Amy is spot-on. The vocal fry conveys a vibe of "I'm bored, jaded, disaffected." There's a nearly complete absence of joy, happiness, caring, or FEELING at all.

@WomanWithAnIssue

5 жыл бұрын

Or "I have a personality disorder called borderline personality disorder which leaves me with no stable self image of my own, so I have to copy other peoples' characteristics."

@dibrentley7915

5 жыл бұрын

or im indocrinated into the democrats narrative.

@kilgoretrout6136

4 жыл бұрын

@@dibrentley7915 lmfao

@dibrentley7915

4 жыл бұрын

@@kilgoretrout6136 they got you too huh

@kilgoretrout6136

4 жыл бұрын

@@dibrentley7915 What do you mean?

What upspeak means to me: It sounds like a person whose voice has been ignored for so long (?) that she believes she has to keep checking back with her listener (?) to see if her listener heard what she just said (?) or was even listening at all (?)

@mist__4974

6 жыл бұрын

Roothog Ordie Well said

@mightymouse5930

6 жыл бұрын

Exactly! If you sound like you are constantly asking a question, you sound like you always need help and can’t do anything on your own. Also, if you feel like people should just accept uptalk as normal rather than learning to speak correctly, you are literally unemployable on a professional level.

@PinupSarah

6 жыл бұрын

It’s like when people say “does that make sense?” at end of sentence. It’s both patronising to ask and shows lack of confidence and conviction in your words

@mariussielcken

5 жыл бұрын

Just like people who ask 'right?' every other sentence. 'like' is also a softening of definition so you can't like be attacked on like your position, because it sounds like you don't fully understand/support your own position and are waiting for the other person to finish your thoughts.

@susantjfl3147

5 жыл бұрын

The New Zealand accent contains upspeak. When I first came here I thought I was being asked a question or maybe I was being asked for approval. Not sure why this is, but interestingly Canadians have this pattern too and they are overshadowed but their bigger neighbour, just as NZ is by Australia. So maybe it’s a form of lack of confidence/cultural cringe? I’m so use to upspeak, I’m probably doing it myself.

I am a speech pathologist and very in tune with vocal fry and upspeak in myself and my clients. The voice itself is linked very closely to the limbic system in our brains - this system plays a big role in our emotions so it didn't surprise me when you said that vocal fry and upspeak may be related to emotional suppression. That being said, it can also be taken as a way to subconsciously/passively communicate authority or dominance. There is a theory that people (esp women) slip into a vocal fry when they want to show authority in a conversation. The same could be said for upspeak - when a person speaks in "upspeak", they are trying to assert some authority in the conversation by not allowing space for another speaker to interrupt or take over the conversation. In a way, they don't want to lose "their turn" when talking and hence assert dominance. The points you've talked about in this video are always in my mind when I spot a client suddenly switching into vocal fry or upspeak. I wonder whether they are suppressing something or feel the need to assert dominance around me and I try to find a way to make them feel more comfortable. However, it is important to take it with a grain of salt because consistent and constant vocal fry may be a sign of some other vocal disorder not linked to emotion. Also, a bit of vocal fry is normal - in fact, people tend to slip into it when they are fatigued. You brought up some really interesting points here Amy. I'm glad that more people are becoming aware of these vocal changes we are seeing across the generation.

@francescoromito198

5 жыл бұрын

Valentina Worldwide, what are race of women?

@LindaC616

4 жыл бұрын

@Rob M Sociological, yes. Upper middle class women? With upspeak? Where do you live? (Honest question) I'm in the US, and I hear it used by women 40 and under, regardless of social class. It used to belong to a certain class, but ince it became pervasive, I think it's more generational

@d.nakamura9579

2 жыл бұрын

All of this and Amy’s points help explain why I find it to seem somewhat insincere and annoying

@dawner77

2 жыл бұрын

@tjoebacca Thanks for sharing. I can attest that my boss (an 8 in Enneagram personality typing) definitely speaks using both upspeak and vocal fry to assert dominance and control the conversation. Now that I understand how this plays out,it’s easier for me to know when I can step into the flow of conversation with her.

@rickwine9821

6 ай бұрын

On upspeak: when this annoying speech pattern first surfaced, to me, it conveyed a not-so subtle message that (a) I should already know what the speaker is talking about, (b) the speaker is expressing a sort of low-level impatience with my obvious lack of familiarity with the subject being discussed. Overall, I feel that this speech affectation conveys an air of superiority and condescending. I am glad to see that the experts have finally weighed in to the extent that those of us who have had to endure these trends might finally reclaim our less haughty manner(s) of speech. You go, girl!😅

People often think I'm much younger than I am. Someone once asked me how I "stay so young" and I told them what I thought was critical: "Never be afraid to get excited, never be afraid to show your excitement, never expect anyone else to share your excitement." Now, thanks to you, I'm connecting that with my vocal style and singing.

This is a fascinating field. I noticed a similar phenomena with my art students, in that they have 'potholes' in their choice of materials. Some will simply not choose certain colours. One student seemed to avoid yellow, and when I asked her to use it, she showed no comfort in mixing it in other colours. I further noted that certain colours that where avoided had a link to certain emotions. People avoid those colours which would otherwise set into emotion currents in themselves, like fear, grief or anger. And not just colours- canvas size, type of paper, pencils, even brushes. All these external things have some kind of inner counterparts. I had one student who never used small brushes and he was a man who didn't like to discuses details or disclose anything on a 'small brush' level. Fascinating.

