About the book

VOICE mentors the self-examination of your voice and the related emotional processes. Once you get to know yourself, become increasingly self-aware and acknowledge your vulnerabilities as well as your talents, your voice and your message will become more powerful. As a result, you will build self-confidence, express yourself better and be heard.

Do you experience your voice as a limitation or a blockage? Do you feel that you are not always being heard? Does your voice change according to the situation you’re in? This book provides an answer to why your voice doesn’t always seem to be in your control.

Voice coach Laura Stavinoha struggled with stage fright from the age of fourteen. In this superb book she shares with you the knowledge she gained in the field of vocal development. She explains her own experiences and those of her clients within two theoretical frameworks: the polyvagal theory and the theory of positive disintegration. The exercises she offers are practical, down to earth, and will contribute to your personal development. Laura has found her voice, and offers you a guide to do the same.

Praise for VOICE

“This is such a fantastic book. About the effects of stress on your voice, and how to deal with it. About the voice as a mirror of the soul. About your inner critic. And so much more! As a voice and presentation coach, reading this makes me eager and excited: there is so much more to learn about the voice!”

— Maja Roodveldt, voice and presentation coach, soprano

“This book is highly recommended for anyone working with the voice. Written by Laura Stavinoha, who is not only a singer, singing teacher and voice coach, but—more importantly—has a whole new vision of the voice. She has spent many years studying the voice from an interest born of her own struggles with singing and stage fright, but also from a strong desire to make a difference for others. Stavinoha immersed herself in a number of scientific fields in psychology and neurology that make her approach totally innovative.”

— Vocazine, magazine of the Dutch Association for Vocal Pedagogues

“VOICE is an eye opener for everybody who works with the voice. Likewise for people who want to learn more about their voice, those who speak for a living, and for voice coaches who guide professionals to increase their vocal possibilities. It’s clear, accessible, profoundly researched and combines abstract definition with practical hands-on application how to implement the insights. By including Stavinoha’s own journey, it becomes very personal and ‘breathes’ both experience and expertise. I have been coaching leaders of corporate companies for over eleven years on their vocal skills and physical presence. VOICE has put the dots on the I for me. Read it.”

— Claudia Kratzheller, coach for embodied presence, public speaker and holistic health practitioner

“I am so excited for the world to have this gem! What a unique 360-degree picture of the singing voice from this scholar of a woman on the subject. There is NOTHING out there like this to date, and this book has a chance of going down in time being used by universities and vocal students everywhere. This is the first of its kind with new research that has not been talked about anywhere else. If you’re a singer of any kind or singer curious but shy, this book is for you. Stavinoha offers us a new perspective on speaking and singing, with as added bonus an emphasis on being an overall good human—something our society desperately needs right now.”

— Jennifer Zuiff, recording artist, holistic vocal coach and creator of Conscious Singing & Vocal Tribe

“Stavinoha brings together various facets of growth, translating them into practical exercises. This book has enormous value, reaching far beyond the music world. As a therapist and trainer, it is a pleasure to read and use the exercises—for myself, in treatments and in trainings.”

— Lia Jaeqx – van Tienen, nurse practitioner mental health and therapist

“A journey that guides you from unconscious voice habit to conscious use of the voice. You’ll learn to play your voice purposefully, as a musical instrument, with clear effect on yourself and your listeners. Many people who work with their voice will be inspired by this.”

— Cees Manintveld, founder of MultiVoice International Voice Agency