Welcome to Your Free Voice Episode 51!

A couple of years ago I had the great pleasure of being approached by a young award winning documentary film maker called Colette Ghunim. She was recording voiceover for her latest film Traces of Home and was looking for some voice coaching. I helped her with that, but also we dove into the subject matter of her film, and how to process generational trauma through shadow work, how to manage vocal stress during protest marches, and how to not lose your voice during a gruelling film circuit.

She is one of the most courageous, generous, heart filled and joyful people I have ever had the privilege to get to know and I really hope you enjoy this interview.

BIO

As a documentary filmmaker and nonprofit co-founder, Colette Ghunim’s soul purpose is to use the power of film and storytelling for those oppressed around the world to be seen, to be heard, and to heal. Her first documentary, The People’s Girls (2016), received over 2 million views and won Best Short Documentary at the Arab Film Festival for its bold spotlight on street harassment in Egypt. In co-production with Kartemquin Films and funded by Latino Public Broadcasting, she is directing Traces of Home, her first feature-length film documenting her inner quest to find home through unearthing her parent’s forced migrations from Mexico and Palestine. Colette is also the co-founder of Mezcla Media Collective, a nonprofit organization aimed to cultivate a thriving landscape for over 700 women and non-binary filmmakers of color in Chicago. Her work has been highlighted on international outlets such as Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, Univision, and TEDx. Colette was selected as a 2023 Obama Foundation USA Leader, 2024 Sundance Institute x ISF Fellow, and was featured on Arab America’s “30 Under 30” list.

When we recorded this interview it was only a few days after bombing resumed in Gaza. . I deleted the first 15 minutes of our conversation because it was too tender to share here, but we cried together and laughed together and then got back to the work of sharing stories together. As Colette so beautifully puts it in this episode our job is Radical Love …and also action.

Thank you so much for listening!

Here is where to find Colette and how to support her storytelling mission.

www.tracesofhome.com

www.coletteghunim.com

@cocos.sanctuary

@tracesofhome

Here is how you can support her efforts to finish the film Traces of Home

please reach out to Colette if you have connections to film festivals or colleges or universities where she might be able to share the film and speak about the journey.

Finally, if you are interested in the visualization she did with me about finding your true self behind the wall, you can get that here.

Please share this episode far and wide and help Colette bring her message of hope and healing to as many people as possible.

Hello,

Welcome to episode 50 of Your Free Voice!

I can hardly believe we're here, but we are. Thank you so much for listening ❤️

In this episode I wanted to revisit what it means to have a FREE Voice and I listened back to my first episode and thought, yeah, I'm gonna share that again. There's a chance you weren't here at the beginning or you didn't hear all the episodes anyway, and I think it clarifies my purpose somewhat so here you go. You might even get something new out of it listening again. I'd love to hear from you if you did. :)

Oh, and before I forget here's the link to my small coaching group for public speaking skills called From Stage Fright to Spotlight. It's a very small group with limited places available so jump in if you're interested. From Stage Fright to Spotlight.

Episode 50

In this episode, we're going to consider the notion of what IS a FREE voice?

It has all kinds of connotations from the metaphorical to the literal, and we can look at it in terms of the mechanics of the voice, and we can look at it in terms of how much we feel able to speak our truth.

“Physical awareness and relaxation are the first steps in the work to be done on the voice. The mind and body must learn to cooperate in activating and releasing inner impulses and dissolving physical inhibitions. Actors must develop bodies that are sensitive and integrated rather than super controlled and muscular. They must educate the voice into the union of self and body. The voice communicates the inner world of the psyche to the outer world of attentive listeners, both on the stage and in life."

Kristin Linklater - Freeing the Natural Voice

In order to have a fully 'free' voice, and by that I'm going to say, a voice that is unencumbered by physical tension, doesn't fatigue easily, recovers quickly from hard effort... to have a 'free' voice you need to take into account the spiritual, the psychological and the physical.

So in this podcast, I'm going attempt to bring those different approches together.

I'm going to invite some super people on, to talk more about areas of vocal expression that they're passionate about, and give you lots of actionable steps to try along the way, from meditations to journalling prompts, vocal exercises and re-imagining of old stories. I'm so glad you're here with me.

Episode One: Journaling Prompts

1. How do you feel about speaking up or singing in public?

2. How easy is it for you to 'color outside of the lines' when you use your voice?

3. How does your voice feel after extended use?

4. If you could do anything with your voice, what would it be?

5. What do you think is stopping you from doing that right now?

Also, if you're interested here is the link to the IAVMT

In this episode I’m talking with actor and voice coach Sarah Weatherwax about her journey as a Linklater teacher. It’s hard to move in the realm of voice work without coming across the legacy of Kristin Linklater’s work. I know it was threaded quite purposefully through my training as a Voice Movement Therapist.

Kristin’s influence as an actor and a voice coach can’t be underestimated and I recommend everyone who is interested in the foundations of vocal freedom, gets themselves a copy of her book Freeing the Natural Voice. Although she passed away in 2020, her legacy continues through a global network of designated voice teachers, like my very special guest today.

Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater

and all Sarah's links can be found here https://linktr.ee/sarahweatherwax

Also in you are in the Toronto area...

📆 please be sure to check out Sarah's upcoming in person intensive workshop in Toronto from May 20 to Fri. May 23, 10am to 5pm, in downtown Toronto.

🎤 If you would like to join me for my upcoming online class on freeing your singing voice, all those details can be found here Permission to Sing - combining Shadow Work, Voice Movement Therapy and practical voice technique to set your voice free!