The Magic of Voice Icons
By Kathleen Gubitosi, October 21, 2019
Taking your first steps on the journey to cultivate your inner beauty can be scary but there are big rewards once you reach your goal. These include more freedom, more money, relationships that have proper boundaries, and tons of energy to channel into creative projects that can go global and change the world! All of this happens once you find your voice. When you learn to free your voice, you can transform your life!
When Marie and I met a few years ago, we instantly connected. It didn’t take us long to begin working together as our businesses complement each other in the most amazing way.
My specialty is bringing your inner voice into alignment with your outer voice so that not only does your personal style exude your essence, your voice does as well. Voice is one of the most crucial aspects of personal and professional image. It’s also the most overlooked. After all, very few people have heard of Voice Image Consulting, and that’s exactly what I do.
Voice Image Consulting is helping people locate their authentic voice, a voice that speaks from the heart, expresses a wide range of emotional nuance, uses words and phrases that support their chosen physical image, and is also pleasing to the ear of the listener. All of this translates into voice empowerment for any situation.
I’d like you to consider your voice as a physical characteristic just like any other body part, except that it holds the power to instantly attract the right people and situations! Your ability to impress the boss, convince a customer, raise your income and most of all, maintain your dignity in difficult situations is directly related to the effect your speaking voice has on others.
You may be thinking that working on your voice is too hard or that you need to be musical. It’s not! It really is a lot of fun! To prove it to you, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite things to do, explore the world of voice icons.
What’s a voice icon? It’s similar to a style icon. Let me give you an example.
When I think of Audrey Hepburn’s fashion style, simple, straight, elegant lines that fall gracefully around her slim dancer’s figure instantly come to mind. Audrey also had a voice style that complimented her fashionable image. Her voice was understated, her word choices refined, and her expressive nuances were sophisticated yet very down to earth.
I am such a big fan of Audrey that I can actually hear her voice in my head as a write this! I believe the same is true for you when you think of your favorite actors, singers and speakers.
In my studio, we use voice icons all the time! Using voice icons gives us have an immediate understanding of the sound and style we want our voice to emulate.
Here is a list of some very well-known voices. Use your imagination. Can you hear these voices in your head just by reading the person’s name?
Adele
Barbra Streisand
Julie Andrews
Lady Gaga
Shirley Bassey
Ed Sheeran
Katharine Hepburn
Marilyn Monroe
James Earle Jones
Alan Rickman
Patrick Stewart
Cher
Whitney Houston
Karen Carpenter
Ray Charles
Selena
George O’Dowd (Boy George)
Bono
Frank Sinatra
This is the Power of Voice Icons! Each icon represents a sound style that is instantly recognizable for a lot of people, making them a great relational tool for adapting one’s voice image.
If you’re wondering how to use this technique to discover who the right voice icons are for you, here are 5 simple steps to get you started.
Make a short list
of three people who you admire from any part of your life, three of your favorite singers and three of your favorite non-singing speakers.
Review the list to identify how you feel when listening to the different
people speak or sing. Note: These are the emotions you have inside you that your authentic voice would like to express more frequently.
Practice speaking or singing “as if” you are expressing the feeling of the icon(s) of choice.
Ask a good friend how they feel when they hear you speaking “as if” you are your voice icon. In the absence of a trusted friend or voice coach, record yourself and listen for any changes.
Practice reading aloud from books of prose or poetry speaking “as if” you are creating the same feeling you get when listening to your voice icon.
Give it a shot! You have nothing to lose! I’d love to hear your thoughts about voice icons and learn more about what you discovered about yourself, your voice, and how it helps align with your goal of inner beauty cultivation.
You can find out more about Kathleen Gubitosi at her website: kathleengubitosi.com