@AS-kg3mf

6 жыл бұрын

That's so interesting. 😮

@Xcurior

5 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a rather normal human interaction to me, but indeed psychology is fascinating at any level and this interview on vocal fry and upspeak hit deep on the emotional level of ourselves.

@marzipanmango

5 жыл бұрын

I never use black (I'm an oil painter). I will always make my blacks and greys by mixing other colours together. What does that say about me? :P

@stephenbrooks6174

4 жыл бұрын

@@marzipanmango Hev you never watched The Fast Show? There's a recurring skit on there about an artist who refuses to hear the word black, or rather his wife skirts around using the word for fear of setting him off on a tirade.

@sierrajuliet7759

4 жыл бұрын

Also young hitler painted in brown gray smoggy monotones buildings. Never people. His speeches always started monotone and ended hysterical. Most MAGA. talk normally. vs fry up. Sjws. This is not just. political its kurturkampf.

Ever since I've watched this video, I cannot stop hearing vocal fry and upspeak everywhere. I didn't realize how common these were.

@dibrentley7915

4 жыл бұрын

When I was in LA, we went to a restaurant and at a nearby table there was one woman who was loud and vocol fry was off the scales.. I couldnt handle it - it was like someone running their nails down a chalk board so we ate fast and got the hell out. I think she may have been a teacher. Poor kids.

@RCGagain

4 жыл бұрын

I have vocal fry and I just figured it out from watching a similar video. I think mine is damage to my vocal cords and sinuses from a lifetime of allergies, but who knows?

@romaroalte2645

4 жыл бұрын

@@RCGagain no, it does not damage your voice, it is even a sign of a healthy voice.

@andybluemanstrauss7819

4 жыл бұрын

@@RCGagain In most cases its a habit. If it does not bother you too much, keep it. I dont like to hear it, but one of my favorite German youtubers Raphael Bonelli fries a lot and I still love his videos.

@Wee162

4 жыл бұрын

di brentley You really have some issues with the way some women speak. Simmer down

I have been living in Mexico for almost 20 years and noticed a similar trend in youth who identify themselves with the middle or upper class in Spanish ("Fresa" as it is called in Mexico.). My theory with these speech patterns is that the individual is trying to denote his/her social standing, even unconsciously in some cases.

@LuisArcadioDeJesus

7 жыл бұрын

Yes, the more I have thought about this the more I believe it is just the evolution of linguistic speech patterns. Never thought of its universality, so good point. I've gotten used to it listening to it podcasts (e.g. Vox's The Weeds: where most of the hosts, with the exception of Ezra Klein, speak this way). If you are into the wonky aspects of linguistics I suggest you check out Lexicon Valley with John McWhorter. You might enjoy his whimsical and informative explorations into the use of the English language. I also hear you on upspeak --vocal fry makes me cringe. I end up paying attention to the sound and not to what is being said it's so distracting. Makes me wonder what the younger folk think of people from my age group when we talk.

@ac3259

6 жыл бұрын

Luis Arcadio De Jesus koo

@siteworld123

5 жыл бұрын

It connects to antidepressant use. Many medications, certainly codeine, affect the vocal chords.

@dibrentley7915

5 жыл бұрын

its the higher education, where they get indoctrinated into a socialist agenda.. honestly believe that.

@orionstar6268

4 жыл бұрын

@@LuisArcadioDeJesus Hola Luis....OMG.... si...estoy de acuerdo contigo...en lo de FRESA TALK...hahahahhaa . yo llevo 30 y cachito de anos viviendo en USA y cuando voy a visitar a mi familia yo noto ese acento que antes yo no notaba mucho..yo sabia que nos hacia carilla por hablar asi...como El Pirrurris...pero este "upspeak" es diferente...yo no creo que el acento Fresa tenga que ver con un trauma o cambio comun en la sociedad...pero esta nueva manera de hablar si es terrible y si estoy de acuredo con esta chica del video. Parece que fue disenado para aminorar la expresion del sentiminto..Este acento yo lo siento especialmente perturbador cuando lo oigo en hombres y aun mas sin mayores de 30...yo soy generacion X y te puedo decir que hasta amigos o conocidos mios aqui de USA de mi misma generacion han sido infectados por esta manera de hablar.

Female here who is currently trying to tap into a lot of repressed emotions. I work in a very logical, hyper-masculine field and believe that I might have developed vocal-fry as a result of wanting to appear less emotional and more serious. Ironically, now the vocal fry makes my coworkers take me less seriously.

Wow. I am also a voice coach and I had never related this to the emotions. But now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense. You should write a book about it. A whole investigation and everything. Please keep posting about this, it's very interesting!

