FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
How do you teach someone an accent?
I work outside in - the big broad things we all recognise first, and then get progressively more detailed. I begin with an overview of where the dialect comes from - the culture of its speakers. I then start to look at what most people might call the "music" of the accent (what linguists call "prosody") - the intonation, emphasis, rhythm, pace and that most elusive and subjective quality sometimes called "placement." These include the most obvious features - what we all consciously and unconsciously use to label someone as being from somewhere. For example, do they tend to go up at the ends of their sentences? Does it sound like they're talking louder / faster / breathier than other accents? Do they say all their R's or only some of them?
From there I delve into the more technical sound structure using the International Phonetic Alphabet or IPA (that's what you see next to words in most dictionaries) as a basis, but primarily focusing on your own individual concepts of sound. The secret to learning any accent is changing your thinking - seeing words as strings of sounds not groups of letters. SOUNDS, NOT SPELLING is something I say a lot.
Do I need to learn this Phonetic Alphabet to do accents? It looks complicated!
Certainly not. BUT it is a very useful tool to have a basic understanding of. Don't worry - that's what I'm here for! The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) has a distinct advantage over English spelling as it is an unambiguous way of recording sound. I think we can all agree that English spelling is not exactly straightforward. Just take a look at the ways the four letters "ough" are pronounced in these words:
I work outside in - the big broad things we all recognise first, and then get progressively more detailed. I begin with an overview of where the dialect comes from - the culture of its speakers. I then start to look at what most people might call the "music" of the accent (what linguists call "prosody") - the intonation, emphasis, rhythm, pace and that most elusive and subjective quality sometimes called "placement." These include the most obvious features - what we all consciously and unconsciously use to label someone as being from somewhere. For example, do they tend to go up at the ends of their sentences? Does it sound like they're talking louder / faster / breathier than other accents? Do they say all their R's or only some of them?
From there I delve into the more technical sound structure using the International Phonetic Alphabet or IPA (that's what you see next to words in most dictionaries) as a basis, but primarily focusing on your own individual concepts of sound. The secret to learning any accent is changing your thinking - seeing words as strings of sounds not groups of letters. SOUNDS, NOT SPELLING is something I say a lot.
Do I need to learn this Phonetic Alphabet to do accents? It looks complicated!
Certainly not. BUT it is a very useful tool to have a basic understanding of. Don't worry - that's what I'm here for! The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) has a distinct advantage over English spelling as it is an unambiguous way of recording sound. I think we can all agree that English spelling is not exactly straightforward. Just take a look at the ways the four letters "ough" are pronounced in these words:
As you can see, the Phonetic Alphabet (below the words) circumvents the problem of English spelling as it only deals with how words are actually pronounced. Some students find this invaluable, others find it confusing, overwhelming and ultimately unhelpful. This is absolutely fine! Once again, that's what I'm here for as your coach.
Ultimately, IPA represents the way of thinking I mentioned before - SOUNDS, NOT SPELLING. It also has varying levels of complexity, and we as performers (not phoneticians and dialectologists) do not need a lot of complexity! Once this becomes your way of thinking you will start to see (and HEAR) the underlying patterns, not just in accents, but in any language, and even in your own voice!
How many sessions will I need?
It depends entirely upon you. If you have an audition you are preparing for I recommend one to two sessions if time allows, although realistically there rarely is the time for this - in a single session I will focus on the script or scripts you have to prepare so you go into the casting room feeling secure and confident.
If you are looking to learn a new accent or develop your skills I recommend an initial session to ascertain where you are at and what areas need to be improved - and also to make sure we are a good fit as teacher and student!
For so-called Accent Reduction I recommend one to two initial sessions to lay the foundation, then giving you the time you need to absorb, listen and work yourself before checking in.
What accents do you teach?
In both theory and practise I teach any accent - if I haven't taught it before my job is to do the research and learn it myself so I can then teach you. While the bulk of my clients are seeking help with their So-Called General American accent, I have taught accents and dialects as diverse and specific as Irish (both Northern and Southern dialects), Liverpool, Chicago, New Zealand, Cornish, Czech, Pakistani (Sindhi), Dutch, and a small town in South-Western Pennsylvania. Just ask me!
Do you teach accents from the Global Majority?
This is a very important question and while it's not one I'm often asked, it is one I feel is crucial to address. As I have just said, it is my expertise and job to be able to teach any sounds, dialects and accents that may be required by my clients. However, the conversation in arts training and amongst voice and dialect teachers around the world is very much around whether or not I as a white Australian man, should be teaching certain dialects.
