DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS & THEATRE ARTS
JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
524 West 59th Street
NEW YORK, NY 10019
Voice and Diction for the Professional
COM 209
Fall 2015
Professor: Elton A. Beckett
Semester: Fall 2015
Course Code: 71298
Course Section: 01
Classroom: 2303 North Hall
Class time: Tu/TH 12:15- 1:30p
Professors office: 3136 North Hall
Professors phone and e-mail: (212) 237-8358;
[email protected]Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 3:00-6:00p or by appointment
Course Description:
This course is designed to assist students in identifying and improving pronunciation,
articulation and vocal production challenges. Special emphasis will be placed on
developing skill in efficient and effective communication via relaxation, breathing,
energy, articulation and resonance during vocal production. Focus will be directed to
tension free production of the sounds and stress patterns of American English.
Performance texts will be explored for logical character driven emotional communication
in the development of character for the stage.
Course prerequisites: None
Required Text:
Rodenburg, P. (1992). The Right to Speak: Working with the Voice.
New York: Routledge.
Course Objectives:
Identify basic anatomical structures involved in vocal production;
Clearly articulate all the vowels, consonants and diphthongs of American English;
Identify and use variety in pitch, volume, rate, pause time and quality during
communication;
Design and demonstrate a 10-15 minute vocal warm-up;
Identify and implement strategies for minimizing vocal and physical stress;
Develop awareness of the relationship of your oral communication style to
success in professional and personal life.
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COURSE POLICIES:
Attire
Loose comfortable clothing should be worn to class. We will be engaging in physical
energy, so do not wear tight jeans, skirts, high heels, heavy jewelry, etc. If you need to
wear those during the day, you need to have a change of clothes for this class. Caps,
dangling earrings and necklaces should be removed and long hair secured to stay off the
face, when entering the classroom for safety.
Production
All students are required to attend the play produced by the Department of
Communication and Theatre Arts. The production runs for one week during the semester
and costs around $5-$10 for students.
Homework Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date scheduled. Written
assignments must be word-processed in Times New Roman 12pt font in black ink with 1
inch margins. Assignments may not be forwarded as an e-mail attachment. Guidelines
for assignments are provided as the course progresses.
Attendance/Punctuality/Participation
Regular attendance for this course is expected. All students are also expected to be in
class and ready to work at the beginning of each class period. Three absences are
permitted; you will receive a ZERO for attendance and participation upon the fifth
absence. The instructor will also recommend that you drop the course due to excessive
absences which may result in failure of the class. It is extremely difficult to complete this
course without consistent attendance. You are expected to monitor your own absences.
Students who arrive more than ten minutes late for class, or who leave before the class
has ended will be marked absent for that class. Excused absences such as those due to
personal emergencies (severe personal or family illness, personal or family tragedies,
work-related emergencies) must be documented within a week of the absence and must
clearly state that the emergency required that the student miss the course on the date and
at the time of the absence. If it appears that vacation or other personal plans may conflict
with the final project, please make necessary adjustment to your plans now; leaving early
for break is not grounds for making up work. Students will be graded on class
participation therefore regular attendance is a fundamental component of this course. The
text will be used as a supplement; therefore, poor class attendance can severely affect
your grade.
Professionalism:
The classroom will be treated as professional rehearsal space which means you will show
up prepared, on time and ready to work. You will exercise self-discipline, courtesy and
professional behavior at all times. There will no eating and only water will be allowed in
the rehearsal space. Disruptive or immature behavior which impedes the learning process
will NOT be tolerated.
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Voice and Speech and presentation work involves attention to habit. The secret to
improvement resides in frequent exercise and awareness. You will improve through
systematic exposure to classroom exercise. However, OPTIMAL progress during
the semester will result from DAILY out of class application of your new awareness
and tools.
Plagiarism
ALL TYPED ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBMITTED TO TURNITIN.COM TO DETECT
PLAIGIARIZED CONTENT BEFORE THE INSTRUCTOR READS OR GRADES
THE ASSIGNMENT.
You plagiarize when you steal or use someones speech as your own. In addition to being
dishonest, plagiarism is unfair to your peers who spend hours preparing original
speeches. If you are found guilty of plagiarism you will receive an F in the course. You
may even be dismissed from the University with a notation of the offense on your
transcript. If you are in doubt about the legitimate use of sources for your speeches,
check with the instructor. As a guiding principle, give credit for ideas or materials that
you use from other sources, including visuals used in PowerPoint presentations.
Cell Phones
Please respect your classmates and professor and turn off cell phones during class.
Presentation Days
All students are expected to present work on their assigned day. Any student who fails to
present a project on the assigned day will receive zero points for that project.
In-Class Exercise/Project Day Attendance
In-class exercises and project day attendance cannot be made up outside of class or at a
later date. There is no exception.
Withdrawal Procedure
Ceasing to attend class or verbal notice thereof by you does not constitute official
withdrawal.
Special Needs Students
If you have a documented disability as described by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L.
933-112 Section 504) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and would like to
request academic and/or physical accommodations please contact The Office of Services
for Students with Disabilities (212) 237-8185, as soon as possible. Course requirements
will not be waived but reasonable accommodations may be provided as appropriate.
