Audioblog and interview: Voice tips and exercises
This text includes audio files in which we speak Croatian. Since it's about voice, voice quality, and voices we like to listen to, feel free to play the files and enjoy the sound.
Ovako zvuči on:
Ovako zvuči ona:
Filip i Maja su mladi radijski voditelji, prepoznatljivih glasova. Filip Han već više od 10 godina radi na Otvorenom radiju, a Maju Ciglenečki gledate u Dobrom jutru (Hrvatska) i slušate u Drugom programu Hrvatskog radija.
Glas je alat kojim se svi svakodnevno koristimo. Neki od nas ne vole slušati svoj glas, a drugi obožavaju. Ne razmišljamo o tome koliko se tijekom života na njega naslanjamo, ali važnost za funkcioniranje i opstanak primijetit ćemo u snovima, jer je gubitak glasa jedna od češćih noćnih mora. Međutim, vraćam se sada na lijepe teme :)
U poslovnom okruženju glasom komuniciraju gotovo svi. Malobrojna su zanimanja u kojima je lakše nešto napisati ili pokazati, umjesto reći. Prema tome koliko nam glas znači na poslu, podijeliti se možemo u tri kategorije: oni kojima glas treba za konverzaciju (različiti profesionalci u svojem poslu), oni kojima glas treba za prezentaciju (npr. nastavnici i novinari) te umjetnici kojima glas treba za umjetničku izvedbu, npr. glumci, pjevači i spikeri.
Zato me zanimalo što kolege koji su između posljednje dvije kategorije - glas im treba za prezentaciju, ali ih zbog medija (radio) želimo slušati jer se njime vješto koriste - što oni kažu.
Počinjemo s počecima. Ovako su Filip i Maja otkrili da zvuče drugačije od svojih vršnjaka.
Radio je zato Filipu bila logična ideja…
Radni dan mu - kada govorimo o glasu - izgleda ovako:
Filip spominje i da osjeća da mu tekućina (voda) pomaže za glasnice, a glasnice ga izdaju i kada nije imao dovoljno sna. Ni Maja (više) nije redovita s govornim vježbama:
Kada nam se dogodi da smo promukli, najčešće je najbolji savjet potpuna tišina, odmor. Nikako ne šaptati, ali ako moramo proizvoditi zvuk, onda lagano govoriti (ne vikati). Zanimljivo je da se ni svi stručnjaci za glas ne slažu oko te tišine; neki će reći da i kada ostanemo bez glasa (naravno: pod pretpostavkom da se ne radi o težim oštećenjima glasnica, zbog kojih uvijek trebamo otići fonijatru), da je dobro raditi lagane vježbe; ponoviti vježbe disanja, opuštati grkljan i grlo.
U glasovnoj estetici, ugodnim glasovima smatramo one nižeg tona (ljudi to kažu “duboke”), voluminozne (imate osjećaj da glasom ispune cijelu prostoriju), ponekad lagano šumne ili nosne - neću nikada zaboraviti što je profesorica Gordana Varošanec Škarić rekla na satu ortofonije: “Ljudima je privlačno ono što nije savršeno. Od pet karakteristika savršenog, ima ih četiri. Mora biti neka ljudskost, inače je umjetno.” Vjerojatno nije rekla tim riječima, ali takva je bila poruka.
Ovako slušatelji i prijatelji opisuju Filipov i Majin glas.
Razmišljajući o glasovima koje vole čuti, Filip je rekao da voli ženske dublje (niže), rašpaste glasove, a od muških voli čuti Matka Antonovića s Yammata te Ivana Kojundžića, HRT-ova spikera. Kojundžić je i Maji najdraži glas, uz Dragu Celizića, a od žena, Maja je obožavateljica Melite Hrengek.
U estetici glasa, kao i u drugim estetikama, ne smijemo zaboraviti - modu. Nešto što je trendi danas, neće nužno biti i za 5 ili 10 godina. Isto tako, nešto što se sviđa nama, ne znači da se sviđa i drugima. Na primjer, u azijskim zemljama su u modi ženski glasovi višeg tona. Na tom tragu, pitala sam Maju uočava li kakve promjene.
Za kraj, dobro je čuti Majine i Filipove savjete te čiji bi glas poželjeli imati na jedan dan.
Filip and Maja are young radio hosts with instantly recognizable voices. Filip Han has been working at Otvoreni radio for over 10 years now, while Maja Ciglenečki can be seen on Dobro jutro, Hrvatska and heard on the Second Program of Croatian Radio (HRT).
Voice is a tool we all use every day. Some of us hate hearing ourselves speak, others love it. We don’t often think about how much we rely on our voice throughout life, but its importance for our functioning (and even survival) becomes obvious in dreams—losing your voice is one of the more common nightmares. But let me get back to nicer topics :)
In most professional settings, people use their voices to communicate. There are very few jobs where it’s easier to write or show something than to say it out loud. Depending on how much our voice matters at work, we could sort people into three categories: those who use their voice for regular conversation (various professionals in different roles), those who use it to present (like teachers and journalists), and artists who use it for performance—actors, singers, and presenters.
So, I was curious to hear what people who sit somewhere between the last two categories had to say—those who use their voice to present but who we want to listen to because they’ve mastered how to use it well. Like Fiip and Maja—radio hosts!
When giving advice, Filip mentioned he feels like drinking water helps his vocal cords, and that his voice tends to give out when he hasn’t had enough sleep. Maja, on the other hand, admits she’s no longer consistent with her vocal exercises either.
When we do get hoarse, the best advice is usually total silence and rest. No whispering—if we really have to speak, then we should do so gently (definitely not shouting). Interestingly, not all voice experts agree with this silent approach. Some say that even when we lose our voice (assuming there’s no serious vocal cord damage—if there is, the only solution is to see a phoniatrician), it can still be good to do light exercises: breathing routines, relaxing the throat and larynx. P.S. Try yawning or check lip thrill exercises.
In terms of vocal aesthetics, we generally consider lower-pitched voices more pleasant (people often describe them as "deep"), and we tend to like voices that are rich and full (like they can fill an entire room). Sometimes, even a touch of rasp or nasality is attractive. I’ll never forget what Professor Varošanec Škarić said during an orthoepy class: “People are drawn to imperfection. Out of five perfect features, the voice might have four. There has to be a bit of humanity in there—otherwise, it sounds fake.” That might not be the exact quote, but that was the message :)
Thinking about voices he likes, Filip said he’s drawn to women’s lower, slightly raspy voices. Among male voices, he mentioned Matko Antonović from Yammat and Ivan Kojundžić, one of HRT’s announcers. Maja also highlighted HRT’s voice talents—especially Drago Celizić and Mario Anduša. And when it comes to women, she’s a big fan of Melita Hrengek.
Just like in any other kind of aesthetics, we shouldn’t forget one thing: fashion. What’s trendy now might not be in five or ten years. And just because we personally like something, doesn’t mean everyone else does. For instance, in many Asian countries, higher-pitched female voices are in style. So I asked Maja if she’s noticed any trends or shifts here as well, and she’s afraid it might all be heading in the wrong direction…