I partially agree about vocal fry ( in people who aren't tweens following a trend). But in addition to suppressing of emotions, I think it's a way to keep the voice from getting too loud, used unconsciously by people who are not confident. It's a pattern endemic to my family, and my mom and I are very aware that we 'swallow' our sentences: get so low at the end that people have trouble hearing us. We have the standard American pattern of keeping our speaking voices fairly low, maybe more so than most. And you're absolutely right: when I think about trying to use more of my range and especially project more at the end of my sentences, I experience a fear that that will draw attention to me. I think that fear is based in the belief that people will mock what I'm saying, or maybe worse, ignore me. If people ignore what you're saying because they can't hear you, that's not personal. But if you speak loud and clear and they still ignore you, that's embarrassing. But I'm not completely certain of the root of the fear, only that it's definitely there. I think I should take acting classes! At any rate, I hope this adds a little bit to your experience of this vocal phenomenon.

@FrancisTheWalnut

4 жыл бұрын

Yes! when I feel unconfident I tend to adopt more upspeak and vocal fry.

As a bit of a language nerd, this is so enticing to hear! Especially from the perspective of an actress and singer. Explains the bottomless pit of "valley girl" talk

Omgosh... Thank you. I'm 53. I've noticed that my throat not only gets a very sore, somewhat dry feeling but it literally swells. There are times my throat actually hurts so bad, I take pain meds. I have also been noticing, and you've just validated me THANK YOU... that I no longer sound happy or excited when I speak and I find that I am holding all of my emotion in my throat. So as not to offend anyone. I grew up being told... "Dont say that like that." "You say things so ...." and so I've learned to shut my throat center down. I do use the upswing. I asked my boyfriend and he said I do the upswing but not the fry. I did not know I was doing it but now upon reflection and watching your video, I realize, putting this all together, Im looking for approval and not to offend anyone with who and how I am in this world. Im speaking to show NO emotion b/c I was taught that my emotions were all bad and that it was not ok for me to show, express or have my emotions. Or to use any tonality when I speak. I feel like I do the fry thing but he says I don't. I feel like I do b/c of how my throat feels. So if Im not exactly doing the vocal fry, Im doing my own version of it so as not to hurt anyones feelings or call attention to myself in anyway. I've gotten as monotone as I possibly can b/c I felt hurt that anyone was hurt by my voice. Namely my sister and father. Constantly picking me a part. And so ... I completely LOST my voice and am now looking to regain it. and its been quite a challenge for me. I feel completely cut off from myself. :( Sighs. Im so grateful for this information. Thank you. xo I realize now... that I was Divinely led to my most current job with children to help me with this. There is no judgment from little ones. And I can use higher tones and be happy and excited to see them and interact with them and they actually LIKE it. :D lol Coronavirus go away so I can get back to them. Realistically, I need to hold that on my own without their validation I know. If you've read all the way to here, Im impressed! lol Thanks again! Very helpful to me on my self healing path!

@omlove3206

4 жыл бұрын

I just got another piece... I remember starting the uptalk... I did it b/c I felt like I was coming off as a know it all and a bitch. Stuck up. Bc that is what i was told. That I was a know it all and stuck up and that I thought I was better than. Women didn't like me. Some women. and I wanted to be liked. So I dumbed down with the stupid uptalk. I miss who I was. Deeply. :( Women felt threatened by me. I thought if I kept my mouth shut or if I softened with upspeaking, I would be better accepted... I felt like it softened my delivery and that i was less threatening. So sucks. I ended up backing myself right up into isolation. And now I feel like I no longer know what i knew bc i completely disconnected myself from myself. I thought i could safely speak my truth if I softened my delivery. Instead... I lost my voice and my self. :( Good stuff here to process through. Many thanks again.

Hi Amy. Thank you so much for your insights into these phenomena. I am in Ireland with my 18 year-pld granddaughter, and we've been blessed with many hours together sharing ideas and experiences. She is full of passion and compassion, and yet her vocal range for expression is restricted to the 'fry zone'. In our Slane B&B I showed her your video and she really resonated with it! I know hearing your kind explanation will help her greatly in discovering herself and revealing her true emotions to others. Bless you.

You're amazing, Amy Walker. Thanks for taking the time to shoot this awesome video!

Today I decided to figure out this "upspeak" stuff, and then ... this video. Thanks. I think what you're saying is, pardon the expression, deep. What you're saying is potentially very, very bad for those many, predominantly women, who do this (although some guys seem to have it down to a science too). Also, much as our voice tends to reflect our emotional state, it's also the other way around: our voice may help create emotion inside us. Weird how that works. For instance if you're sitting slumped over then not after long a weird, "slumped over" emotion creeps up on you. The next instant you erect your spine and assume a dignified, attentive posture, then another - infinitely better - emotional state creeps up on you. I guess what I really wanted to say was thank you for showing me and making me _feel_ what I'd suspected around the corners of my perception for quite a while.

Hi Amy - Thanks for bringing this to wider attention. I'm a coach for the past 40 years, for singers and in the corporate sector for leadership trainings and public speaking. Upspeak and Vocal Fry are EPIDEMIC. I think if one takes a closer look at the causes it comes from a basic desire to feel worthy/loved. If one expresses emotion in the voice, then one is vulnerable - open to ridicule. For some this means invalidation. Therefore, the upspeak acts in a manipulative way - i.e.: (you with me?, are you following me?, okay?, is all good?). This is what underlies the upspeak in my humble opinion. When someone, male or female ends a sentence with a period, it says, (okay, now go ahead and have your opinion/evaluation of whatever I just said).

