If you’ve ever been told, “I can’t hear you,” or you end the day with a sore throat after trial, this episode is for you. Kristi breaks down why vocal power is not about shouting—it’s about breath, resonance, and presence. You’ll learn how to project your voice so it carries clearly across the courtroom, without effort, without strain, and without sacrificing authority.

LISTEN HERE...

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why “not being loud enough” is often a breath or resonance problem—not a personality trait

2. How to use your diaphragm to fuel your voice efficiently

3. The difference between a warm, round tone and forward-focused resonance (and why one travels better)

4. How volume dynamics create emotional impact with jurors

5. Three quick self-checks to improve your courtroom audibility instantly

Key Takeaway:

Vocal power isn’t about force—it’s about freedom. When your breath is low and supported, and your sound is bright and forward, your voice carries naturally and commands attention without strain.

Favorite Moment:

“You can sound louder by getting brighter—not by pushing harder.”

Links & Resources:

1. 🎁 Free PDF: The Top 20 Legal Terms to Avoid — https://www.fostervoicestudio.com/top20

2. 🎧 Related Episode: FYV #15 - The 5 Building Blocks: Volume

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TRANSCRIPT:

(singing) Hellloooo! Hello Foster Fam! Welcome back to the Foster Your Voice Podcast. I'm your host Kristi Foster.

Just a quick reminder that if you've been listening each week and have found some value in the things we're discussing, please leave a 5-star rating AND, if you're listening on the Apple Podcast app, you can even leave a written review.

@missmellicooks just wrote:

Not Just for Trial Lawyers! I'm using the tips on slowing down fast talking with a high school friend acting in our VBS skits at church! And I'm using a variety of ideas in my cooking classes as well! Kristi's well thought out ideas and fun presentation make listening a joy. And after this week's tip, i'm humming in lot of my margins/transitions!!!

Thank you so much Mellie for that review. And, you're right...even though I'm podcasting with civil plaintiff attorneys in mind, good communication is good communication and will apply across all disciplines and audiences, so I'm DELIGHTED that you're finding really practical application for your activities and using my tips to even help others improve THEIR communication. I LOVE IT!!!

(swoosh)

Before we get into the topic du jour, all about how to increase your dynamic range, I first want to just discuss one of my favorite things about summer. Now, summer is starting to feel like it's wrapping up—kids are already heading back to school in some parts of the country (which is WILD, and just seems unfair), and as I'm recording this it's overcast and rainy outside which feels more like fall.

But summer for me always means blockbuster movies! Do you still ACTUALLY GO to the movies? You know, we all have so many streaming services these days, and, honestly...movies have gotten spendy. AND I just love the convenience of being home, I'm kind of a homebody. I like being in my comfies, with my dinner, being able to pause to go to the bathroom or refill my waterbottle without missing anything.

BUT...SOME movies I just want to experience "on the big screen." There are just some that you know you need to see as part of a whole EXPERIENCE.

For me, this summer it was the new Jurassic movie and the F1 Movie. Did you see those in the theater?

What stood out to me, for the first time, on BOTH of them was the storytelling formulas they used. I just kind of saw them, or took them in, thru a different lens. Have I gotten TOO analytical as I age? Normally I just have total suspension of disbelief and completely enter into the story without analyzing anything. So, i'm not sure what made these two different for me.

I'm not saying that using formulas is bad. In fact, the opposite. Our brains are pattern-seekers and they LOVE the dopamine rush that comes with the big emotional payoff when the formula comes to fulfillment. I think the formulaic structure is a benchmark of "the summer blockbuster." I think that's WHY we love them. I just didn't recognize it until now. haha!

What have been some of your favorite summer movies that you just HAD to see on the big screen, with a bucket of popcorn and surround sound? AND, can you see some patterns in the storytelling that MADE them your favorite? Drop me a line and let me know. Email me at [email protected]

—BREAK—

Today, I want to talk about something I hear a lot from my trial attorney clients. Maybe it’s something you’ve said—or muttered under your breath—after being asked to repeat yourself for the third time in court. Or, even outside of court, some of you experience this.

“I just don’t think people can hear me.”

Or…

“I’m not loud enough.”

Or maybe, “The court reporter keeps missing what I’m saying.”

Sound familiar?

You are not alone. But here's the good news: this isn’t a personality problem. This is a mechanics problem. And that means—it can be fixed. You can train this part of your vocal production, just like so many other parts of your nonverbal communication. You're not stuck.

Today, we're going to break down what’s really going on when you’re not being heard in the courtroom. And, here's just a spoiler: it's not just about being loud. It’s about breath, tone, and presence. And when you get those aligned, you’ll find that your voice naturally fills the space—without effort, without strain, and without you having to shout to be taken seriously.

So, let’s start with the first issue I see often: breath support.

