FINDING OUR VOICE

(Program Sample)

Ages: 12–18

Week 1: Breath as Foundation. Finding the "center." Students learn diaphragmatic breathing and how posture dictates their presence in a room.
Week 2: The Physical Map. Identifying where sound vibrates. We explore all our vocal resonators.
Week 3: Range & Texture. Using acting exercises, students begin to treat their voice as a customizable tool rather than a fixed trait.

Week 4: The Sound of Home. Students act as "Vocal Historians." They identify "heritage sounds"—the specific rhythm of their parents’ language, the music of their neighborhood, or the slang of their peers.
Week 5: The Mask of Code-Switching. A deep dive into the "Unspoken History." We discuss why we change our voices in different spaces and the emotional cost of "toning down" our authentic sound.
Week 6: Vocal Archetypes. Students explore characters from history and mythology, practicing how to embody the "Grandmother," the "Revolutionary," or the "Poet" through sound alone.

Week 7: Writing the Sound-Play. Students write 5-minute scenes where the "Vocal Shift" is the main plot point (e.g., a character finding their "true voice" during a moment of crisis).
Week 8: Refining the scripts. Students add "Vocal Stage Directions" (e.g., “Spoken with the weight of a heavy heart” or “Sharp and bright like a NYC morning”).

Week 9: The Professional Workshop. Professional actors from the Ensemble visit. Students act as "Vocal Coaches," helping the actors find the specific "sculpted sound" intended for their characters.
Week 10: The Grand Showcase.
- The Performance: Students perform the scenes, focusing on vocal authenticity and power.
- The Reflection: A community dialogue on what it means to "Claim Your Voice".

Psychological Agency: Students shift from feeling "judged" for how they speak to feeling "empowered" by their unique vocal identity.

Historical Empathy: By analyzing the "unspoken history" of their family’s voices, they develop a deeper compassion for the generations that came before them.

Mastery of Presence: 10 weeks of conscious vocal work provides a permanent upgrade to their public speaking skills and self-image.