Is it possible to translate between words and emotions?

The most common question I’m asked, either in person or via email, is “I don’t understand what Inborn Voice is,” or “What’s the difference between Inborn Voice and the traditional vocal Coaching?

The simplest and most understandable answer is “Try to believe”. In fact, it only takes one session to understand how effective and different the Inborn Voice method is from what we are used to.

You will all have heard or spoken languages such as Italian, French or Spanish. I could also make the comparison with languages further away from ours, such as Japanese, but I think it is appropriate to consider Spanish as is the most widely spoken language in the world.

The words we use to describe an object, a situation or an emotion are “containers”, more or less precise, of an idea that is born and lives inside us.

The main mistake is to think that these containers are “universal”, or rather, uniquely understandable. They’re not. If two people say the word “yellow”, it is practically impossible that they have the exact same idea of yellow inside them. The only possibility that two people mean the same idea of “yellow” is when they are confronted with an external object of a color that can be generically defined as “yellow”.

The second mistake is thinking that there is only one way to pronounce the word “yellow”. That is not so. For example, you can pronounce it with an intonation of joy, like that of someone who finds a golden nugget and shows it exulting “Yellow”, or with the intonation of someone who reads a bad grade on the report card, indicating the poor result written in “yellow”.

The third mistake is thinking that the structure of a sentence is the same for everyone. It’s not. Even when the words are the same, the intonation, pauses, breaths, speed and so much more change the sentence. The same sentence can have as many meanings as there are people who pronounce it. You only need to listen to a great actor recite a poem to understand the difference between his and your interpretation. Even if you were to copy it, it would be impossible for you to do so.

Why?

Because you lack the translation between the world of emotions and the world of voice. Knowing a foreign language firsthand, even with a good degree of mastery, it is really difficult to express a deep emotion or thought to others. On the contrary, for many people it is difficult, if not impossible, to do so already in their mother tongue. Many people take over half a century to understand this truth.

Ordering a pizza from a waiter is one thing, making a love declaration or having a job interview is another. Even knowing which words are the most appropriate to express a situation, the way they are pronounced will greatly influence how they are perceived by the other person. For example, you can use words of affection with a detached tone, words of encouragement with an angry tone, words of criticism with a smile. All messages that will be received, you can bet, in the wrong way. And don’t think this is limited to talking. The exact same thing can be applied to listening to others. How many times have you rejoiced at hearing words that actually just wanted to avoid sadness, how many times have you felt lost listening to words that actually wanted to soothe?

As you can read in my latest book “The Way of the Voice”, to explain to the world the power of the Inborn Voice, I emphasize very well that our Inborn Voice is a language more similar to music than traditional languages. A music that contains within a single note, every single emotion or thought, all the other notes. A sort of symphony where everything is always in harmony. To better understand this strange comparison, you need to know that some people can recognize the sound of a violin played live from a recording, just as there are people who can recognize if the recording is digital or analog, and even recognize the type of amplifier used. To an ordinary person that sound is just a musical instrument. The same thing happens in people who begin to understand their own Inborn Voice.

So ultimately, my Inborn Voice method aims to create something that doesn’t normally exist. Only a few, fortunate, people are able to understand and translate their emotions for others through voice. Using the voice is not only a matter of technique, but also of soul. Inborn Voice is the bridge that connects the technical aspect to the emotional aspect, enriching it with unimaginable nuances.

Certainly technique is important, but not as important as expressiveness. In fact, many famous artists, whether actors, singers or voice actors, although they have an enormous ability to communicate with their audience, do not have the technical mastery of their voice.

So the next time you find yourself thinking that your problems of work, socialization or sentimental problems could find a better voice, don’t look for the “technical” solution, the one guided by the mind, but the “human” solution, the one guided by your heart.

Finally, I invite you to read my free ebook, “The Art of Keeping an Healthy Voice”, because even those who claim to know and teach the “vocal technique” in reality often have no idea how much damage they can create in others’ voice.