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User Reviews about The Voice Book: Caring For - Protecting - and Improving Your Voice

For a long time, I have been attracted to a strong, low and clear voice. I like especially the feelings of energy and confidence coming from the person with that voice. The Voice Book by Kate DeVore and Starr Cookman is a well-written book that helped me understand how to get the voice. There are a good amount of easy and simple exercises in the book that make you feel a quality change in your voice. The book mainly educates us about details such as body alignment, low breathing, opening up a vocal tract and forward resonance (vibration ). A few chapters are also spent on methods and tips on how to protect and maintain voice. In addition, I particularly like that fact that the authors do not forget to mention psychological factors such as confidence and approachability. These factors could influence your relaxation of your body, which in turn facilitates the physical quality.

While I was reading this book, I came to understand that a great quality of voice should be produced in a healthy and relaxed way. Some of us mistakenly try to take on a low tone by forcefully lowering your voice. This is a mistake. It could make your voice sound fake or, in a worse case, injure your throat. A great voice, on contrary, can be achieved by "freeing your natural voice" with a little effort. This book shows how to do just that.

I picked up this book to learn to become better in communication. Having a greater sense of control over my voice allows me to communicate more delicately nuanced subtleties in social and business situations. "The Voice Book" was of great help for my specific purpose. But it will be as helpful for any other purpose since the book is written for anyone who cares about voice.

Finally, the book is accompanied by a CD. Just listening to the authors' voices, I was amazed by their powerful, beautiful and very clear voices. It just sounds as if there were a high quality stereo inside of their bodies. The moment I heard the voices, I just simply felt I got right people to rely on. -- first book to read on voice

A book to keep and use for years. Professional voice users will recognize the benefits of the excercises, particularly the section on avoiding injury and promoting vocal health. At the same time, the material is totally accessible and unintimidating to non-professionals, and the included CD offers a great, easy-to-follow warm-up.
Also important, it's a very friendly book, written with warmth as well as expertise. -- Excellent , easy-to-use advice and great value for money.

As a speech language pathologist for over thirty years, I have read and used many voice books and manuals. This little book is a gold mine for professional voice users (singers, actors, teachers, attorneys, pastors, etc.)and for those who treat them. I heavily encourage my voice clients to buy it as an adjunct to - not as a substitute for - direct voice therapy. I bought it for local ENTs and one is recommending it to many of his patients. The book is quite user friendly and the CD is worth many times the cost of the book. The authors designed the CD quite effectively and present the exercies in such a light hearted way that they are not intimidating and are really enjoyable to complete. All for a little over $10.00!!!! -- Wonderful tool

I really appreciate the format of this book, which is easy to reference and makes a great addition to my library. I teach movement and physical theatre, and even though I have been doing this work for many years, I felt this book gave me a lot of clarity about voice and the body. I found it easy to incorporate this material into the material that I teach. I recently lead a workshop for dancers who wanted to improve their stage voices and this book was a valuable resource for me.

Interestingly, I choose the book for a teaching reference, but it has had a great influence on me personally. I am noticing that the author's approach to voice is helping me to be a better teacher... I am speaking more clearly to my students, and I am feeling a better and more confident embodied presence when I am speaking to a large group. This is not something that comes easily to me so I have enjoyed the insight and experience these author's have shared here. Highly recommended. -- a practical book, and a good reference

As a singing voice teacher of primarily classical musicians, I am thrilled to have such a unique book! I have had the pleasure of working with both Kate and Starr and find their professional knowledge and ebullient personalities bring a much-needed exuberance to an often complex and dry subject. In other words, with sections like "Free Your Neck and the Rest Will Follow", "True or False Vocal Folds?" and "You've Got the Moves", the authors have created a fun, easy-to-read text that is useful to all users of voice.

The wonderful exercises in the book, many of which I used with Kate in both speaking and singing voice coaching, are clearly explained, both in reading and via the accompanying CD, and when used as directed, will definitely improve one's vocal quality.

As a "voice nerd", I'm particularly pleased with the final chapter that gives additional details on technical information regarding vocal production. This chapter also covers a bit on the role of the voice teacher as a part of a voice care team; an essential part of a successful university vocal program.

I highly recommend this book for all professional voice users regardless of profession. I will be using this text in my undergraduate vocal pedagogy course next year in order to prepare our voice students to be better teachers and voice users.
-- Finally! A Book on the Voice that is for Everyone!