Glottal Fry: A form of self-censorship?

I recently heard a young girl talk in fry while she was being interviewed on NPR. She said  "it's so nice that there are more girls in jazz." (if you'd prefer to listen to this blog, click the video below!) She remained in fry and had not much variation. This shows me that this trend continues to be fairly pervasive across ages and genders, but more commonly in women.  

The unpleasant sensation or shivering, such as a 'weird, uncomfortable feeling like nails on a chalkboard' or 'repulsion' to a sound doesn't really have an exact term in English, yet researchers found that grima, a Spanish word for 'unpleasant' is a close approximation.  I'm quite sure that when you speak, 'repulsed' is the last thing you want the listener to feel.   

When you're in this space of repressing or holding back, talking from the throat,  this is the lowest possible breath energy, the lowest possible dynamics and variation.  You're also holding back what you might really be feeling,  how you're really naturally supposed to sound, and therefore holding back on what communication power you hold.

Versus shifting and switching into a natural tone, feeling the flow of what's there, what wants to be expressed. Yes, it may feel a little awkward at first or sound different than you're used to, and yet you're tapping into the most resonant, natural power and that version of yourself that is meant to be heard.

That means you're communicating in a way that is most aligned, most accurate to who you are. How you wanna be perceived and received as the vibrations and sound energy ripple out.

I see this trend not only among teen girls, many women, some men, but especially wellness providers, those folks who are touting all of these holistic approaches to feeling your best and showing up boldly or being in your power.

And yet, how can you be fully in your power and speak your truth when your voice is held in low energy and restricted in a way that doesn't fully show and sound like your true self?  It's not just you sounding chill-cool-calm. It's actually repressing and holding back more power and energy that is meant to be heard.

So it makes me wonder, is this a form of self-censorship? 
Not that we mean to do on purpose, but one that has manifested as a way of protecting,  as a way of repressing what we truly want to say, avoiding standing up for ourselves, our values, those around us,  our community, or being in fear of what we are here to say and do.

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Glottal fry is easy to get in and out of.  I've mimicked some of that even throughout the video above.  And when I guide people into their most natural voice, often it's in those unexpected moments and they go, "ah! that sounds like me!"  They hear and feel (more importantly) a resonance and a vibration that is them.

So while it can feel awkward at times, the tasks, activities and ways that you can come in and out of all the voices that are you, are a skill that very few recognize as one of the most potent and aligned ways to show up every single day. 

​You have choices with your voice. Fry is just one of those characteristics that may creep in sometimes.

When you allow it to pervade, seeping into sentences, hold you back and repress within your body and your throat, it almost doesn't matter what you're saying. That repressed energy will be felt by the listener and reduce that sense of connection and deeper knowing. 

I encourage you to play with your voice right now. If you can put yourself into fry, you can take yourself out of glottal fry as well. 
Follow along with the simple exercise in the audio recording above, or go to YouTube to access at time-point 4:10 -- listen here)

Something as easy as just an "ahhh" sound.
Ahhhh
EEEEE
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Now when you add more breath to that "uhhh" you can hear the smoother tone returning.

You can think of it as if saying "Haahhh".  It doesn't matter what the pitch is right now. Don't worry about that. Just play around with going from that crackly fry sound -- the term historically comes from people thinking it was like frying bacon in a pan,
Transition from 'uhhhh' into a a more supported, smooth tone.

Some of you may even notice that your throat feels a little more relaxed if you go to the extreme with the tension, it's also going to sound so tight and strained, and you'll feel that. So allow yourself to notice what that extreme feels like. And then on the other extreme, if you're releasing too much air, that can cause discomfort and shortness of breath.  

It may also feel like it's a bit of an effort, so aim for your happy medium, and just by taking that pressure valve (of the vocal folds) releasing and allowing more air to flow through, you can start to infuse that in your speaking.

Does smoother voice happen every time you talk if you're someone who habitually lives in glottal fry?  Probably not. This takes practice and intention for those of you who are starting to notice a shift, but then feeling like you're falling back into your throat or not really sure how to develop this into other areas of your speaking. You can really build into the dynamics and variation that you desire because you know your resonant sound is in there.  Sometimes it just requires the expert support and guidance to get you there faster. 

I guide my clients on a regular basis out of ineffective ways of speaking, releasing the habits to instill the new foundation.  Sometimes, the body will want stubbornly stick in old ways and at the same time also be craving that optimal, efficient way of speaking, sounding and of being.  So if that's something that you are ready to explore, an easy way to do that is booking a complimentary call with me.

It's about 30-40 minutes, we chat about your goals, I do a voice health screening to see if there's any underlying aspects or symptoms going on, and then we can discuss what the possibility is for us working together.  If it's a good fit, I'll make you an offer that I think will help you achieve your goals, so you can sound the way you are meant to, and attract, rather than repel, the listener. 

When you are in relationship with your voice, you are speaking without holding back, sounding like the woman you are meant to be.  And if you're not sure who that is yet, this is the journey of becoming, and it starts with exploration, willingness and openness to get intimate with this instrument in your neck.