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Grading:
Journal
Warm-up
Quizzes (2)
Mid-term Voice Project
Professional Presentation Project
Final Voice Project
20%
10%
10%
20%
20%
20%
100%
Journals:
Journals are crucial in monitoring your progress and development. I will provide
prompts for each of the journal entries throughout the semester. There will be 6 entries
this semester.
Warm-up: Each student will lead at least one 10-15 minute vocal/physical warm up
during the semester.
Vocal Projects: Detailed assignment sheets will be provided to further explain these
projects as the semester progresses.
Final Project: Each student will prepare a final presentation that demonstrates the class
outcomes of clarity, focus and good vocal use have been met.
Recommended Reading
Berry, C. (1991). Voice and the Actor (Collier Books ed.). New York: Collier Books.
Berry, C. (1992). The Actor and the Text (New a rev [ ed.). New York, NY: Applause
Books.
Lessac, A. (1981). Body Wisdom: The Use and Training of the Human Body (1st ed.).
New York, N.Y.: Drama Book Specialists.
Lessac, A. (1996). The Use and Training of the Human Voice: A bio-dynamic approach to
vocal life (3rd ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub.
Linklater, K. (1976). Freeing the Natural Voice (1st ed.). New York: Drama Book
Specialists.
Linklater, K. (1992). Freeing Shakespeare's Voice: The Actor's Guide to Talking the Text
(1st ed.). New York, NY: Theatre Communications Group.
Rodenburg, P. (1993). The Need for Words: Voice and the Text. New York: Routledge.
Rodenburg, P. (1997). The Actor Speaks: Voice and the Performer. London: Methuen
Drama.
Stanislavsky, K. (1989). An Actor Prepares. New York: Routledge.
Wells, L. K. (1999). The Articulate Voice: An Introduction to Voice and Diction (3rd ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
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CLASS DATE
8/27
COURSE SCHEDULE1*
IN-CLASS TOPIC
ASSIGNMENT
Introduction and Course Overview
Relaxation/Articulators/Flexibility/
Select a poem, lyric or monologue
bring to next class
What is a Standard Dialect? Who has
proper speech?
9/1
What is a good voice and does it matter? Reading: Handout Introduction to
Articulation vs. Pronunciation
The Music of the Consonants
Lessac
Humming, Tapping, Cognates
Introduction to and Discussion of
Lessacs Consonant Orchestra
Introduction of Tell Me Something About
Yourself
Introduction to Vocal Warmup
Reading: Handout from
Wells, L. K. (2004). The Articulate
Introduction to and Discussion of
Voice: an Introduction to Voice and
Lessacs Consonant Orchestra
Diction., chapter. , Boston: Pearson
Education Group, Inc
Introduction of Tell Me Something About Mechanisms of Speech
Yourself
Wells (pp. 15-23)
9/3
9/8
Consonant Orchestra (continued)
Introduction to Four Systems of Vocal
Production
Select and practice a consonant
poem for presentation next class
Sonnet 30
9/10
NO CLASS
9/15
NO CLASS
9/17
Consonant Orchestra (continued)
Vocal Production System Respiration
This is the house that Jack Built
9/22
NO CLASS
Assignments may be adjusted at instructors discretion. Pay attention to Blackboard for announcements
of changes.
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9/24
Exploration of Vowel Shapes 1-6
Structural Energy
Vocal Production System - Phonation
9/25
Vocal Production System - Resonation
1st Memorization of Sonnet 30
9/29
Vocal Production System - Articulation
Introduction of and Discussion of
Consonant Marking
10/1
Quiz 1 Vocal Production System
10/6
2nd Memorization of Sonnet 30
10/8
Intro to Lessac Physical Energies
Assigned Homework: First
Journal Entry Vocal Profile
Buoyancy, Potency, Radiancy
Tell Me Something About Yourself
10/13
1St Journal Entry Collected
10/15
Introduction of Optimum Pitch Concept
Assigned Homework: Second
Journal Entry Vocal Profile
Observation
Tell Me Something About Yourself
10/20
Discussion: Paralinguistics
Volume, Rate, Pitch and Quality
10/22
Final Sonnet 30 memorization
Bring selected poem to next class
Begin vowel exploration Sonnet 25
10/27
Sonnet 25 Vowel exploration (continued) Read: Rodenburg: Chapters 1-3
10/29
Student Vocal Warm-ups 1
2nd Journal Entry Collected
Discuss Quiz 2 Format
Student Vocal Warm-ups 2
11/3
Midterm marked Poem Presentation
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11/5
Student Vocal Warm-ups 3
Read: Rodenburg: Chapters 4-5
Midterm marked Poem Presentation
(continued)
Discuss Rodenburg 1-3
3rd Journal Entry Collected
11/10
Student Vocal Warm-ups 4
Read: Rodenburg: Chapters 6
Disciplinary Vocabulary List
presentation
Role play or monologue
11/12
Student Vocal Warm-ups 5
Disciplinary Vocabulary List presentation
Role play or monologue
11/17
Student Vocal Warm-ups 6
Role play or monologue
Discuss Rodenburg -4-6
4th Journal Entry Due
11/19
Student Vocal Warm-ups 7
11/24
Student Vocal Warm-ups 8
11/26
NO CLASS
Thanksgiving
12/1
Final Presentations
12/3
Final Presentations
12/8
Final Presentations
12/10
Final Presentations
12/17 Final Exam Date
Final Presentations
*Assignments in this column may be adjusted at instructors discretion.
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12:30 -2:30p
