with Erikka J
In order to tell a story, you have to understand it. This week, Anne & Erikka discuss how to harness musicality to make the most out of your reads. Singing can teach you a lot about breath control, pacing, and emotional expression. Taking deep, diaphragmatic breaths will keep your air flow strong. This prevents you from breaking up ideas & phrases with pauses which ultimately interrupt the story you are telling. Knowing your voice and its capabilities can inform your daily workflow & schedule. Tune in to learn how you can harness the power of your voice…
In this episode, Anne & Erikka discuss the connection between music & VO, using your voice properly, + the power of a strong breath...
"Singing taught me how to budget my breath." - Erikka
About Erikka
DC born, Atlanta based voice actor, singer/songwriter and entertainer Erikka J is known for her rich powerhouse vocals, soulful tenor to soprano range, and commanding stage presence. As a writer, she is dedicated to giving her fans, or "Jewels" as she has named them, meaningful, honest, and relatable lyrics. During her time in Richmond, Virginia a reputation for delivering quality, heartfelt, attention grabbing performances earned her the honor of opening for Grammy-winning recording artist Chrisette Michele. Erikka has headlined events at notable venues such as DC's historic Blues Alley Jazz Club and the Dumfries Summer Concert Series. Though classically trained at DC's Duke Ellington School of the Arts and influenced by vocal staples such as Mary J. Blige and Billie Holiday, Erikka has a deep rooted love for hip-hop that is evident in her delivery. She lives up to her "Natural Born Hustler" mantra with accomplishments such as landing music video placements on BET Soul, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Russell Simmons' All Def Digital YouTube channel, as well as lending her voice over talents to notable clients such as Google, Amazon, Apple News+, and the DC Lottery.
Top 10 Takeaways
Quick-share concepts from today’s episode:
There is melody in everything spoken. #VOBOSS
Breath control is essential in voice work.
Diaphragmatic & nose breaths will keep your air stream strong & even.
Find the written & implied breaks in the script. #VOBOSS
Plan out your breaths in a script. It will make your read smoother + edits faster.
Running out of breath breaks up the story.
Learn how to budget your breath throughout a script. #VOBOSS
Warm ups change depending on the job you’re preparing for + how you’re using your voice that day. #VOBOSS
There is a vocal & emotional element of you that only you can bring to a character. #VOBOSS
Understanding the story you’re telling makes your vocal melody natural & authentic. #VOBOSS
"Planning breaths into a script makes telling the story more natural." - Anne
Referenced in this Episode
Direct links to things we brought up ++
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More from Anne
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Hit the Right Notes
Every script has a melody and a tempo. When you understand how to make your reads musical you'll be able to naturally keep the listener engaged. You want your voice to draw the listener into the story, you want them to want to keep listening. In this episode, Anne talks about how to create a musical framework to improve your reads.