Sound Your Best, LLC

03/06/2024

Time to take a break from work to focus on being a first-time mom! I’ve moved out of my office and am taking leave beginning on March 15th to prepare for parenthood and won’t be posting here for a while.

If you’d like to join the waiting list and be notified when I’m back to work, please email [email protected] with your contact info. Thanks!

P.S. Bodhi is so excited to be a big brother! As you can see, he is already helping us out by keeping this spot warm for baby 🥰

02/22/2024

For anyone who enjoys listening to podcasts and/or wants to learn more about gender-affirming voice training, I recommend this episode of SLP Nerdcast: https://youtu.be/0in82n-93HQ
I especially appreciate the discussion on client-centered and culturally competent strategies! 🎧🎙🌈

Speech Language Pathology: Continuing Education Courses by SLP NerdcastCourse Title: Gender Aligning Voice Modification: The client's perspectiveGet .05 ASHA...

02/08/2024

Some vocal care essentials in this cold, dry weather: a good humidifier, throat coat tea, and honey! 🫖🍯

02/01/2024

Spotted a rainbow while getting some work done at Tatte! What are some of your go-to spots when you need a break from the office?

01/09/2024

Recently came across this funky resource called "pink trombone" where you can create speech sounds by manipulating a 2D model of the vocal tract! Can you guess what vowel sound I'm making in this screenshot? The tongue is high and forward in the mouth...

Models like this can be helpful for accent modification coaching, as they can help clients visualize how to produce certain speech sounds that may not exist in their native language. I use different models in my sessions, but this one is fun to play around with 😂

dood.al/pinktrombone/

01/03/2024

Is using fewer filler and hedge words one of your new year's resolutions? Clients often tell me that this is something they want to work on. It's VERY difficult to eliminate filler words and this article explains when it may actually be a good idea to use more of them: https://hbr.org/2019/08/why-filler-words-like-um-and-ah-are-actually-useful

I also recommend listening to recordings of yourself and tracking which filler words you use most frequently. If you repeat the same word over and over again, it will be more noticeable. Using a variety of filler words is less noticeable to the listener. If you tend to say "umm" often (which is my own personal struggle!), trying mixing in "hmm, "mmm" and "well" to help break up the pattern.

Language matters, and the words you use have an impact on your effectiveness as a speaker and as a leader. Contrary to popular wisdom, sometimes it’s OK to use fillers or hedge words. There are three strategic reasons for when to use them. First, to be diplomatic. When you need to give delicate fe...

12/25/2023

✨Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday week!!! ✨

12/21/2023

Izzy again, taking over socials to show off this clay larynx I made for my anatomy and physiology class! It's been so interesting to learn about the process of speech production- something that feels so natural and automatic has so many moving parts.

12/11/2023

I was dealing with a sore throat the other day and decided to do some straw phonation exercises. Yes, blowing bubbles through a straw can help ease tension in your vocal chords! Check out this video to learn more: https://youtu.be/QK8g5EvSzh8?feature=shared

-Izzy

11/28/2023

Wondering what an introductory session to speech coaching looks like? For me, it involves reading the rainbow passage- a paragraph that’s really useful for collecting speech samples because it contains all of the phonemes used in American English.

Recording my clients reading the rainbow passage helps us set goals for our time together and can be used as a baseline to track their progress as they reach those goals!

11/16/2023

Fun fact: if you get on a Zoom call with me and I’m working from home, there’s a good chance Bodhi will come greet you 🥰

11/10/2023

I'm back on another episode of 3 Questions With! We talked about body language in the context of professional communication. Check out the full episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/C27vOVqRiGg?si=Y4NVNw2t2dD7elaI

Host Kevin Willett is joined by Ariela Quetant of Sound Your Best discussing body language and how it effects coworkers and employees. To learn more about Ar...