Upspeak is a result of a teaching technique in the US. Teachers are trained to introduce a topic, then to ask a question of the class that nobody could possibly know the answer to. Then they choose someone who seems not to be paying attention to speculate endlessly as to the possible answer. Every statement they make is phrased as a speculation and a run on sentence.

@n.m.dimmick194

6 жыл бұрын

That makes a fair bit of sense, particularly given that I hear upspeak all the time in students. If they hear it modeled so often, they will be that much more likely to subconsciously imitate it.

@ThePigskincop

5 жыл бұрын

OMG! That’s totally spot on. This is where it all has started!

@luisnunes3758

5 жыл бұрын

You got a point here

I have been saying this exact same thing for years!! Listening and talking to students a little bit before a lesson tells me everything I need to know and what I will hear. They think us teachers are psychic when we tell them all these emotions and even desires that are coming through their voices- but we’re not. People just aren’t tapped in. You’re totally correct. The voice is where everything gets stuck! Thanks for this!!

Upspeak spoken in a nasal high pitched audio frequency gives off the impression of a emergency siren responding to a distressed call.

@redwarrior2424

7 күн бұрын

😂

Hi Amy, it's Aimee in Washington DC! I absolutely love listening to you for so many reasons! You are clearly so full of energy and creativity! I love it that you are talking about "how people talk" these days because I hear these relatively recent trends in American people's speech, particularly my young children who appear to be absorbing so much from adults and children at their school. Up speak is a great term for what it describes, and I hear my 12 yr old son doing it a lot. My husband and I are a couple of snooty ol' grammar and speech snobs so we cringe at what we hear happening in our 3 kids' speech. We stop them when they say "like" and when they respond with the monotone and flat, "good" when asked "how are you." I grew up in North Florida, spent my adolescence studying French and plotting my escape, ended up with a French and English degree from a university in Scotland and married a Jamaican American (whom I met in Scotland!...oh and he specialized in Arabic...) so you get the idea that language, pronunciation, various Englishes are a big part of everyday life at our house. But the phenomena you describe are fascinating. Also, I have noticed my eldest son seems to have inherited a smoky, scratchy tone of voice, not from us but from a teenage girl who rides in our carpool!!. It's bizarre and I don't know how to help him get a clear voice back! He is super musical so I am especially sorry for his singing tone to suffer. Ach well, hope this reaches you, such a lovely lass you are! Absolutely sparkly! Aimee

this is staring me squarely in the face right now. I don't know how i never really thought about it, yet it resonated completely. thank you, lovely!

That was very insightful, it's crazy how many influences and variables go into creating things such as vocal fry.

The female nasal-vocal-fry is the worse.

@eolandeeliva8655

5 жыл бұрын

I'd agree..As a non American, watching US TV reality shows, I'm finding that nasal tone is increasingly evident. And it really grates on the ear!

@dibrentley7915

5 жыл бұрын

I saw a video where this university professor, he was young, had the WORST vocal fry. Seriously he had nothing going for him. There was no power in his voice, he had no presence in him if that makes sense. He could have been a pathetic shadow. How he managed to get a gf is beyond me. She must have liked weak unassuming males who were useless. But yeah you could tell they belonged to the cult of socialism.

@Jolenesmart1980

4 жыл бұрын

Omg what's that?? Send me a link so i can get evwn more pissed off lol

@omlove3206

4 жыл бұрын

@@eolandeeliva8655 Mine too and Im an American Female!

@tooterooterville

3 жыл бұрын

You'll love listening to Kamala Harris!

When you do (marvelously) that squeezed, pinched, sandpaper-like "Oh my gosh I am so excited right now", what I hear (as I hear it endlessly in the prevailing culture) is not a person living but a person trying to gauge, against the reflecting screen of others' perceptions, whether she is living. It is life at one step removed. If it makes better sense of what I'm saying, I commented to someone the other day that Americans don't laugh, rather they advertise that they're laughing. There is this ghastly component present in so much of American life (speech, emotion, moral choices, most fundamental interpersonal moments) that comes across as bad acting, as a desperate pursuit to "experience" it all just like it "really" happens in a movie. Canned, awkward, clumsily self-conscious and self-absorbed...and full of fear. I do not believe I am overstating the case, or "stretching" to connect the profounder issues of cultural psychology with the speech "quirks" you have addressed here. You have, after all, more than indicated your own gut feeling that these things go down to deep things of the psyche.

@lifewhyz

5 жыл бұрын

_Very_ well-spoken. Absolutely spot on! I agree, whole-heartedly. * insert obligatory laughter *

@westelaudio943

5 жыл бұрын

Ohhh my gooooosh I'm like, soooo exciteeeed? Right nooow?

@perceivingacting

5 жыл бұрын

Do you know about the NPC meme...that's the fry-user.

@westelaudio943

5 жыл бұрын

@@perceivingacting #literallyshaking

@demounit2505

5 жыл бұрын

I play a person in real life.... where did I put that script again.... okay, put up the "applause" sign

Excellent analysis! The way you mixed the examples with the explanations was brilliant. And what a perfect singing voice too, wow!!!

Your voice soothes me I love it

@J0eyG23

8 жыл бұрын

+chance1201 You're probably experiencing ASMR

@quantumwaves447

8 жыл бұрын

+Amy Walker Notice how the effect would have been different if I interchanged the fresh and stale.

