As the creator of Vocal Awareness and a vocal coach for over six decades, I begin this brief article in the following manner: Our voice is our identity. It tells everyone everything about us even when we don't want them to know it. I am a classical singer by training and for many decades have taught some of the greatest athletes in the world. In both cases a singer would never go out on stage without having warmed up their voice; an athlete would never compete without warming up their body. But every day we all go to work, we conduct our lives without preparing our voices—let alone even thinking about them except perhaps to say in answer to the question: Do you like your voice? where the answer invariably is—"No."

I want to reframe the title of this article by saying: Vocal preparation is for everyone. I wrote my first book many years ago and one question that arose in some of the early conversations prior to publication was, "How can you write a book about voice?" Since I have now written five, I have proved that one can. The point simply is: I write, as well as teach, because I want to support you in supporting your voice and your Self in your life.

Now, ask yourself this question: What does your voice mean to you? Do you like your voice? and, if you do, what do you like about it? If you do not, what do you not like about it? Next, what are you willing to commit to? Would you be willing to make a commitment to ¼ of a year, i.e. the first quarter of 2016—to the dedicated commitment to maximizing your vocal/communication possibilities, personally and/or professionally?

Sidebar: If you do decide to do this, write an agreement with yourself—an unbreakable commitment to do it for 7 minutes a day for one quarter. (I've said to students for decades: Jenny Craig became a very wealthy woman because we all keep losing the same 10 pounds our whole life.) In other words, do not idly make this commitment and then, after a week or two, stop it. Once you make this commitment, please promise yourself that you will not deviate.

To support your efforts, here are 5 tips that I'd like you to reflect upon and then take action on:

1. Create a Persona Statement. It identifies: This is how I want to be known. (The root of the word persona literally means through the sound.)
2. Practice the following during your 7-minute vocal warm-up every day in a mirror. Begin by embodying yourself in Stature, not just standing or sitting up straight but, as you put yourself in stature, feel an imaginary thread pulling from the top of your head, extending you, lifting from your abdominal muscles. Embodying Stature is preparation for everything we do in Vocal Awareness and, thus, the first step to claiming who you are.
3. Do not 'take,' rather allow a slow, silent, conscious breath.
4. Practice a simple Vocal Awareness warm-up called, Finding the Hub of My Voice. With your lips gently together and very nasally, initiate a descending hum, and where the pitch ends up, you will then begin speaking.
5. Create or read a sentence that has meaning for you. Cup your hands behind your ears so that you can better hear and feel the sound of your own voice. Following this simple exercise, you will notice your voice has more resonance and is energetically stronger. You sound/appear more confident. The goal is to be who you are, never 'present' who you are. Your commitment is to embody your Persona Statement.

In closing, Voice is power. When you own your voice, you own your power. Enjoy your commitment to your Self. Enjoy claiming who you are.