Episode 1: New Year, New You, New Voice?
Hello, and welcome to The Working Voice. I’m Shaun Morton, actor, voice artist, voice coach, and professional chatterbox. And frankly, I’m utterly besotted with voices.
Obsessed, really. That’s right, voices are my jam, my bread, butter, and occasional spicy pickle. So if you’ve ever wondered what makes your vocal cords hum, or maybe crack during karaoke, stick around.
We’re diving deep into the quirks, power, and potential of your voice. It’s a new year, the time of resolutions. Now maybe, like me, you’re working to the motto of thrive in 25.
Or maybe you’re resolved to exercise more, drink less, or finally learn to cook something besides toast. But have you thought about your voice? And if not, why not? We think about our hair, our looks, our fashion, and the way we present ourselves, but we give little thought about our voices. In fact, the only time we really think about our voices is when it’s not working.
We take them for granted. But your voice is one of the most uniquely you-things-there-is. And it’s the ultimate tool for advertising yourself to the world.
So let’s talk about how you can shape your voice to align with the best version of yourself. Let’s try a quick exercise. So take a moment and ask yourself, do you like your voice? Or do you cringe when you hear yourself played back on a recording? And if you do like your voice, what is it exactly that you like about it? So grab a pen or jot it down on your phone and write three words you’d use to describe your voice.
Think about your attitude towards it, its features and qualities. And then imagine you’re meeting someone at a swanky party for the first time. And if they were asked to describe your voice, what three words would they use? What would be the memorable parts of your voice that stand out? And once you’re done, have a look at your list.
How closely do these words align? Is there a disconnect between how you think you’re speaking and how others might deceive you? So what is your voice? Have you ever stopped to think about it? We use it so much that it feels like second nature, like breathing or blinking. But if somebody cornered you at a party and asked, hey, what is your voice? You’d probably stammer out something vague and then change the subject. It’s one of those things that we think we know until we actually try to explain it.
So let’s start with the basics. Your voice is the ultimate tool for communication. Every day you use it probably thousands of times to connect with others.
Whether you’re cracking jokes, closing deals or arguing over where to order dinner, or maybe even whispering sweet nothings to that special someone, your voice is doing the heavy lifting. It’s how we do business, build relationships and, yes, occasionally win arguments over whose turn it is to take out the bins. I would argue that your voice is the most you thing about you.
Think about it. Sure, we obsess over haircuts, wardrobes and whether skinny jeans are really dead, but your cells regenerate every seven to ten years, meaning most of your physical body has been through a complete remodel at least a few times. Meanwhile, your voice, it’s been with you all along, like the unsung hero of your identity.
It evolves and adapts, sure, but it’s the thread that ties all the versions of you together. Your voice is a living, breathing autobiography. It carries clues about where you’re from, your finances and how you see yourself, and even who you love.
Your accent, your phrasing, your tone, all of it whispers, or shouts, details about your background, education, confidence and personality. It’s the reason you can pick up the phone and hear a single hello and immediately know who’s on the other end. The sound of your voice is shaped by your breath, your anatomy and the way you learn to use them.
Unique as a snowflake, but with volume. Your voice is your fingerprint, your sonic signature, your audible brand, and just like with any brand, people make snap judgments based on it. Whether it’s right or wrong isn’t the point, it’s human nature.
We’re wired to assess others by what we hear. It’s a survival instinct baked into our DNA, helping us to decide whether someone’s a friend or a foe. So let me ask, what assumptions are people making about you based on your voice? And let me ask that question again, do you like your voice? If you don’t love your voice, why not? Loving your voice isn’t just a warm, fuzzy self-help mantra, it’s essential.
Your voice is you. It’s the sound of your personality, your thoughts and your story, all wrapped up into one beautifully imperfect package. And if you don’t like your voice, it’s like saying you don’t like yourself, that’s for a whole different therapy session.
But here’s the kicker, your voice is also your brand. It’s how you advertise yourself to the world, how you connect with people and how you sell yourself. Whether you’re pitching a business idea, delivering a wedding toast or just ordering coffee with enough charm to score a free muffin.
If you can’t get behind your own brand, how can you expect others to? So yes, learning to love your voice matters. Not in a fluffy self-care Sunday kind of way, though that’s nice too, but because your voice is the tool you’ll use to tell the world who you are. And trust me, the world deserves to hear it.
Part of the reason we often don’t like our voices is that we experience it in a way that’s completely different from everyone else. The irony is that the voice we hear the most is the one we least understand. When we speak, the sound doesn’t just leave our mouths and travel to our ears like it does for others.
No, we feel our voices too. The bones in our body vibrate with the sound, creating this rich, bassy experience that’s uniquely ours. And that’s why hearing a recording of ourselves can feel like an existential crisis.
Our voices sound so much thinner than we’re used to hearing, and that makes it sound like a stranger. But it’s not just about vibrations. When we speak, we’ve got an internal monologue running alongside the words.
In our head, everything we say feels perfectly clear and aligned with what we mean. And then we hear it back, and bam, something’s missing. The warmth, sincerity, or nuance we thought we nailed? Gone.
This disconnect happens because our internal dialogue doesn’t make it into other people’s ears. What we think we’re expressing doesn’t always match with what others hear. It’s why you think you’re being sincere, but they think you’re being sarcastic.
Or at least, that’s what happens with me. Why do we sound the way we do? Well, let’s break it down. Your voice is made up of three key ingredients, each playing a vital role in shaping your sound.
The first ingredient is biology, what Mother Nature gave you. Now, these are the raw materials you’re born with. Think of it as the foundation of your voice.
