How can you project your voice and speak clearly as an Emcee?

In keeping with consistency of sound, if you are going to whisper, you absolutely will need to lean into the microphone. If you want to yell or scream, you must pull back from the microphone otherwise your sound will distort. Do these things and you’ll keep your sound engineer happy.

My biggest friend for all my events is my sound engineer ! He can make or break my event. So, I show up very early and do a proper sound check and move around the auditorium and ask for adjustments with the high and low frequencies. I also look around to note the areas where I cannot hold my cordless mic because of speakers and feedback / squealing etc. equipment check is a must. My first intro once a lot of people are in would be an announcement without making my appearance about 15 / 10 / 5 mins prior to the start and that’s when the final adjustments are made by my sound engineer on the mixer ! Because by then the auditorium is almost full and a true situation is experienced.

Each microphone is different. You need to know the type of microphone you're using and, more importantly, the polar patterns. This determines where and how you need to hold the microphone. Next, it's important to explore your voice to know which frequencies you need to raise and which you need to lower. 99% of the MC's I've seen hold their microphone incorrectly. It's not a rap concert where you need to swallow your microphone, and you might want to change the position of the microphone according to what you want to do; whispering, tone of voice, bass vs head voice, etc. Also it's important to explore where you can freely stand and where you cannot due to the position of monitors and other sound equipment as it can cause feedback.

Learn from singers. They practice breathing through the diaphragm and projecting using their air control rather than straining their vocal chords. A deep breath held for a moment and then exhaled slowly will have a calming effect and help you nail your opening remarks. When you are confident that you know the material you can present it well. You have to study a bit. I avoid note cards and try to use a single page outline to keep me on track.

Slow, controlled breathing patterns are important. If you need to speak for many hours in a row, you'll need to be aware of your breathing and your posture in general. I've seen people even get into hyperventilation due to their breathing patterns and posture! Slow, consistent breathing from your lower belly (just below the navel area), combined with a straight but relaxed posture, is what's best.

Regularly reading out aloud as if you were reading a story to somebody in the same room provides enormous benefit. It engenders the timing, the voice variation, the emphasis on certain words to enhance their significance. Read as if your goal is to get an imaginary listener to understand every word, every little nuance so they can FEEL the story as it unfolds. Such practice will not only get you to to pay close attention to your enunciation and pronunciation of words, timing, etc., it will engender in you a love of word usage. How to USE those tools of trade - words! Reading out aloud. It's hard to beat this as a way to improve one's delivery.

Besides speaking clearly, know the slang or dialect of the region. In other words, if you’re a Texan speaking in London or an Aussie speaking in Montreal, you may have to adjust some of your favorite catchphrases.

This is a simple technique and very beneficial. To be clear and slow ! You can never go wrong with this. Because you want your audience to enjoy your pearls of wisdom being shared. This can help neutralise accents, etc. rehearse the first few lines for the event so that that you set a great impression first up.

Many people speak way too fast on a microphone. If you talk into a microphone, you need to talk differently. You talk much slower and articulate every single part of the word clearly and concisely. Along with proper use of vocal patterns (the loudness and pitch of your voice). Next, you need to use your body language, especially your facial expressions, to emphasize your message. This will result in the audience listening and understanding every single word you say. I'm not a fan of mirror-practice, instead record your live performances and read your audiences body language for evaluation.

Tone modulation is the best you can do without your sound engineer having to do any additional work. An MC is all about bring energy to any event. They can make or break a party or a celebration ! So being vibrant with your voice is so important. Example if its an award ceremony, you should be able to hit a crescendo while announcing the winner! If it’s a bridal couple entry at a wedding, there will be a great raise in pitch and excitement in the emcee’s voice to denote something major is about to happen. So, modulation is very important to keep the energy of the participants alive.

This takes practice. For example, too often I see MCs simply reading off a card that they've obviously never seen before. It's difficult to read with varying tones and speed. So you end up sounding canned. Practice each segment into a recorder and listen to yourself. Then try it a different way, over and over. Until you can read the information in your natural authentic voice. You don't have to have it memorized. You do need to feel really familiar with the content.

There’s a reason that filler words or phrases such as “um” and “you know” are referred to as vocal disfluencies. Use them too often and they will detract from the point you are trying to make. Occasional use for purposes of emphasis are fine as long as you get the timing right. Know your audience!

When emceeing a panel, one of your primary jobs is to keep the conversation moving. Listen to what people are saying and interrupt when you need to. Your audience will be grateful. I've been on panels when one person felt like they were alone on the stage and didn't allow anyone else to speak. What was worse is that he just kept repeating the same thing over and over. The emcee needed to manage him but didn't. As a result, the room slowly emptied.

Energy is contagious! On top of focusing on the content, and how loud/clearly you are speaking, don't forget about your energy. This means if you're truly excited and knowledgeable about what you're talking about, it will come across in your voice, and the audience will be able to feel (and hear) it.

In my experience, it also helps to film yourself the day before on your cellphone, giving your speech or delivering your emcee introduction. Go over your video and observe your eye contact, expression, your breathing, intonation, and if you are articulating clearly. Evaluate the timbre of your voice and if you sound genuine and confident. The other important thing is that how you look is equally important as how you speak and deliver. Avoid wearing clothes or shoes that are too tight or uncomfortable. Do a sound check ahead of time and walk the stage to make sure you know exactly where to enter and exit. Enjoy!

Use your diaphragm. I remember losing my voice a lot when I first started out. Sometimes you wouldn't be able to hear yourself speak because the sound system speakers are facing away from you. In the past I used to shout so I can hear myself. This is a very bad move. Do learn how to regulate your volume by using your diaphragm. As a professional emcee, you need to protect your asset, which is your voice!