Breath is the Soul of Voice
As promised in my last blog, let us explore the breath as it directly influences character development. But first, it’s important to understand breath as a physiological phenomenon.
Indeed, breath is a fuel that keeps us alive. It is an autonomic phenomenon that occurs as a result of a chemical exchange within the lungs and a voluntary phenomenon, which allows us to break up habitual breath patterns for many purposes, not the least of which is communication.
*The diagram above shows an autonomic inward and outward breath.
Now, lets consider a speech breath. For the sake of discussion, lets say that a speech breath is any breath intended for communication. When the intention is to speak, a process called phonation will occur when air passes through the larynx (or voice box) and is shaped by components thererin. Most simply, it is the process by which air is converted into voice. The voice is then sent into a given resonating chamber (or combination of resonators) and articulated into speech.
While the mechanics of speech are impressive, they do not – alone – describe the wonder that is a speech breath. During a speech breath, there is an intangible at play. This intangible element might be described as the “quality” of the air itself. I’m talking about soulfulness. Indulge me with an etymological detour, if you will.
Our ancestors have always understood the connection between the voice and the soul. For instance, “the Greek word psyche, meaning ‘soul’, has the same root as psychein, meaning ‘to breathe’. Similarly, the Greek word pneuma, meaning ‘spirit’, also means ‘wind’. One might remember their Greek mythology and recall that the process of ‘taking in the spirit of Dionysus’, referenced in The Bacchae, was described as an inspiration of the God. Latin, German and Arabic have similar lexical examples, reminding us that the connection between the soul and the movement of air has been universally recognized since the beginning of civilization.
So what does this mean for the actor? Well, if breath is spirit, so then the breath, itself, might be a clear expression of our innermost selves.
In her kid’s classic, “Free To Be, You and Me”, Marlo Thomas included a song called, Crying Gets the Sad Out of You. I think this is a perfect articulation of the concept at play; that is, the process by which we take an emotion, within us, and turn it into sound. A simple sigh of relief is another fine example of breath as expression. Renowned voice practitioner, Kristin Linklater, would refer to this as a “pleasurable release”.
I like Kristin’s use of the word “release”, here. You may be familiar with the term in relation to voice work for actors. But I invite you to take your understanding a step further.
It’s time to get on your feet.
Consider “release” in rehearsal. How might you express an emotion, inherent in a line, by breath alone? I suggest the following exercise. With a scene partner, go through a page of text, expressing each line through a release of breath, instead of speech. Your goal is to capture the essence of the text and make it manifest in an inward or outward breath.
You might be surprised how difficult this exercise is. For one thing, actors will often inhibit their breath when feeling nervous or uncertain about a moment on stage or screen. Holding the breath is a way of guarding against emotion. There is also a tendency to hide behind the text and hope that the words will be expressive enough. If you have either of these habits, stripping the words away during this exercise might be uncomfortable, in the beginning. Just remember that you are supposed to feel vulnerable; after all, your “soul” is on display.
I encourage you to stay open and observe your findings.
Kristina runs private voice and dialect classes in Hollywood, as well as around the world via Skype.
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