@brooke1639

7 жыл бұрын

Quantum Waves LMAO.....best random comment :)

Amy, I could not agree with you more. I am a singer songwriter who has struggled with vocal nodules for almost 8 years now - my entire career. As I began to heal my voice it brought so much to the surface in my life that needed to heal first. I realized the way I used my voice was a direct response to the wounds of my soul. I needed to overcome fear and anxiety and grieve my past before I could correctly use my voice. Now that I am claiming my identity as a free daughter in Christ, the anxiety doesn't control me, I'm learning to be armed with my vulnerabilities instead of fear them, and my voice is healing and becoming more free! Amen. Thanks for sharing Amy!

my gosh what a woman.

I just LOVE your examples! They put a smile on my face. 😊

Wow! Very impressed! In my "youth" I had a bit of an upspeak challenge and one of my acting professor suggested I imagine going down stairs/steps with every word. Never a problem since that mental visualization. I like how you described these vocal problems as "trends". How very, very true!

This is so interesting! I totally agree with you and love hearing theories like this. People often tell me my voice is quite "melodious" as in it travels quite naturally with my expression. But it's weird because it comes so naturally to me, and I often can instinctually sense that people are avoiding emotion when they go to that monotone place, espedially when talking about something personal. I think I might do it too during those times. I think we are afraid of showing emotion and being vulnerable.. because to show that something affects you is to show that you are fallible, imperfect, human-something that expected of us less and less in society.

Wow. This might be the most important video I’ve watched in 10 years. Thank you

Finally! Someone who can explain to me how is up talk, vocal fry actually without actually talking like they were. In this vid you were explaining. Thank you so much Amy.. I'm going to subscribe to your content because yup, I loved that soprano voice of yours. Definitely smelling a good vibes here! Yeayyyyy

As for lowering the vocal range, Bacall and Garbo did it without fry.

@t1glistenerelf

7 жыл бұрын

Margaret Thatcher did as well. Apparently, she was coached on that, and she could pull it off without fry as well.

@excellinkus

6 жыл бұрын

Because they smoked 50 cigarettes a day.

@nickgood8166

6 жыл бұрын

So did Lady Thatcher.

@Arthur_McGowan

6 жыл бұрын

So did Margaret Thatcher.

@antiquesrestoration3874

6 жыл бұрын

LOL!

Upspeak and vocal fry are both symptoms of the speaker seeking validation from the listener/receiver, it's partly linked to body language. The speaker is dropping vocal clues and wil be scanning the receiver looking for visual clues to validate the speech, thus validating the person. The listener/receiver is expected to nod or shake their head in the correct places in response to the yes/no querying upspeak. The vocal fry indicates a patheticness - it's the tone children use when they feign illness - I think this is the speaker indicating that they are not a threat, and is symptomatic of the modern orthodox PC culture. The vocal fry denotes a submissive vocal posture, and is likely to be used by those who are also heavy users of social media and use and follow all the popular mainstream memes.

@Iquey

5 жыл бұрын

You went so deep there you took the conversation into a 6 ft hole. Idk if vocal fry is a huge problem unless you use it so much that it comes off as fake. But you gotta bring the words up into your throat and nose to make that noise so for me, vocal fry is like the verbal equivalent of rubbing your nose into a part of a conversation, like you agree with something so much you're willing to get sickened by it. "Oh my gosh I leeerrrrve theeeese pahncaeeeeks" is a jokingly over the top way to say "Oh my gosh I love these pancakes."

I agree with you on that Amy. I sung for years in Santo Daime church where you certainly feel a lot of emotion and i became a natural self taught opera diva there. Thats where i discovered the connection between the voice modulation and emotion and the healing processes it involves. Really important to have access to a whole range and not get stuck in one register. Brilliant vid, thank you 😊

This is fascinating! After I studied abroad in Australia ( and the same thing seemed to happen with my twin sister when she went) I noticed I would up speak. It was something that I never really had a clear definition of until now so thank you! I prefer my own natural voice with the variation in melody and I completely agree that it, for me, had something to with some personal insecurities. My husband was the first person that pointed it out to me and as I've grown in confidence as a person, I've made a conscious effort to focus on up speaking without the up speak as it just sounds so much better! :)

I stumbled upon this researching vocal fry. She spoke about “Fresh Air,” my favorite podcast! I really enjoyed watching this woman. She is so entertaining... A true entertainer and a one woman show.

The natural voice is way more engaging. And it is also powerful. Immediately impressive and classy.

Amy, thank you putting into words some of the thoughts I - and no doubt a lot of the world - have on this issue! Such a brilliant response.

You hit the nail on the head, with both the upspeak and vocal fry - I'm glad to see there are several videos that are talking about it and yours was so detailed and fun to watch :D By the way the very ending about us all being connected was beautiful :)

you're getting things backwards I think. It's not that these people have these emotions so they speak that way. It's more like, they speak that way because they want to be seen as having those emotions. It's a fake, superficial way of speaking. The Vocal fry is trying to show some kind of, Too cool for the room" kind of thing. It's trying to show how tired and boring you find everything.

