We’re wrapping up our 6 month season and taking a little break to circle the wagons and cook up an even better show for you! Jenny Walters is back and we’re talking about walking through your daily life and finding what is nourishing to you and what is depleting -- and as usual I want you to check in with your breath! The Somatic Experiencing autho…

Books: Actor-y An Actor Prepares (Stanislavski) - tried and true about how NOT to act in novel form The Second Circle (Rodenburg) - prior recommend - about acting, being present and harnessing your life-force for good! Acting In Film (Caine) - it’s a quick read and some if it seems a bit trickster-like, but it’s a unique point of view about film ac…

How a delightful dancer fromColumbia and a cunning production guy from Quebec created asuccessful multi-media entertainment company in LA. This is the story of Rene andDonald. Rene Veilleux and Donald Lopezare partners in business and in life. I went to their VeriteEntertainment offices in the heart of Koreatown to get to know themand what they do …

This week it’s me talking to you about your voice. I’ve been noticing people are paying more attention to the way people sound -- especially with the growing popularity of podcasts -- and there have been many studies done of late about how your voice affects both listener and consequently, you. I give you some homework at the end of the Ep to help …

This week Jenny Walters is back to help us break up the hard stones of self-criticism and just curious about our confusion. From the Wiki for Sankhara: The Buddha taught that all such things are impermanent (arising and passing away, subject to change), are essenceless (not worthy of reifying attachment or aversion), and are not reliable sources of…

This week it’s all about web series and all about winner for best supporting actress,Darcie Siciliano! We chat about her popular web series, He’s With Me (http://www.heswithme.tv/), and about how she learned to accept herself as one who does not fit in to typical “actress” molds, and how she got more comfortable about her own process. Links: He’s W…

In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with my pal Nancy Linari about voice-over and particularly the world of Audiobooks! Nancy began her career in Chicago with the famed improv comedy group, The Second City. She appeared in David Fincher’s Academy Award-winning The Social Network and Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center. Her numerous te…

Hey Easy Speakers, Some recommendations from today’s Good Friday hodge-podge-cast! Podcasts I like: http://offcamera.com/ http://www.wtfpod.com/ http://www.onbeing.org/ Book oriented podcasts I like: http://booksonthenightstand.com/ http://bookriot.com/category/podcast/ Audio books: http://www.audible.com/ Song of Achilles (Miller) Paying Guests (W…

This week we talk to actor Joe Mortimer about how a jock from Philly ended up at grad school to study theater, and then on to LA where he launched a very successful career in voice-over (much to the surprise of his voice and speech teachers)! Joe Mortimer Joe Mortimer is a professional voice actor. He can be heard on t.v.’s and radio’s trying to co…

In this episode my good friend Jenny Walters and I talk about being human. When I teach a class or workshop or coach a client, I am helping not only to open up the vocal instrument, but often times we get into opening up the psyche in regards to self-judging and holding onto old beliefs that don’t work, ideas that tend to manifest physically in the…

Following your fear vs following your bliss is what this episode is about. An email I got from Marie Forleo got me to thinking about fear related to our voices and how we speak, and how working on freeing our voices might well we worth the risks.

This week we connect with screenwriter, Deb Setele to hear about her PitchFest experience. We get some great tips and take-aways about how to handle the stress when you’re pitching -- which goes for auditions too! Deborah Setele Screenwriter/Story Analyst Deborah started her career as a screenwriter by writing short stories in her bedroom as a kid.…

This week I’m talking to producer, director, actor, stunt-person, America Young. We talk about how she broke into the business from Nebraska of all places, and how she went from being accepted into med school to having 32 stunt credits on IMDB, and the importance of good relationships. America Young is currently working in many aspects of film-maki…

This week I Skype with Elissa Weinzimmer, a vocal health specialist. She’s got a new program explaining in detail How Your Voice Works launching later this month. She’s also the co-creator of the Vibrant Voice Technique with David Ley where vibrators are used to improve your vocal production and resonance. Elissa attended the University of Southern…

This week I’m letting you in on a conversation I had with veteran dialect coach, Andrew Jack about being on big sets like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Check out his website here. I also tell you about how they found the sound for BB8 for the latest installment of SW. Here is the article in Post mag…

Oh great, I’m sick! Hello Easy Speakers, So this week I’ve been overcome by the dreaded seasonal cold. Those of you out in snowy places are permitted to snicker at our LA “seasons” but it the temps out here do shift and that shifting has an effect on your bod. If you’re like me, you get a bit frustrated with the whole runny nose hazy existence BS, …

This week I wanted to broach the topic of Clarity. Most of us interested in vocal production and accent management are interested in being clear when we speak, right? Well I believe clarity begins inside us with our intention -- before we can communicate clearly we need to be clear about our intention, in our message that is born in our body-mind. …

This week we are visited my actor, Maya Eshet who plays Meredith on the series Teen Wolf (MTV). We talk (and laugh) about her first auditions in LA and her continuous and very specific work on her accent. She offers some great observations about getting started with your career and about waiting for the “right” moment. Maya Eshet is an Israeli actr…

In this Episode, Phillip Charles MacKenzie talks about the camera and how…”it really looks into your soul, and your soul better be available...” We talk about starting out with co-star roles and why owning your uniqueness, even when the role is small, is important and can get you more work. Philip Charles MacKenzie is an award winning actor and dir…

In this episode Lauren talks directly to you -- a bit about breathing, vocal placement and the first steps toward accent management. Please email us with questions after you listen and don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list on www.firstbreathspeech.com so you can get your free gift on Dec 24th!…

In this week’s ep, a great conversation with actor, teacher, Artistic Director, Rob Nagle about how a shy kid got bitten by the bohemian actor lifestyle and what 3 essentials actors must master in order to be successful artists. Bitterness “takes a powder”! Rob Nagle is a proud member of the Antaeus Theatre Company and the Troubadour Theater Compan…

In this episode, I’m chatting with casting director, Dan Shaner about what he looks for in auditions and a bit about how the network TV system works. He’s got some great advice about how make acting your daily job - whether you’ve got a gig or not. Dan Shaner has been a Casting Director in film, television and new media for over 25 years, and has c…

Here in episode two, I talk with Don Williams, the Managing Artistic Director of the Art of Acting Studio in LA. We talk what he looks for in a potential student or actor for the shows he directs, as well as theater vs. film and TV. Since 2002 Don has worked as Head of Acting, Managing Artistic Director and Chief Academic Officer for the Art of Act…

When I thought about creating First Breath Speech - the website, blogs, videos and podcasts -- I knew I wanted to explore the voice and how we speak, and also how that integrates into other aspects of our lives. I’m interested in how our voices are affected by the way we live and what we think and how we see ourselves. I want to offer ideas as well…

In this episode Laura and I talk about the voice and how UNrelaxing acting is, as well as her time in Moscow in the 1990’s and how things have changed.