Vocal Warmup
Six exercises Julian Treasure runs before every talk — and recommends before any important speech (stage presentation, marriage proposal, raise request, wedding toast). The voice is an engine; it doesn't perform well cold.
The Six Exercises
- Sigh release — arms up, deep breath in, sigh out (ahhhh). Repeat once.
- Lip ba's — Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
- Lip trill — brrrrrrrrrr (like childhood motor sounds)
- Tongue la's — exaggerated la la la la la la la la la
- Rolled R — rrrrrrr ("champagne for the tongue")
- The siren — we (high) sliding to aw (low): weeeaawww, weeeaawww. If you only have time for one, Treasure picks this.
Why Warm Up
Warmup activates the physical apparatus — breath, lips, tongue, pitch range — so delivery choices from the vocal delivery toolbox are available under pressure. Treasure pairs warmup with high-stakes moments where the speaker owes the audience (or the moment) their best sound.
Connections
- vocal-delivery-toolbox — warmup prepares the instrument the toolbox controls
- memorizing-a-talk — both are pre-performance preparation; warmup is physical, memorization is cognitive
- whats-the-best-way-to-give-a-presentation — sibling preparation source for talk delivery