Voice Coaching Week Feedback - 2021

Heidi Williamson

The course was so energizing and helpful. I will use the techniques from now on when I take part in anything publicly. Nerves were a huge issue for me, and knowing I have exercises to deal with these is a huge relief.

I was so glad it was available even in the pandemic. We benefited in some ways from the online delivery – e.g. we had time to practice in between sessions. Friday evenings were difficult, as at the end of a long and screen heavy week. The Saturdays were blissful. If it was possible to deliver it as 3 Saturdays would be great.  

It was harder to 'chat' and get to know other participants online. And family life made it hard to focus at times. The residential option would definitely be preferable for those reasons. It has already changed how I read in public. E.g. my awareness of preparation (mental and physical), resonance, and breathing. Also the idea of 'presence' as a skill, not an in-born feature! Though it was harder to work with 'presence' on stage online. It would be lovely to follow up with some group work on this in a larger physical space if possible. 

I would heartily recommend the course to all poets.  I'm so grateful it went ahead, and learned so much from it. 

Thank you so much to everyone that made it possible.

Sarah

For me the zoom course was about the right length and spread. Having asthma, I found the two days online hard work, but that was a good exercise for me, I learned how far I could push my breathing and how to control it. Francoise worked like a Trojan and constantly took each participant’s personal difficulties into consideration.
It has definitely made me consider my writing more physically; how I create each line and the punctuation within a poem. Plus, the course has made me think about how I use the ‘power’ words; how I place them, and to avoid wasting them.
Without a doubt it has changed the way I read in public. I’m already more adventurous with my reading style and I have much more control of my breathing and my delivery – confidence in my own words. I’ve recommended the course to several poets already.
Having to say 'what you do for a living’ in a new group is an antiquated patriarchal ice-breaker and people make judgements on you (whether they believe they do or not) before you have even started. It would be more relevant and egalitarian to invite poets to name favorite writers or poems.

Katrina Naomi

How was the course for you?

I got a lot from it. I thought Francoise did a brilliant job, within the restrictions of zoom. I learnt a lot. I felt there were too many of us in the group (although everyone was lovely and worked really hard to make everything work).
How was the online delivery? (This is especially important as we’ve not done it online before. Was the pace ok? Could you see it paced differently? Eg over 3 weekends?)
I think Francoise did really well; she was warm and lovely with us and imparted so much knowledge and so many useful ideas. But I feel that the course would have been so different had we been able to hold it in person. I feel that we bonded quite well over zoom (or as well as you can) but that we still don't know each other, so giving feedback on each other's performances was harder. I think we all found it incredibly tiring. It was hard to keep focused over a Friday night and then a Saturday whole day on zoom; this was too much for me.

Has it changed how you write?

No but I found the 'juicy words' exercise really exciting and it may make me think differently about words 🙂
Has it changed how you read in public?
Yes. I have a deeper breath to draw upon now (looking forward to using it in a real, live reading at some point); I feel I have more volume when I need it. This was quite an emotional discovery, realizing how much women's voices get silenced/quietened. I also really gained from the exercise of reading ahead quickly and then being able to maintain eye contact with the audience while speaking. I used this method for my first reading since the course - last Monday for Cafe Writers - and it felt powerful. I had brilliant feedback on the reading.

Would you recommend the course to other poets?

Yes, I would, it gives you a lot of confidence. But it would be so much better in person.