Movement Psychology in Voice

“Based on the work of the late Yat Malmgren, one of the great solo artists of European modern dance and the creator of the Laban-Malmgren System of Character Analysis. His unique contribution developed the theoretical work on the psychology of movement initiated by Rudolph Laban, the visionary innovator in the field of choreography and movement theory.”

The paragraph above introduces prospective students of the Drama Centre to the work that is at the core of its proposition; the work of the late Yat Malmgren who, by interpreting and channelling the pioneering work of Rudolph Laban, created a step-by-step guide (literally a framework) through which performance can be analysed through its constituent parts, and recreated at will. I studied this work between 1992 and 1995 and, at the time, it was not published. Since Malmgren's death in 2002 the work has been the subject of two theses, and therefore much of it is in the public domain.

I use many aspects of this work in Specific Heat Capacity, a voice course originally commissioned by the University of St Andrews for their postgraduate researchers. To create some context around this work and why it might be useful when it comes to how we use our voice, consider the two images below:

It is possible to look at the images of the two people above and draw likely conclusions about their inner state. Whilst the man on the left clearly appears to be suffering some pain or grief, it seems obvious that the man on the right appears untroubled in the same way, and possibly even in a happier state than normal. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the outer appearance of these two is in some way connected to their inner feelings and thoughts.

  

However, the work argues that this connection is even more subtle and varied than simply happy or sad. Take the grief-stricken example above, and now compare it with three more images below. Each, it could be said, are unhappy in their own right, but it might be possible to imagine the varying kinds of grief being suffered. Perhaps the death of a family member, the ending of a relationship, a sense of betrayal or regret might more accurately describe each of them.

Whilst we cannot know what each of these people is thinking or feeling with any precision, their expressions do appear to tell different stories. If our appearances can influence other people’s perceptions of us, then it might be beneficial to exercise a degree of control over them. Where this work differs from many others is that by exploring the links between inner state and outer appearance, it is possible to create a methodology.

It is possible to say that what we mean and the way we say it will be perceived to be connected, so therefore we can influence how we are perceived by how we use our voice. There are many voice workshops that will help you discover what makes a good voice; Specific Heat Capacity uses the work of Yat Malmgren to help you discover how to do it consistently.

Take a moment and imagine yourself in any of these situations:

·      Telling your child a bedtime story

·      Sharing intimate thoughts with your lover

·      Hailing a taxi

·      Complaining about poor service to a waiter

·      Shouting support to your favourite team at a sporting event

In each of these scenarios you will be using your true authentic voice, but not only would it be staggeringly different in each situation, it would feel awkward and unauthentic if you didn’t use these voices. If you don't believe me, try complaining to a waiter about cold soup using the same voice you used to read a bedtime story to your three year old daughter.

A study of biology shows that your body will be doing different things in order to produce different qualities of voice. Movement Psychology in Voice is nothing more than a process of modelling in order to create a framework of reverse engineering, so that you can control your voice at will. You may well feel that this is akin to manipulation or falseness, but I would suggest that it is the same as wearing your best suit to an interview.

Specific Heat Capacity is a course that offers you the detailed knowledge and specific exercises you'll need to build your personalised framework. This will allow you a greater sense and awareness of what is happening inside your body during voice production, and therefore a greater ability to control it. Like walking, driving or riding a bicycle, it may feel contrived and difficult at first; but as familiarity increases, so will your skill.

For more information about Specific Heat Capacity, please send an email.

Authentity

What do a funding cuts, a fast car, Reed Employment and windmills have in common?

In 2001, the late Professor Sir Gareth Roberts, with others, had expressed concern about the growing shortage of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills, and he was commissioned by Gordon Brown to review this problem. His report, SET for Success, was specifically commended by the prime minister in May 2002, and additional funds were provided to bring forward measures to recruit and retain science and engineering teachers, modernise school and university science laboratories, and create a new national centre for science teaching. His name is preserved in the provision of transferable and career development skills where "Roberts Money" has become the standard terminology. This money has been under threat for some time now and, as of March 2011 has been withdrawn.

Bloodhound SSC is a high-risk venture headed by Richard Noble and designed to inspire the UK’s next generation of scientists and engineers, born out of a conversation about the technology talent vacuum with Paul Drayson, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support in 2007. If everything goes as planned, Hakskeen Pan in South Africa will be the venue that witnesses the obliteration of Noble’s own Land Speed Record, currently 763 miles per hour set with Thrust SSC in 1997. In its place will stand a new milestone of over 1,000mph which the project hopes will fuel the dreams of those who go on to study and specialise in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

However, there is a problem. Strapping a jet engine to a rocket is one thing, getting it to stay on the ground and go in a straight line is another. Creating the power is easy, but the problem is harnessing, controlling and applying it in the right way so as to get the intended result.

James Reed, Chairman of Reed Employment, found something similar when someone in a meeting told him “The trouble is, we don’t know what kind of skills will be most in demand in ten years’ time.” He agreed with this and so, as journalist Rebecca Attwood reported, he challenged employers to choose between an individual with the desired mindset, and an individual with the complete skill set. 96% of employers responded by saying they would rather choose the individual with the desired mindset, perhaps suggesting (albeit with a greater margin of error than would be acceptable) that if Bloodhound can design the right mindset for its car, it would be perfectly placed to simply turn the power up until the magic number is reached.

The answer might therefore appear obvious, but the winds of change are blowing and the recent funding cuts have had an enormous impact on transferrable skills training in academia. There has been a virtual decimation of the “Gradschool”, a generic term used to describe a three or four day residential experiential course originally set up around the Research Council UK’s Joint Skills Statement. In such a climate, whilst some build defensive walls, there are those who have seen this time as an opportunity to build windmills.

One such windmill is Authentity, a residential course that is a risk originally taken by Professor Adrian Sutton from Imperial College, inspired by James Reed’s findings, and designed by Island 41 around the idea that Bloodhound’s problems are not unique to supersonic cars. With input and assistance from Dan Johns of the Bloodhound Project, and after seven months of design, planning and development, June 2011 saw postgraduate students from three institutions collaborating on a very real attempt to solve some of Bloodhound's public engagement issues; identifying, exploring and enhancing their own transferrable skills (or behaviours) in the process.

Authentity was developed pro bono as an experiment to see if a partnership between industry and higher education could produce an effective non-compulsory training model in the current financial climate, with benefits to all stakeholders. The course was considered a huge success by those involved, receiving an average rating of 91% or above for involvement, effectiveness, purpose, vision and delivery by the participants who attended. There are already plans led by Julian Walsh at Imperial College to ensure that a further revised and refined version of Authentity runs for the next cohort of postgraduate researchers in 2012, with a significant proportion of support for this coming from the students that attended this year.

The full article by Rebecca Attwood in the Times Higher Education can be found here. For more information about Island 41, please click here or send an email.