Full Voice

Zusatztext 57522315 Informationen zum Autor Barbara McAfee Klappentext Vocal expression is a part of nearly everyone's workday, yet most of us are unaware of how much influence our voice exerts over our effectiveness. Even before the content of our speech is processed, others make assumptions about who we are based not so much on what we say but how we say it our voice quality, facial expression, and physical posture. Though many of us feel self-conscious about our voices, we have no mechanism for making a lasting, authentic, effective shift in how we express ourselves vocally. McAfee's work shows how we can deliberately marshal the power of our voices to support our intentions, aspirations, and relationships. She identifies five different vocal tones or qualities Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, Air-explaining how to cultivate each voice and when and when not to use it (for example, don't use an Air voice if you're trying to persuade a roomful of skeptics-use your Fire voice). She shows how heightened awareness of our voice can promote a deeper and broader understanding of who we are, the limits we place on our identity, and the choices we make about how we appear to others. Full Voice offers a clear and tested process for stretching well beyond the comfort zone of our regular speech into the full range of sound available. Readers will explore the edges and colors of their vocal ranges in a playful, embodied, and authentic way, and can incorporate new skills into their daily work and personal lives.What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator chapter one Voice, Instinct, and the Oral Tradition a context for voice Our voices carry a rich legacy. How we speak and listen today has emerged from the long unfolding story of human history. In her book The Four-Fold Way, cultural anthropologist and author Angeles Arrien suggests that indigenous wisdom and practices have an essential role to play in restoring our balance with each other and the earth. She discovered that voiceas expressed in song, sound, breath, story, and even silenceis a vital element in indigenous societies around the world. In many of these cultures, the voice is directly linked to the soul or spirit of a person.1 The oral tradition is an enormous area of study, as is language development in individuals and societies. I must, however, make brief mention of these subjects as a way to root this exploration of voice in a deeper appreciation for our individual and collective vocal heritage. Let's begin with your own vocal genesis. You were paying attention to voices long before you were born. Your ability to hear was fully formed by the time you were a three-month-old fetus. You floated in a rich world of sound as well as in amniotic fluid. Your mother's voice and heartbeat were most familiar, but you also discerned the voices of family members and other muffled sounds from the outside world. At the moment of your birth, your first act as a distinct individual was a vocal one: you cried. That sound marked the doorway between your prenatal and postnatal worlds and announced your arrival on earth in no uncertain terms. The sound of your brand-new voice making itself audible in the world for the first time was the initial step on a vocal adventure that continues today. Next you used your voice to communicate your hunger, discomfort, and frustration with distinct cries. If the adults around you were paying attention, they learned to interpret them accurately and respond to what you needed. Within the first days of your life, you also got busy decoding and echoing the complex world of sound around you. You began interpreting vocal sounds, facia...

ldquo;A book on voice that is more a book on the art of living through the voice. All true works of prose point back to the essential truths--to be true to ourselves, to express who we are in the world completely, and to communicate fully with others.”
--Joseph Bailey, psychologist and coauthor of Slowing Down to the Speed of Life*

• “Barbara’s words are wise and wonderful; the tools are practical and playful. If, indeed, ‘voice is the muscle of the soul,’ Barbara offers a most pleasurable Olympic training opportunity. What a gift!”
  —Jayne A. Felgen, MPA, RN, President, Creative Health Care Management, and author of I2E2: Leading Lasting Change *
• “This book is a gift and a call to reclaim the deep roots of our own life. It is an invitation to rediscover, embrace, and release the power of our unique voice into the world so our work can be vibrantly alive. It provides language, tools, practices, and stories that illuminate the journey. As an educator, I believe the inspiring ideas and messages in this book must be shared with all children so they understand not only the ‘song that is uniquely theirs to sing’ but the deep ties between their voice and their calling and how they can bring them to life.”
  —Stephanie Pace Marshall, PhD, Founding President and President Emerita, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, and author of The Power to Transform: Leadership That Brings Learning and Schooling to Life*

• “I found Full Voice such a delight to read! I never anticipated that learning about vocal presence could speak to me on so many levels. The metaphors and examples helped me visualize and connect to the message. And Barbara’s intimate writing voice makes it seem as though she is sitting right beside me, talking with me.”
  —Lori Addicks, President, Larkspur Group

  “Barbara McAfee leads us on a transformational journey in finding our true and authentic voice! This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to make a difference through the use of his or her voice.”
  —James L. Roussin, strategic change consultant, leadership coach, and coauthor of Guiding Professional Learning Communities: Inspiration, Challenge, Surprise, and Meaning*

• “Every life is a journey into song. To find it, however, has often been a mystery that has involved a long, uncertain journey through a dark forest with no clear path to follow. Until now. Full Voice is a magnificent guide that illuminates this path and makes this eternal dream possible. It helps us appreciate that the vulnerability of our voice is also the source of our greatest power, courage, and strength. Every voice is needed now. The world cannot evolve without it. Each of us has a ‘song’ to sing. Without it, the world will be incomplete.”
  —Michael Jones, pianist, composer, leadership educator, and author of *Artful Leadership: Awakening the Commons of the Imagination

“I’ve worked side by side with Barbara for many years and witnessed the brilliance of her talents—her strong, soaring voice that she so skillfully uses to encourage others to find their voices. I’m so grateful she’s written this book so that many more people may discover the gift of giving voice.”
—Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and Perseverance and coauthor of Walk Out Walk On

“The Tibetans speak of body, mind, and voice, rather than body, mind, and spirit. This book offers wise guidance for opening our voices—and spirits—to their full expression.”
—Eric Utne, founder, Utne Reader

“A practical and inspirational guide to how we can more fully bring our voice into the world. Barbara McAfee offers tangible ways in which we can strengthen and express our authentic voice.”
--Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist and author of *The Second Half of Life

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