@MegaJellyNelly

6 жыл бұрын

No i don't think so, As a guy with a very monotone voice I would love to show more emotion sometimes, but I just cant bring myself to change pitch greatly. I guess I'm not used to it, you could say I'm scared to raise my pitch sometimes! Society raised men to not show emotions so its hard to get out of it unconsciously

@DollfaceKim

5 жыл бұрын

True!

@teresas8173

5 жыл бұрын

Like Kim Kardashian does. She always sounds annoyed, bored, above it all.

@francescoromito198

5 жыл бұрын

Good point! Like the serious selfie people like to take to themselves or the sad expressions the models show. What’s going on here? Contemporary depression?

@dibrentley7915

5 жыл бұрын

@@francescoromito198 socialism.

LOVE your insights Amy. I thoroughly enjoy hearing you speak your enthusiastic mind.

I'm in a biz where we make client presentations all the time. I have an art director who does boffo work, but presenting is excruciating for her and to everyone else in the room. I recommended your channel to her and she has learned so much from it.

I also listen to the NPR show on vocal fry and up speak. It's what brought me here. Glad you mentioned it.

Wow, this is super fascinating!! I just very recently listened to a tape of myself speaking and was... shocked, frankly at how dumb I sound! I am a very intelligent woman with my Bachelor's and Masters degree. I am very skilled linguistically when it comes to reading and writing, but I'm realizing I might not be so good at talking! My speech is riddled with "ums," "likes," "you know," up-speak and almost constant vocal fry. I sometimes feel frustrated that I'm not taken more seriously in the world, but it painfully makes sense when I listen to a recording of myself speak. I have recently been trying to work more on my voice, and everything you said really resonated. I am curious though, because apparently I did not speak until around age 3 (about two years later than most children) yet could read at age 4, (about two years earlier than most children). I also had a speech impediment as a child so I do wonder if perhaps language is simply wired into my brain in more of a visual context vs. oral/ auditory, or if I may have some sort of language development issue. In any case, I will work on practicing "voicing" different emotions and notice what that brings up for me. Great video, thank you for sharing your opinion, (you are also gorgeous, by the way. The red hair/ blue eye combo is stunning!) :)

@sociallyenginerd8846

6 жыл бұрын

There are intelligent people without degrees, but getting certain degrees requires a certain level of intelligence (unless you're rich).

@xcell8638

5 жыл бұрын

We tend to be critical when hearing our own voice, but there is a lot of our psychology connected to our voice. I perhaps had a similar experience to yourself and decided to take elocution/speaking lessons. A lot of work but I found it very useful and good medicine.

@leannemo7382

5 жыл бұрын

​@Jay DiNitto > Nothing? Your response is more emotional than logical. You probably mean that intelligent people exist without college degrees, which is very true. However, a college degree - especially one earned by a strong student (cum laude or higher with grades) is revered and expected by many professions and businesses as *proof of a certain knowledge-base and expected level of competence that would not exist without specific education* - prestigious university degrees are even more coveted due to top students and difficulty of coursework. You wouldn't want a surgeon to operate on you without a degree and experience, would you? Also, proof of learning for specialties like automotive, carpentry, culinary arts, etc. are also important to certain employers, while experience from other jobs and internship is a bonus (or "foot in the door"). However, plenty of intelligent people don't go on to college/university or for training/certification, but those that successfully earn a degree/cert. (especially with great grades/GPAs) can generally expect a higher entry-level income. Without my degree in the 90s, I wouldn't have gotten my first position for 50K a year (2 weeks after graduation) which was a lot back then. I soon became six-figure (hard work), but the dot-com era was a plentiful time; that type of rapid rise would be more challenging nowadays, but still available. Nevertheless, *while many intelligent people do not earn degrees, it's more likely that unintelligent people do not earn one.* For example, while billionaire Bill Gates of Microsoft never earned a college degree, neither did Kim Kardashian...but one of them is much more intelligent. I hope this makes sense. :)

@brandijade2910

5 жыл бұрын

I feel the same. I don’t know why I speak in vocal fry or use “like” as a filler and I honestly don’t know how to stop at this point.😅

@jaymes8132

5 жыл бұрын

A very elaborate way to confess the discomfort associated with the fear that you may, in fact, be dumb. I'm not saying you are, but I am saying that I'm skeptical of anyone who self proclaims to be anything. Actions matter more. Another red flag is you aren't giving an example of WHAT you said that people have supposedly not taken seriously. There's too much focus on the color, presentation, dare I say manipulative aspect, and not enough on substance. That could be the source of the problem. that's just my impression. It could be that the people around you have similar impressions, but are either not articulate or brutally honest enough to tell you. Tl;DR: Focus more on what's being said. The confidence will follow substance. Not the other way around.

Brilliant analysis! I love this video and have had to show it to others...they also agree...brilliant!

It was awesome that you recognize that you sometimes have a little rumble at the end of your sentences. That is totally natural. But when it happens all the time like some reality stars do, it doesn't seem natural. Great vid btw

Amazing content. I found your thoughts compelling, and enlightening. Thank you for sharing.

honestly, after watching this i feel so freed up! like i am excited to speak higher and to express those emotions!! so interesting, thankyou.