Factors like the size of your larynx, the length of your neck, the shape of your mouth, head, and chest all contribute to this unique sound that you produce. For example, I’ll never be a boy soprano, no matter how much I might want to. My anatomy just won’t allow it.
Have you ever been mistaken for a sibling or a parent over the phone? Well, that’s biology at play. Shared physical attributes often result in similar vocal qualities. DNA provides the blueprint, and it’s no surprise that families often sound alike.
Of course, shared speech patterns from spending time together also plays a role, but your physical makeup lays the groundwork. However, and this is important, biology is not destiny. It gives you a starting point, but it doesn’t lock you in forever.
Your voice can evolve and adapt. For instance, think of your accent. If you’d been born in a completely different country, you’d use your voice, your tongue, your mouth, articulators, everything completely differently, giving you a completely different sound.
And yet, you’re all using the same equipment that gives you the sound you have today. So think of biology as the stage, your physical foundations for sound. That stage sets some parameters, like its size and structure, but it doesn’t dictate the performance.
You can put all kinds of plays on that stage. And sure, there are limits, but within those boundaries, there are a vast range of possibilities. Your biology sets the scene, but how you use it to craft your voice is entirely up to you.
Which brings us to our second ingredient, the learned behaviors that shape our voice. Now, this is where things like accent, phrasing, and the overall way we speak come into play. Voice is one of our primary tools for communication, and we instinctively use it to fit in with those around us.
From the very beginning, as babies, we mimic the sound we hear from our caregivers. Those coos and babbles and mama and daddy and funny noises that surround us. And we get it all wrong until we get it right.
Our brains work out how to make and mimic those sounds, gradually shaping ourselves to match the people closest to us in order for us to fit in. And so our accent is formed. But it doesn’t stop there.
Once we start school, we’re suddenly exposed to a whole new world of voices, our peers. Voices become a way to find our tribe, helping us blend in, bond, and navigate social dynamics. Now, as a parent, I’ve had a front row seat to this process.
My kids are like little parrots, repeating back phrases and idioms my wife and I use, and it’s hilarious and frightening at the same time. But my oldest is now in primary school, and I’ve really noticed how her speech is evolving, how she comes home with new sayings every week, and it’s clear her focus has shifted. She’s less interested in mimicking me and far more concerned with fitting in on the playground.
This process continues into our teenage years, where the stakes feel even higher. Now, if you show up to secondary school and your posh accent makes you a target, chances are that you’ll adapt it, softening your speech to fit in. The flip side, if you’re suddenly surrounded by classmates with a more polished or formal way of speaking, well, you might unconsciously pick that up instead.
I’m the youngest of three, and it’s fascinating to see how different each of us sounds as adults. Our voices reflect the social groups we gravitated towards in our teenage years, and each shaped by the environment and the people we spent time with. And yet we all shared that first beginning.
This process of voice adaption doesn’t end with adolescence. It’s something we do all the time. Think about it.
The way you speak to a child is different to how you speak to a boss or your best mate at the pub. There’s even that classic trope about how everyone adjusts their voice when they’re talking to the mechanic or the plumber. The truth is, we don’t have just one voice.
It’s flexible, ever-changing, adapting constantly to suit the situations we find ourselves in. We use our voice to navigate the complex, social world that we live in. A third ingredient in your voice is what I call the bullshit of life.
Life is hard, and we adapt by putting on vocal armor to protect ourselves. And maybe you were made to feel like your words didn’t matter, so you speak really softly, almost as if you’re apologizing for taking up space. Or perhaps you grew up in a bustling household where you had to fight for attention, so now your voice is loud and commanding, product of learned competition.
Maybe you speak really quickly, brushing your voices and your words because before someone interrupts you. Or maybe you raise your pitch, slipping into what I like to call your customer service voice to sound less threatening. Or on the flip side, maybe you drop your pitch in an attempt to seem more authoritative, a move borrowed straight from the animal kingdom where a deeper voice is meant to inflate your perceived size.
Some of us hold our breath when we talk, shrinking our vocal power out of fear of confrontation. These habits aren’t random, they’re survival strategies. Life is tough, and if your voice is the primary tool for navigating it, of course it’s going to bear the marks of that journey.
Every vocal quirk, hesitation, or habit is a story, a shield you’ve crafted to make it through. But here’s the thing. You don’t have to stay locked in that armor.
Your voice isn’t fixed, and the past doesn’t get to dictate your future. You can take control of how your voice represents you to the world. You can shape the assumptions people make about you, and more importantly, align your voice with how you see yourself.
Imagine speaking in a way that truly reflects who you are, where your voice feels honest, authentic, and powerful. That’s your true voice. And the best part? You can have it right now.
The journey to a true voice starts with your decision to let go of the past, shed the vocal habits that no longer serve you, and step forward into the voice that you want. In a world that often tries to quieten you, claim your space. You have a voice, and it deserves to be heard.
What matters is that your voice has value. And if you want people to listen, make your voice one worth listening to. Is it a pleasure to hear, or does it make a connection feel like hard work? The good news is, if there’s something about your voice you don’t like, you can change it.
So stand tall, take a breath, and own your space. Your voice is yours. Make it unforgettable.
The voice you want is within reach. So, let’s make 2025 the year you own your voice. Because your voice, your brand, is yours.
And if you’re on the hunt for a voice for hire, well, look no further. I’m charming, brilliant, and modest as hell. Until next time, keep talking, keep experimenting, and keep being unapologetically, fabulously, you.
