and have a high pitched voice and people don't take me as seriously as they might because of that. I'm 32 but get mistaken for someone in her early 20s frequently which is kind of cool but also leads to people underestimating me/my experience (and scolding me for having a child "so young." I was 30.)

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Really, really interesting! I'm fascinated by all this. Do you have any idea how/why you got started speaking that way? It seems to be very much of a particular cultural/historical moment - one of those mass-"vocal shifts". . . I don't suppose you remember any influences?

And what are you doing to try and change it? I'm here to tell you that a good acting voice coach could be the answer - just a couple of lessons and you might have tools you need.

[shadefell.livejournal.com]

I live in the midwest (Chicago) and I think I picked it up from other people around me. I worked with an older woman who pointed out that I was doing it which surprised me, I hadn't been aware I was doing it. She said she first noticed it years ago, in California (kind of a valley girl thing?) and was surprised to see it spreading across the country.

I've mostly stopped it just by being mindful that I am making statements and not asking questions. I've noticed a shift in the way people/superiors treat me (I'm a temp and so work with a LOT of different people/bosses throughout the year). I try not to say "um," "er," "ah" and other conversational place holders, too.

I think a lot of the upward-tilt inflection that women are using in their statements has something to do with wanting to be liked/accepted. Women are often punished for having an idea or making statements, so if you kind of toss stuff out as a question, it's less potentially troublesome. Like the smileys and exclamation marks that women are more prone to peppering emails with ( http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-open-letter-to-the-person-in-charge-of-new-punctuation ).