Speaking Of... Conversations on Voice, Speech, and Identity with Ryan O'Shea
Speaking Of... is a show about how we use our voices both in performance and in everyday life. Through conversations with performers, teachers, and anyone who has a voice, voice and speech coach Ryan O'Shea explores questions about how our voices and the ways we speak help shape and express our identity. Can someone's voice tell you whether or not they're a good person? Is there any way to change how you sound without feeling inauthentic? We'll examine these questions and many more in the course of the show by combining practical exercises and conceptual discussions about what it means to utilize your voice.
Episodes
20 episodes
“Why was James Corden’s performance in Netflix’s THE PROM offensive to gay people?” with Tim Murray
In this episode I’m joined by my talented & deeply funny friend Tim Murray. Tim is an actor, comedian, podcast host and all-around wonderful performer. Tim and I both watched the Netflix film based on the Broadway musical, The Prom...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
44:05
“Is there such a thing as a ‘natural’ accent?” with Kevin Clayette
In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime client and friend, Kevin Clayette. Kevin is an actor originally from the French-speaking island of New Caledonia. He’s also lived in Australia, England, and now the US and he asked the question, “Is th...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
36:24
“How do I manipulate the volume of my voice?” with Dominick Bailey
In this episode, I’m joined my friend, Dominick Bailey. Dominick is an actor, dancer, writer, and clinical pharmacist who asked the question, “How do I manipulate the volume of my voice?” Most of the time that I talk to clients about volume, it...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
42:19
“What are your thoughts on the [So-Called] African-American Vernacular of English?” with Rachel Finley
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my friend and colleague, Rachel Finley. Rachel is an actor, director, spoken-word artist, writer, and teacher specializing in acting, voice, and speech. Rachel is currently researching dial...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
21:59
“Why do we make assumptions about individual’s race based on how they sound?” with Brandon Piper
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Brandon Piper. In this episode, Brandon asked the question, “Why do we make assumptions about people’s race based on how they sound?” We talk about the...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
1:00:03
Mailbag: Listener Questions! —with Speech Therapist/Voice Expert, Joanna Cazden
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my colleague, Joanna Cazden. Joanna is a speech pathologist, with a specialty in vocal health. She’s also a singer and a certified teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework, so she has a well-rounde...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 14
•
40:18
BONUS: The Breath and Voice For Actors (Ryan O'Shea on "The Modern Actor" Podcast)
In this bonus episode, I'm a guest on The Modern Actor Podcast talking about the importance of actor training for breath and voice.For more on The Modern Actor Podcast: https://www.the-modern-actor.com/podcastFor more on Speakin...
•
Season 1
•
55:33
What is “The Actor’s Practice”?—with Helena Walsh
In this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my friend and colleague, Helena Walsh. Helena has a thriving voice studio in Dublin, Ireland, though her teaching covers so much more than voice. One of Helena’s current class offerings is ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 13
•
47:58
How can I help myself be more present when I’m feeling overwhelmed?—with Jessica Barrett Denison
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my friend, actor-writer-photographer-editor, Jessica Barrett Denison aka Jess. Jess asked the question, “When I shut down, how do I come back?” The way I reframed Jess’ question was “How ca...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
41:59
What is a "Shakespeare voice?" —with Scott Ferrara
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my friend, voice and acting teacher, Scott Ferrara. Scott specializes in coaching voice as well as acting for classical texts. He joined me to talk about “Shakespeare voice”—the tone and ac...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
44:21
How do I release my voice when I’m under stress?—with Vivi Devereaux
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my friend, actor Vivi Devereaux. Vivi’s question was, “How do I release my voice when I’m under stress?”Vivi is regularly performing and auditioning, and his question is related to t...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
35:36
Mailbag—Listener Questions!
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m answering listener questions. My boyfriend, Cam, co-hosted with me, serving as the reader of questions (not to mention he was letting me know whether or not I was making sense).Some of the In...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
38:19
What is a "woman's voice"? with Lisa Ermel
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my wonderful friend, actress and writer, Lisa Ermel.Lisa’s initial question was “What is a woman’s voice?” We quickly discovered that another way of asking her question is “When am I...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 8
•
51:02
How can I express myself without using vocal fry? What sort of warm-up should I be doing before going on set? with Eddie Ramos
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by actor and founder and creator of The Modern Actor, Eddie Ramos.Eddie had two questions: “How can I express myself without using vocal fry? What sort of warm-up should I be doing befo...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 7
•
46:08
Why do I sometimes drop off of my words in performance? And how do I project my voice in a theatre without straining my voice? with Cara Myers
Today on Speaking Of… I’m joined by actress, writer, director, and producer, Cara Myers. Cara asks about some specific challenges she’s experienced in performance. We start by talking about why she sometimes has a tendency ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 6
•
32:59
Why do I feel fine having conversations in meetings, but feel nervous giving presentations? with Cameron Cramer
Today on Speaking Of… I’m joined by my partner, Cameron Cramer.Cameron is a non-performer working in YouTube marketing, and he asked: why do I feel fine having conversations in meetings, but feel really nervous giving presentati...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 5
•
44:01
How does our posture affect our breath? with Arianne Villareal
Today on Speaking Of… I’m joined by a longtime friend, Arianne Villareal. Arianne is an actress and singer based here in LA, and she asked: how does our posture affect our breath? This question is an incredibly useful one f...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 4
•
39:09
What makes a voice masculine or feminine? What does it mean to have a “gay” voice? with Kevin Whitmire
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m chatting with my friend Kevin Whitmire, an actor and teaching artist based in LA. Kevin and I start off by talking about performance and how he changes his voice for each role. We then d...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 3
•
33:25
How does our ancestors’ experience of their voice affect ours? with Ana Lorena Sánchez
On this episode of Speaking Of… I’m speaking with singer and actor Ana Lorena Sánchez about how she got into acting and her relationship with her voice.Ana wanted to know: How does our ancestors’ experience of their voice affect...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 2
•
49:45
Can the sound of someone's voice tell you whether they're a good or bad person? with Daniel Jaar
For the very first episode of Speaking Of… I’m joined by my friend and singer Daniel Jaar. Daniel and I met in a workshop in LA and he has such incredible presence, I’m delighted he’s the first guest on the show!Daniel brought a...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 1
•
27:01