I’m looking forward to a workshop with a difference next week – at the 2011 South Tyneside Magic Festival.  I get to talk to a bunch of magicians about speech, or, more importantly, how to look after their voice during a performance.  Now in it’s eighth year,  the week-long festival is packed with a magic convention for enthusiasts, a family magic extravaganza and a showcase of magic in local schools.  The event is expected to be attended by  magicians from all over the world.  I’m looking forward to showing them a voice trick or two.
I’d better impress them – otherwise they might turn me into a rabbit, or something…
It all started some years ago when I was asked to help a magician doing so many kids parties a day he was losing his voice. Frankly, the number of gigs a day he was doing, he needed a psychotherapist, not a voice coach! :)
The best bit of advice I gave him? Â Take a flask of warm ‘hot chocolate’ (made with milk) with you to sip between gigs – it’ll help lubricate your throat and stop you drying out. Â Better than water in some ways… and a lot better than the tea he was drinking!
