Kristin Linklater in Bulgaria: voice, identity and message

During the 4th Teachers Academy, June 2009, organized by ELIA (The European League of Institutes of the Arts), Kristin Linklater was invited as one of the key speakers and special guests in this four day event. In her Keynote speech, delivered at the opening ceremony of the Teachers Academy, she emphasized the importance of the voice serving as a tool to successfully communicate a story. 

In storytelling, the voice serves to communicate the speaker's message and view of the world. Kristin Linklater continues to explains how the words can carry different strategies and aims. Nevertheless, the voice of the speaker is of primal importance on how the listener perceives the message. When it comes to determine whether voice, words or message have the greater impact on the listener, Linklater (2009) states: 

"It is our voices that carry our foundational identity, it is our voices that command the attention of our listeners, draw them in,alert them to the veracity and value of our message." 

Linklater's opinion is that the voice can reveal the speaker's inner psyche and inner thoughts. The voice of a person is influenced by the childhood experiences, the social environment and norms. As a vehicle of the individual's soul, the voice can either be a successful medium of communication or fail to convey the message of the story.  

Using Kristin Linlater's views on the voice, the social isolation and instantaneous judgment of speakers and actor's that speak English as a second language becomes evident. The foreign accent is often perceived as a threatening and alienating device. No matter of the communicated message, the English listener, will often condemn the foreign accent as a inferior and unreliable source of Truth. 

Why are then some foreign speakers being accepted and listen to as a trustworthy vehicles of information ? Often, spiritual teachers, such as Deepak Chopra and Paulo Coelho, have a wide audience that is savoring their words and messages. The reason behind the acceptance of their Truth and message lays in the listener's focus on the Soul. 

Therefore, working on the breath and the voice is of essential importance when it comes to communicating truthfully a message or a story. Using daydreaming techniques, relaxation and meditation will enable you to reconnect with the soul and reveal your true voice.