As an entertainer you need to make sure that you get your message across to your audience. This message can be anything from just making them laugh to an important fire safety message, the important thing is that the audience can hear the message. Most clowns have no formal theater training and therefore have a hard time projecting their voice.

Projecting your voice is simple to do once you know how but can be hard to learn. The most important thing to remember is that when projecting your voice you are not yelling, you are talking louder. Yelling is the simplest way to lose your voice and potentially damage your vocal cords. Speaking loud is easier for some people then others but when doing it you will use your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is right below your lungs, when you take a deep breath you will notice that you stomach moves out. That is your diaphragm.

To practice using your diaphragm you need to take a big breath and exhale saying “Ha.” This will strengthen your muscles as well as teach you to speak loud and not yell. You will notice, after doing this 15 minutes a day for a few weeks, that your ability to control the volume of your voice without straining it. You will find it easier to do this exercise while you are standing up. Try it is quite easy and can only help you.

Another common mistake that clowns make more then any other entertainer is talking in a strange voice or purposely mispronouncing words. This can be funny if it is done properly; unfortunately it is rarely done properly. For an audience it can be hard to understand and even harder to listen to. If you are going to speak in a “funny” voice make sure to record it and listen to it to make sure that it is understandable and not grating to the ears. Better yet let someone else listen to it and have him or her give you his or her opinion.

The last thing that a lot of clowns do is to decide that their clown is not a speaking clown. If you have been trained as a mime this is great, in fact it is awesome, but for most of us this isn’t true and it leads to a bunch frantic waving and incoherent miming that no one enjoys. Non-speaking clowns are great in a circus or on the stage, but in a birthday or festival setting it is just setup to fail.

If you insist on being non-speaking you should plan out your movements in advance as well as being prepared to speak if the need arises.