Tone of Voice
We’re all essentially singing. The quality of our interactions and relationships has more to do with the tone and rhythm of our voice rather than the words we say.
George Carlin is the greatest stand-up comedian of all time. He held attention and poked into the hearts of millions. Jon Stewart clued into Carlin’s uniqueness. It was all in his voice.
Stewart: “It’s interesting, you know. As I watch you now and through all the years of listening to your albums and things, your fascination with language…it’s so apparent. Watching your work is like almost like watching a musician. You know the way you weave words and use language for emphasis…”
Carlin: “…what we do is oratory. It’s rhetoric. It’s not just comedy. It’s a form of rhetoric and with rhetoric you look and listen for rhythms. You look for ways to sing at the same time you’re talking…”
The power of voice is how we carry it. Self-awareness in how we’re delivering our voice determines our results in life. Voice is more than an avenue to fame.
Chris Voss was an FBI hostage negotiator who had to talk to the nastiest and most violent killers terrorizing our world. Voss experienced the highest-staked conversations – “Give me money or I’ll kill everyone!” He never won with logic. He learned to set the tone. Voss coined the secret as the “Late-night FM DJ voice.”
We all have unique and individual texture in our voice. The listener hears range. Opera is the exaggeration. Subtleties make the difference. When we control our inflections, we direct our own results.
Voice ain’t found. Practice.