Confessions of a Santa Claus
18 December 2024
(Not for the eyes of those who still believe!) I first put this blog up a couple of years ago – but somehow I deleted it: so here we go again! My first confession is that I wasn’t the real Santa, although I did a pretty fair impression. Mind you, I had plenty of practice! […]
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 […]
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