YES~! finally someone who "gets it" that is exactly why music (esp singing!) is sooo desperately needed in live .. often ppl say - i cant live without music, but they seem not to really be able to word why well THIS IS WHY! because, we need to get the tones out to deal with things this is why we can not live without music :D imho

@Dottie1975

8 жыл бұрын

well we could , but we would go a little nutty or depressed :) (NOT saying music will cure OR prevent all, but it will help)

@louisemathews3759

Жыл бұрын

I've noticed that people can't sing any more. Happy Birthday in restaurants is excruciating to this diner who is a musician. We no longer sing the National Anthem in public events (Because it's "too hard?") and instead listen to someone who can't sing butcher it with melismas.

A bumper sticker from this talk that NEEDS to happen: OPERA HAPPENS. :) Seriously, on the theme here- opera happens because it is how we keep all the emotional and auditory 'colors' alive and well and brought to bear on the astronomy of reality and experience. Another idea I appreciate here is the way fry can reflect suppression. Looking back on growing up in Southern California, I have often mentioned to people that the dude speak that seems to flatten all inflection is a sad reflection of something to me. On the other end of the spectrum is the appreciation of an English person really pronouncing all the syllables and all the accents of a word. I grew up in that flattened world and definitely know that it was oppressive and led me to suppress the fuller range of my natural emotional and vocal expressions. Thank you Amy for the video!

I have watched so many videos on vocal fry; it fascinates me yet annoys the hell out of me. Anyway, this video is THEE best video on vocal fry on KZread. I love how you conveyed your points. Incredibly engaging and fun to watch. x

What's really bad too is when people say 'like' all the time.

YES! So true, I've been waiting for someone to actually break down how these ways of "speaking" work.

this is so spot on, thank you for bringing this to awareness :)

This is the first video I watched from you, Amy. You are sparkling!

I couldn't agree more with the things you said in this video. I'm an actress, do hosting work as well as v.o. and I notice that I switch back and forth between using my full vocal range when "on set" working on projects to "up speaking" when off set. It's a very interesting thing. I worked with a Canadian company for close to 1/2 of my 20's and certainly developed that up speak habit. I can certainly agree that when you use your full range given, you begin to reveal things about yourself. You emote. lol Vocal fry is possible the worst speech habit I've ever heard and thank goodness I did not adopt that one as well. I appreciate your videos and look forward to exploring voice and language more.

@u235u235u235

8 жыл бұрын

+Amy Walker bullshit response there.

Upspeak sounds like the person delivering it is constantly asking you a question

I'm starting to see that you're some kind of genius. You demonstrate in detail; why - not just how - certain sounds are typically made by people - that, as observations of human nature, are really just brilliant. You go beyond what speech therapists will do, inthat you take the Actor's approach to WHY - leading to how, a person ends up sounding a certain way. At 6:25 you do full vocal fry; "Omg, I'm sooo excited right now, can you hear how friggin' excited I am right now?" - your take on it is just deadly. Now you got me doing it - in deadly accurate fashion, because now I know exactly why, not just how. Now I can remember anyone I've ever heard say 'oh my god' - ad nauseum in full vocal fry. The 'Upspeaks' - I'm gonna call them now - thanks to you, are also more clear to me. I'm always a little leary of them, because if they're unsure.... of what they really mean.... or when they're finished talking..then you can't be sure of them either... ...why am I putting all these dots here?... Now you got me sounding out these personality types with some comprehension of why they do it - brilliant deconstruction work you do, on every nuance. Your fascination with these observations makes me in turn, fascinated also. Also, I was never aware of the diphthong effect in many words, influenced by and depending on, the following consonants in each case. I knew I was catching something, but couldn't put a finger on what I was hearing, just aware that something was getting my attention. You have dissected these everyday speech traits that have been a bit harder to detect - but not anymore! From now on, they will always be glaringly obvious to me, now that I know what to listen for - and more importantly, watch for. Once I've heard it, I'll never un-hear it. Great tutorials!

Wonderful video. Very thought provoking. I got very small nodes about 8 years ago. I'm a singer, so this was very scary. I took speech therapy for a long time and they are gone and have never been back because now I know how to speak and how to take care of myself. It is scary though. It is interesting about pitch getting lower as time goes on. I think that is very true. Great video!

Vocal fry makes you sound like a Dalek in Dr Who 😋

@Oakleaf700

5 жыл бұрын

EXXXXTERMINATE!

Thanks Amy Walker, your thoughts on this subject are very insightful. I like your vibe!

Thank you for an excellent detailed explanation of this phenomenon. I enjoyed it!

Hi Amy, I haven't read below, but I'm sure there are many people who have related with your theory. I do 100%. I have worked as a choir teacher for the past 6 years or so and, after my own run in with stuffing emotions throughout collage, vocal fatigue in my first years of teaching and eventual development of nodules from the stress of that job, I can see how much suppressing my stress and depression (it sucks when it hurts to talk) during those times was totally reflected in my instrument. Post surgery and vocal rehab, I am feeling a lot better, but still feel like I have a lot of work to do with speaking my truth and expressing my authentic self. And the cool thing is that my voice is a total barometer of how I am growing in these departments-- my range widens, my color brightens, and my vibrato is much freer. I see the same trend in my kids--I have had students tear up during voice placement testing when we sing higher. I think singing in front of people is one of the most vulnerable things we can do. And hearing your ideas on this has really helped me to understand my own and I think will help me further develop how I approach my new/scared/blooming singers. Thank you and vibes to you!

