“Some people naturally seem to be storytellers who are more expressive vocally than others, but that doesn't mean that there aren't skills and tools that you can learn to have more control over your voice and to have more fun with it, and to really use it as a tool for self-expression in a way that still feels natural and authentic,” says Andrea Klunder, my guest on Podcasting Step by Step.

“It just comes with knowing what to play with and giving yourself permission to go there and experiment and see what feels good for you.”

In addition to being a pod expert, Andrea is classically trained in voice. In our episode together, she teaches us how to

* warm up our voice

* improve our posture

* speak with more energy and clarity

* take care of our bodies

Subscribe to Podcasting Step by Step for free to hear Andrea’s vocal exercises to give us more energy and presence so that our listeners stay with us until the end.

(click a button below)

Andrea Klunder hosts Podcast Envy and the Creative Imposter, which is the same name as her production studio. Photo courtesy of Andrea.

“People are going to listen to your show, yes, because you have good information to share; yes, because you have amazing guests that are on your show; yes, because you're an expert about whatever topic it is that you're talking about. But they're going to stick with your show and become a fan of your show for the longterm when they feel a connection with you as the host,” Andrea says.

“And the way that you to do that is through your voice and through the sound of your voice. And so it only makes sense that you would spend a little bit of time and effort and thought into how you're actually using that voice.”

Warm up your voice

“Do something so that your voice isn't cold when you push record. For example, if you're recording in the morning and you haven't spoken yet to anyone, you're not going to have as much access to your voice because there's mucus that built up overnight….I always make sure that I speak before I record.”

Listen to the episode to hear Andrea’s sirens exercise to stretch your vocal range and give you more flexibility, and the cat meowing exercise to give you energy and help articulate your words.

Sooth your throat

“If your throat is feeling kind of dry or scratchy and you need to record, Traditional Medicinals makes a great tea called Throat Coat. I have sworn by this tea, and survived by it, through many performances, many recordings, many live speaking events where my voice just wasn't feeling a hundred percent.

Sit up straight

“Sometimes people will say, ‘Oh, I feel like I don't have enough energy. How do I get more energy in my voice?’ And the main thing is posture and breathing.”

If you’re sitting at a table that is too low and you hunch over to reach the mic, you’ll squish your diaphragm, which limits your breathing.

“Find a microphone stand that allows your microphone to be at a higher height, where, if you sit up nice and tall and have a long spine, the microphone is still right by your mouth -- you don't have to lean over for it.”

Consider buying a boom arm for your mic or, if you have a small desk stand, propping it on some books so it’s higher. Also, be mindful of your chair.

“I do not have a podcasting chair. I have a podcasting stool. Sounds weird. But if I'm sitting on a stool that has no back on it, I have to have good posture. The stool actually causes me to lengthen my spine and then I can drop my shoulders down away from my ears and have my chest a little bit lifted.”

Try sitting on a yoga ball.

“It'll engage your core muscles and it will shift your posture to make it so that you have more natural space to take deeper breaths while you're recording, which will bring more energy to your voice.”

Or, you can stand up.

“I do all my solo episodes and all my intros and outros for my show standing up.” Photo courtesy of Andrea.

Loosen up your body

Andrea says that tension in your body can actually make your voice sound tighter. That can take up energy and make you tired.

“Before you start recording, move your body around a little bit. Roll your shoulders, wave your arms, do a little stretch, stretch out your shoulders, stretch out your neck and make sure that your body is nice and loose and relaxed and that you're not coming into your recording with tension in your body.”

Minimize mouth noise

Mouth noise is a strange crackly/gunky sound that usually happens when you’re dehydrated. But that doesn’t mean you can pound a gallon of water before an interview and be good.

“You actually need to start hydrating a few hours before you record, because you need time for that to be in your body and processing.”

Izotope RX7 Standard is an editing tool that can remove mouth noise.

I swish around with whisky, which seems to help. You can also try eating green apples.

“If your mouth feels dry, or you start to record and you hear those little crackly mouth sounds coming in, sometimes just taking a pause and eating a few bites of a sour apple. There's something about the acid that creates a different pH in your mouth. So eating that Apple will change the pH and that can actually help.”

Having your period can also affect your mouth noise.

“At different times in our hormonal cycle, it just becomes worse. And there's probably nothing we can really do about that when it's hormonal fluctuations. It's a pH thing of how acidic or alkaline things are in your system.”

Another thing that can help? Sugar-free throat lozenges. Just don’t suck them while recording!

“Here's the things to avoid: Sugar, dairy, and caffeine. Before you record all three of those things will make your vocal cords unhappy.”

Dr. Seuss Raps over Dr. Dre Beats

If you feel your voice is too monotone, Andrea recommends reading Dr. Seuss out loud, which she says is impossible to do without switching up your speaking style a bit. Try what this guy is doing.

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Vocal Training: How to Enhance Your Podcast Voice to Keep Your Audience Listening