I will freely disclose that I have in the past taught accents such as Black South African English, Rwandan, and even AAE and MLE. The only reason I have done so in these cases is that the request was made by an established client who I knew trusted me, and that I always asked them the question of whether they would like me to find a coach appropriate to their needs, and ensuring they were truly comfortable with me being their coach in this instance. One reason that this is important to address is that until quite recently, the number of dialect coaches of colour / the Global Majority was very small. Thankfully this has begun to shift and I have a large network I am able to reach out to, should such a referral be requested.
In these rare cases I greatly adjust my style of teaching. Normally I will personally model the accent/dialect many times throughout a session. In these sessions I rely more on recordings of native speakers, and if I model anything it is isolated sounds rather than words or phrases. I also perform thorough research so I understand the context in which the speakers of such dialects live, survive, and tell their stories.
Can I do a half hour session?
Yes, but I must charge for the full hour. I also recommend taking a full hour as this way you get the most out of the session.
Can I record our session?
Absolutely! Many of my students record all or part of our sessions. I am happy to record specific sounds, or the lines you need to say in a script for you to work from. In fact for film work this is often the easiest way to give you something to work with as rehearsal time is usually limited.
I also may make use of current technologies and research into the use of audio recording as a teaching tool in our sessions.
Where do you teach?
I teach either online via Zoom (or similar platform), or face-to-face from my home in Sydney, New South Wales. I have local, interstate and international clients so am very flexible in terms of coaching media.
Do you teach children?
Yes, but any minor must be accompanied by an adult during our session. I have a valid Working With Children Check which I can provide on request.
Ultimately, IPA represents the way of thinking I mentioned before - SOUNDS, NOT SPELLING. It also has varying levels of complexity, and we as performers (not phoneticians and dialectologists) do not need a lot of complexity! Once this becomes your way of thinking you will start to see (and HEAR) the underlying patterns, not just in accents, but in any language, and even in your own voice!
How many sessions will I need?
It depends entirely upon you. If you have an audition you are preparing for I recommend one to two sessions if time allows, although realistically there rarely is the time for this - in a single session I will focus on the script or scripts you have to prepare so you go into the casting room feeling secure and confident.
If you are looking to learn a new accent or develop your skills I recommend an initial session to ascertain where you are at and what areas need to be improved - and also to make sure we are a good fit as teacher and student!
For so-called Accent Reduction I recommend one to two initial sessions to lay the foundation, then giving you the time you need to absorb, listen and work yourself before checking in.
What accents do you teach?
In both theory and practise I teach any accent - if I haven't taught it before my job is to do the research and learn it myself so I can then teach you. While the bulk of my clients are seeking help with their So-Called General American accent, I have taught accents and dialects as diverse and specific as Irish (both Northern and Southern dialects), Liverpool, Chicago, New Zealand, Cornish, Czech, Pakistani (Sindhi), Dutch, and a small town in South-Western Pennsylvania. Just ask me!
Do you teach accents from the Global Majority?
This is a very important question and while it's not one I'm often asked, it is one I feel is crucial to address. As I have just said, it is my expertise and job to be able to teach any sounds, dialects and accents that may be required by my clients. However, the conversation in arts training and amongst voice and dialect teachers around the world is very much around whether or not I as a white Australian man, should be teaching certain dialects.
I will freely disclose that I have in the past taught accents such as Black South African English, Rwandan, and even AAE and MLE. The only reason I have done so in these cases is that the request was made by an established client who I knew trusted me, and that I always asked them the question of whether they would like me to find a coach appropriate to their needs, and ensuring they were truly comfortable with me being their coach in this instance. One reason that this is important to address is that until quite recently, the number of dialect coaches of colour / the Global Majority was very small. Thankfully this has begun to shift and I have a large network I am able to reach out to, should such a referral be requested.
In these rare cases I greatly adjust my style of teaching. Normally I will personally model the accent/dialect many times throughout a session. In these sessions I rely more on recordings of native speakers, and if I model anything it is isolated sounds rather than words or phrases. I also perform thorough research so I understand the context in which the speakers of such dialects live, survive, and tell their stories.
Can I do a half hour session?
Yes, but I must charge for the full hour. I also recommend taking a full hour as this way you get the most out of the session.
Can I record our session?
Absolutely! Many of my students record all or part of our sessions. I am happy to record specific sounds, or the lines you need to say in a script for you to work from. In fact for film work this is often the easiest way to give you something to work with as rehearsal time is usually limited.
I also may make use of current technologies and research into the use of audio recording as a teaching tool in our sessions.
Where do you teach?
I teach either online via Zoom (or similar platform), or face-to-face from my home in Sydney, New South Wales. I have local, interstate and international clients so am very flexible in terms of coaching media.
Do you teach children?
Yes, but any minor must be accompanied by an adult during our session. I have a valid Working With Children Check which I can provide on request.
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