Lise's Vocal Journey 

I have always enjoyed using my voice as an expressive tool.
My carefree vocalisations in early childhood quickly started to change as my awareness of social environments shifted resulting in increased self-consciousness which caused me to shut down or suppress the fullness and vibrancy of my voice. As I came to more serious music study and engagement with Voicework; I had the feeling something was missing... I was striving for freedom in expression, limitless creativity; seeking strength and resilience in my personal confidence. I felt negatively impacted by the influence of social spaces, societal expectations and the pressure to conform to models of competition and hierarchy.
Whilst at University, I started working with a singing teacher called Isabella Dovaston. She facilitated a safe learning space where I was able to experience an alignment and feeling of connection with my voice. The first time I experienced this in session; I felt that for a few moments I was able to express myself with authenticity. I felt like I was truly expressing myself. That is to say, my vocalisations; they felt powerful, energising, which created a sensation of emotional release. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. My voice was resonating on all levels. 

I identified with this sense of full expression in the following ways:

Physiological - experiencing supportive posture and alignment which facilitated ease of flow with my breath 

Psychological - sensing openness and a curious frame of mind which felt receptive to learning and comprehension

Emotional - embracing a feeling of safety in myself and in the physical space 

Social - bridging a connection to my environment and those within it 

Spiritual - heightened sensitivity to subtle energy shifts in my internal and external awareness 

It felt good. The sound I was producing made sense to me.
My vocalisations energised me. I had the feeling that I was 'home'. 

An important aspect of this experience was receiving support through social validation from a trusted individual. There was a mutual acknowledgement of my sound - it was received by the listener on a deeper level than a solely superficial and subjective assessment of aesthetic. The sharing and recognition created emotional and energetic comprehension between us. Resonance.

My authentic expression, sound and voice had been heard and understood. I decided to identify this sound and feeling as my True Voice.

I would describe my experience as an activation or awakening - moving from one state to another. This initiated the beginning of my Journey with the True Voice. I wanted to understand more about the mystery of this experience. The voice that I had connected with felt like something that had always been within me, so why was I unable to tap into this sound at will? This True Voice, I wanted to find it again, learn from it and express it freely.

Simultaneously, this personal breakthrough stimulated a strong desire within me to find a way to share the experience of personal connection and recognition through facilitation for others. This was a pivotal fork in the road which drew me towards research and teaching.

I have been following this spiral path of self enquiry since 2011, asking; how can I build a relationship between my intention to communicate and my ability to communicate as I wish? How can I develop a strong, clear channel for my authentic voice to be expressed?

The questions I am reflecting on situate themselves within what I consider to be the field of Holistic Voicework. My intention is to create a body of work to lay the foundations for further research with a view to communicating the scope of this medium of personal development as a therapeutic approach to support wellbeing.

Here, I am sharing all I have been; researching, exploring and practicing within the realms of Holistic Voicework as my understanding continues to evolve.

The True Voice is not a destination, it is a Journey.