The Axe Factor – all about accents
26 November 2022
. There’s been quite a bit in the news recently about regional accents, and how they can act as barriers, both socially, and in the workplace. Because of my line of work, they come into my mind quite a lot. I call their effect The Axe Factor (it’s catchier than The Accent Factor), and I […]
Read more →MCs and Celebrants
16 October 2024
In my mind, MC stands for Master Communicator. I’ve known one for a few years. And there’s no hammer about this MC. He’s a warm, friendly, gentle soul. Let’s call him Mr W – he’d probably blush if I shared his name. Guess what! Mr W is my dentist! Well, not just mine. That’s the […]
Read more →Celebrant Success
2 October 2024
Not many celebrants or ministers are lucky enough to have professional voice-and-communication coaching as part of their training. I’d have thought that would be a basic part of what they’re taught, but apparently not. Having a pleasant-sounding voice will give you an edge over most of the celebrants (and ministers) working these days. But an […]
Read more →My Evolution as a Voice Coach
10 April 2024
Looking back at when I started working with celebrants and trainee celebrants, it seems like aeons ago; and, in comparison to now, I was like a one-cell amoeba floating around in a primordial celebrant soup. Recently I put up a blog about how it’s possible to have your eyes opened to new methods and thoughts […]
Read more →For The Love Of Mic
12 March 2024
I’ve been using microphones professionally in different contexts since my mid-twenties, and it’s safe to say that I love them. That love goes hand in hand with my passion of anything to do with voice – speaking and singing. I’ll write more about voice from time to time, but this one’s about the use of […]
Read more →An Identity Crisis? Not Really
4 February 2024
Am I a voice and communication teacher? A celebrant-presentation tutor? Maybe a vocal coach? (I’d love to work with someone called Meg – then I could say I’m a Meghan Trainer!) * A mixture of those titles would do, but there’s another ingredient in the celebrant mix: your personality! Voice, communication and personality are inextricably […]
Read more →Show and Tell
29 January 2024
I expect the words ‘show and tell’ might take you back to your schooldays. We’d be asked to take something from home to the classroom, and tell the class about it – why we chose it, where we got it from… why someone else may be interested in it. It’s usually associated with younger kids, […]
Read more →Why the L? Why the L not!
2 January 2024
I’ve been doing this voice-training thing for an L of a long time, but I’m proud to say that I haven’t thrown my L plates away. I’m always open to learning new skills and ideas, and I’m delighted when I do. I can think of several things that I’ve acquired or worked out for myself […]
Read more →Confessions of a Santa Claus – Part 2
18 December 2023
A couple of weeks ago, I shared again part 1 of last year’s Christmas blog – Confessions of a Santa Claus. I didn’t have the space to include everything in it that I’d like to have written. Here’s a very quick catchup on the background of it! I was Santa for 12 years at Center […]
Read more →It’s the Little Things
14 December 2023
There are some mighty big things you need to be on top of when you’re a celebrant. Here are four, straight off! How you interact with your clients; your creativity so that you can fashion a brilliant ceremony; and your presentation skills. I know what you’re thinking – but I’d divide presentation into your voice […]
Read more →Your Sunday-Best Voice
9 December 2023
Quite a few years ago our younger daughter had a sleepover organised with a friend in town. I was the designated driver. (Not that sort! She was only 10!) We live in a country area, and car cleaning has never been a priority – but that day, ours looked like something out of the Beverly […]
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