Now, I know you’ve heard me talk about this before, but it's worth repeating. Because when attorneys tell me they’re not being heard—or they feel like they’re working really hard to be heard—it almost always comes back to the breath.

Here’s what’s usually happening:

You’re breathing too high in your body. You’re pulling in a shallow breath into your chest, lifting your shoulders, and tightening up your neck and throat in the process. This kind of high breathing is inefficient; it doesn’t give you the fuel you need to support your voice.

And when the breath doesn’t support you, guess what has to do all the heavy lifting?

Your vocal cords.

Tiny, delicate muscles—about the size of your thumbnail—that were never meant to carry all that tension. When you try to project from the throat alone, you get vocal fatigue. You get tightness. You get strain.

So even if you’re technically breathing correctly…you may not be using that air to support your voice. You might be getting a low breath, but then you keep the breath trapped which forces the cords to push harder.

Again—this is fixable. But first you have to be aware it’s happening.

And this is why learning to initiate breath from your diaphragm is so critical. Using your abdominal muscles—four sets of big muscles instead of tiny thumbnail sized muscles—gives you vocal strength.

This type of breath not only gives you more air, it gives you efficient air. It allows the muscles around your voice to stay relaxed and free, while the breath does the work of powering your sound.

So that’s step one: breath that supports you. Learn to breathe better and learn to USE the breath efficiently.

Now let’s move to the second issue—and it’s one that surprises a lot of people.

Sometimes what you perceive as a volume problem is actually a resonance problem.

Here’s what I mean.

There are different ways your voice resonates—meaning, there are different spaces in your mouth and head where the sound can vibrate and amplify. A darker, rounder, warmer tone—what you might think of as more “professional” sounding—tends to sit farther back in the mouth. It can sound rich and pleasing up close… but the sound wave itself tends to disperse as it travels. That means the further it has to go, the weaker and less clear it becomes. It dissipates.

Now compare that to a voice with more forward placement—brighter, more focused. That kind of resonance feels like it’s sitting behind the front teeth, right in the “mask” of the face. And it creates a sound wave that cuts through space. It bounces off surfaces. It PINGS. It travels. And it lands with your listener.

So, this is the weird thing:

A voice with forward resonance can sound louder than a voice with more breath pressure but less focus.

Let me say that again for the folks in the back:

You can sound louder by getting brighter—not by pushing harder.

This is great news for those of you who are afraid that “projecting” means yelling or straining. It doesn’t. What it means is learning how to shape your tone and direct your sound with efficiency.

It means allowing the sound to ride on the breath like a wave—not be forced out like a blast.

And yes, there are exercises to help you find this resonance. But even just becoming aware that brightness and placement affect perception of volume is a huge shift. You’re not stuck with one sound. Your voice is a tool—and you can tune it.

Let’s pull these two ideas together: When you use effective breath paired with bright resonance, you get effortless power.

When you combine a low, supported breath with forward-focused resonance, your voice starts to carry with authority. You feel grounded. Clear. Energized—but not exhausted.

And here’s where we tie in expressiveness, because this is just as important.

Your volume shouldn’t just be a constant. If you want to really reach your jury—connect with them, move them, lead them—you have to be dynamic.

Raise your volume to express urgency or passion.

Lower it to create intimacy, or to invite their attention inward.

That creates emotional gravity—if your presence stays big. If you collapse your presence, then your softer volume is just embodied weakness.

Jurors need you to create vocal contrast with a strong presence. Contrast is what keeps listeners engaged.

Flat voices—no matter how correct or articulate—lose people.

But dynamic voices? They hook attention. They create emotional texture. They tantalize the ears.

So yes, you want to be heard. But you also want your words to be felt. And that’s where volume and breath and resonance all come together—not as a checklist, but as a living, breathing instrument of connection.

Let’s recap.

If people ask you to repeat yourself in court…

If your throat hurts at the end of the day…

If you feel like you're shouting but still not reaching the back row...

Check these three things:

1. Are you breathing low and fully—into your ribs and belly—not just your chest?

2. Are you using the breath to power your voice—or holding it and pushing from your throat?

3. Are you placing your sound forward—so it resonates and travels—or letting it sit too far back?

These are simple changes. But they can completely transform your presence in the courtroom—and protect your voice for the long haul.

And one more reminder:

Vocal power isn’t about force.

It’s about freedom.

When your voice is well-supported and well-shaped, it doesn’t have to shout to be heard.

It doesn’t have to strain to command attention.

It simply carries. Because it’s grounded. Bright. Aligned.

And most importantly? It reflects you. Calm. Confident. Clear.

Now, if this episode helped you think about your voice in a new way, would you do me a favor and share it with someone you think would benefit? Maybe another trial attorney, a colleague, who’s always hoarse after hearings.

And if you haven’t yet, leave a quick review! It really helps the show grow and helps others find their way to confident courtroom communication.

Until next time—breathe well, speak bright, and keep fostering your voice.