Carole Wells – Take two

This is a 1966 Lydia Lane article. Enjoy!

“My main problem has been to lower my voice,” Carole Wells revealed, explaining that being a lyric coloratura her speaking tones were too high. “But any girl who is willing to work can have a melodious voice, provided she knows what ta do.” Carole’s study plan begins with learning how to breathe from the diaphragm. “I think an easy way to perfect this is to lie down, put a heavy book on your diaphragm and place your breath so that when you inhale and exhale the book goes up and down.

“Once your breath is placed correctly, try to control it. Stand or sit so that your head is high and your chest up. Inhale softly and exhale slowly with a hissing sound, then alternate with a soft hiss and a loud one. Knowing how to use your breath makes it possible to have your words float out instead of being trapped in your throat. “Once you have learned diaphragm breathing and how to control your flow of breath, you are on your way to having a pleasant voice. “The last step is to perfect your diction and the clarity of vour speech. This can be done by reading aloud and paying great attention to sounding your consonants and making your vowels full. “Don’t underestimate the importance of your speaking voice,” Carole warns. ‘A recent report showed that in many broken homes the husband had found his wife voice irritating.”