Today's Vocal Assignment: Read the Three Little Pigs

Recently, I was trying to help a client get his voice "out of the box." I gave him a copy of the Three Little Pigs, and we practiced reading it. This is an especially good story for vocal training.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. The story has different voices. When you read it, try using a different voice and focus for each of the three pigs - and especially for the wolf!

2. The story builds. As the wolf moves from house to house on his rampage of huffing and puffing, practice building from low to high (energy, volume, tempo, etc.).

3. The story has several tone changes. In just a couple of minutes, tones may range from lazy (the first pig) to terror (enter the wolf) to triumph (the third pig's victory). Try exaggerating these tone changes. The more you exaggerate, the more flexibility you will have with your voice.

From the Green Room: Read childrens' books. It's a wonderful way to get your voice "out of the box" and experiment with the full range of your vocal ability.