“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
Teaching Philosophy and Methods
Most of us are born with access to a full range of self expression, but throughout our lives we may receive messages that cause us to socialize in survival mode—stressors, fears, and inhibitions may diminish ones fullness in communication and confidence in speaking. My desire is to stay curious and discover keys revealed through you that may uniquely unlock tensions in your body and voice to reclaim your right to self expression.
“To Free the Voice is to Free the Person” —Kristin Linklater
Linklater Voice
Linklater Voice is an integrated voice methodology that is based in voice work for Actor training, but benefits anyone with the desire for a strong and resilient voice. Somatic exercises found in “Freeing the Natural Voice” by Kristin Linklater offers a step by step approach. The Linklater Methodology helps you discover habits and release tension in your body, breath, jaw, tongue, and soft palate to amplify your voice, strengthen your articulation, and develop resonance by releasing internal energy inspired by stimuli and the use of imagery.
“The precision of the thought will determine the accuracy and life of the resultant sound.”
Acting & Singing & Movement
Drawing upon my MFA in Acting from S.M.U. (Stanislavsky-based with Barbara Somerville, Michael Connolly) and B.A. in Opera and Acting from Central Michigan, I use all of my skills to help build confidence in my clients, and give space for advanced integration with voice, articulation, and dialects for empathetic characters and tranformational acting. Through many years of opera training with Kate Johnson, and extended voice training (Andrea Haring, Meredith Monk Ensemble, Roy Hart-Richard Armstrong and Jonathan Hart Makwaia) & movement training including in Alexander, Feldenkrais, Merry Conway/Trish Arnold Pure Movement & Swings, as well as LeCoq, Neutral, European, & Commedia Dell’arte Masks (with Sara Romersberger), Stage Combat, Thai Chi, & Circus trapeze (with Bill Lengfelder), and Butoh with Yokko—I experiment with sound and movement compositions, and invite my students and clients to stretch themselves into many possibilities of what their voice can do.
“The art of conversation lies in listening.”
Colaianni Speechwork & Phonetic Pillows
Colaianni Speech work & Phonetic Pillows grows seamlessly out of Linklater Voice. This approach to speech begins with identifying your personal dialect and then expanding on possibilities to take on a diversity of world Dialects. Its descriptive not prescriptive discovering "how you speak" vs. correcting “how you should speak” through phonetics and nuance, strengthening your voice and articulation for theatre, film, TV, and in life. You will learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) through embodiment of sounds and explore nuance as a tool to learn about your unique and individual way of speaking. Dialect study that connects you to your identity, and offers new perspectives through character transformation.
“Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared.”
“After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artists, as well.”
“Art is Life. Life is Art.”
“Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak—and speak in such a way that people will remember it. ”