Voice Culture

Despite heavy rain, the session began on time with a grounding prayer. Anil led the energizing "Head-to-Toe" warm-up, setting a lively tone for the day. This was followed by a fun yet challenging activity where two participants posed as statues, remaining still and composed despite deliberate distractions. The exercise emphasized maintaining focus and resisting external influences—an essential skill for performers.

Rangaswamy Sir conducted a session on Voice Culture, focusing on developing strong voice control:

• The session began with the question, "What is essential for generating voice?" The answer—breath—formed the foundation for the exercises.

• Participants practiced controlling their breath from the stomach (nabi) while tracing imaginary Kannada alphabets vocally.

• Another exercise involved projecting sounds like "aaa, eee, uuuu, ooo," enhancing clarity and strength in mouth voice.

• Sir guided participants on modulating their voices in five different ways, demonstrating versatility in tone and expression.

• The concept of the husky voice was introduced, teaching participants how to effectively use it to reach distant audience members.

Next, participants were divided into four groups and assigned scenarios to enact, focusing on gestures, voice, and tone:

1. A lively village environment

2. A posh party scene

3. Life in slum areas

4. A middle school classroom

Rangaswamy Sir highlighted the power of silence in acting and dialogue delivery, explaining its profound impact in theatre. Groups were tasked with preparing enactments for new scenarios to perform the following day.

The session concluded with rehearsals of Rangageethe led by Anil, incorporating lessons from Rajguru Sir. To end on a creative note, a unique signature style for dispersing the group was introduced, closing the day with energy and innovation.