Amy, I think you're spot on. I think it's interesting that when these are pointed out, the people rarely realize they'd been doing it. It's not going away anytime soon, so I accept it, but I think there will be more damage and less expression. What's really sad to me is that I do believe there's a huge societal component telling women that they should not sound authoritative and confident, and certainly shouldn't sound emotional. Sigh. Maybe as an antidote a woman somewhere will do the Gettysburg Address or FDR's "We have nothing to fear but fear itself..." in creaky voice AND upspeak. I think that would put me on the floor if I heard it. :)

This is deep. Thank you for these insights.. you hit some nails here.💡

Wow, You just blew my mind! I have always struggled with, what I have just learned is vocal fry, my whole life. I never thought of emotions connecting to it, but you really struck a deep cord with me when you said that. I loved this video and it now has me searching all over to figure out how to heal to speak those other ranges. Do you have any advice as to How I can learn how to heal and speak in the Modal tone range?! Thank you for making this video, You may have just changed a big piece of my life.

Wow, great observation! The vocal fry is a suppressioon of our emotions to form a protective shell of apathy and boredom. I guess it's is a result of the anxiety sharing your space with a bunch of strangers in a big city (the death of community) and the glorification of stupidity and vapidness in the media.

Wow this is so insightful! And I love your voice. I wish I could speak differently, I tend to vary between upspeak and a kind of nasal, no-range (monotone 😰 voice). How can I fix it? Thank you for this video!

I noticed this lowering of our voices by examining the way my grandmother speaks and sings (just as you mentioned!). She sings with an incredible lilt that is reminiscent of Judy Garland or any other 30s-40s actress/singer. I always wondered why she sang so high!

I lobve it, Amy, when you dive into thé topics of linguistics!:) More of this please!

This was amazing. Thank you! Gah I wish I was taking your classes.

super interesting video! This makes me think of the speed of my sentences rather than the vocal range of them, since my anxiety sometimes causes me to speak faster and less audibly

Seven years later I"m still watching this. Would love to see an expansion on what you mean by 'gaps'.

That was a fascinating video. Your observation skills are magnificent. Vibes to you.

Thank you for explaining it so clearly . Your explanation is very logical.

Amy, this was very insightful! You’re the best 😍

Very good. Fun to watch and listen to.

Love uuuuuuu amy, been following your videos for years but I finally subbed - this vid was suggested after a recent wired video on upspeak/vocal fry!! Queen of Vocal Fry is Raven from Teen Titans

Interesting! I was listening to that interview live on NPR when I was driving.

+Amy Walker you are a straight up GENIUS please keep sharing your thoughts and views on linguistics, accents and culture - love it!!!

Amy, your videos are unique and fascinating. Thanks so much.

Very eloquently put, I've noticed the 'creaky voices'; thought every woman had a cold :-)

Wow. As a singer this really spoke to me and I'm dictating right now and listening to my tone inflection. And it is pretty monotone and low. Thank God I don't have the exceedingly annoying vocal fry. Except when I sing Rock, LOL. But I do want to get into the beautiful places of my voice and am definitely afraid. I don't know when I became afraid but I know I am a mezzo-soprano and can hit high notes because I did used to hit much higher notes than I do now but a lot has happened in my life that has affected me emotionally. This came along right at the right time because I have turned that corner and now I want to hear more so I subscribed to you!

This is very interesting! I like the way you are paying attention to details of speech. I also do that, but I mostly concentrate on the words and phrases people use rather than attributes of the sound such as pitch and "fry". I do notice upspeak and find it annoying when it occurs over and over.

I've never seen your videos and I stumbled across this one and the first thing I thought when the video started was "Wow!! She's absolutely gorgeous!"

I love this video You are so smart and have a great way of presenting your opinion on this topic. At the risk of being g shallow you are also one of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen Thank you for sharing all this

This is a truly insightful video. Excellent.

Totaly agree what you have said my personal experience whenever I try to sing my tears come naturally

Love the vid! I found it very useful and interesting! 😊

I work with male and female clients. Males definitely "lock" their voices into their throats and create fry - also because men tend to lower the pitch of their voices below their optimum pitch. Keeping the voice locked in a tense throat is one of the most common characteristics I see in my clients (from pre-K to 60+) and certainly has a lot to do with surpassing emotional expression or lacking the skills to use the supported tones and music of their voice

I live in Brazil, and Upspeak is something I noticed happened alot in english that I cant translate to Portuguese. . . But it is a form of expression meaning uncertanty, and its nice to have different ways of showing things without having to explain everything

Brilliantly stated. Thank you!

Hi, I researching about the genuine voice to communicate, yours feel natural even so human. I now your follower, I want to leran from your style, thanks Alex you rocks

excellent explanation and demonstration!!

I love your voice, Amy.

You're so wise and inspiring! :)

Bloody brilliant! Fantastic! Wonderful! I love it. I love you. This is great. Thank you.

@rand0m0mg

7 жыл бұрын

I agree and i literally said "Oh my god" to myself at 3:25

I tend to view upspeak as this girlish excitement and wonder, tempered by fry so we don't sound insane LOL