Casting directors are very specific about what they want. And if you’re not a match, you don’t get the part.
Whether you have a heavy accent or use “upspeak” or if your voice is too high or too “nasal” or too soft or doesn’t project, these “indistinct speech patterns” make you less marketable as an actor. And no matter how many classes you take to perfect your craft and no matter how much time you spend auditioning, you will continue to be overlooked until your voice can “match your look” and you sound the way casting directors want to hear.
Also, if you’re going for a role that requires you to speak with a particular dialect, your untrained ear isn’t equipped to pick up and precisely pronounce the sounds and rhythmic patterns necessary to complete your character development.
I know you’re a true artist, but you won’t have the success you want with your acting career if you don’t master your voice and accent.
Welcome, I’m AnnJoan
I specialize in speech training for actors. Whether you need to reduce your accent and work towards the sound of Standard American English or if you struggle to speak in a way that resonates and projects, clean, precise and free of interfering, distracting and “typecasting” sounds, my customized training program for actors will identify the speech patterns and grammatical differences that make you sound non-standard. I give you expert corrections as you run through your script before auditions. You will leave each session with me prepared for your audition and ready to succeed. I also give you the tools to self-monitor and self-correct so you can make your own adjustments and consistently use optimal sound, voice, and rhythm.
And for actors who need to master a new dialect for character development, I can teach you to substitute sounds and change rhythmic speech patterns to achieve the regional or foreign accent necessary to make you more believable in your role and more marketable as an actor.
Once you walk through my door, your ability to communicate effectively, with clarity and confidence becomes MY problem and responsibility, not yours. And I have total faith in my ability to deliver the solution you need.
Learn More About AnnJoan
Ann Joan Hyman M.A., CCC-SLP is the force behind the speech of countless corporate executives, public speakers, and actors around the world.
Her work can be heard on television (The Blacklist, Arrow, Madame Secretary, The Good Wife, House of Cards, and Mozart In The Jungle, Elementary, The Americans, Saturday Night Live), on stage (The Book of Mormon and Significant Other), and film (Jack of the Red Hearts, James Bond: Quantum of Solace, The Invisible Guardian, and the Tim Burton film, Dark Shadows).
In addition, Ms. Hyman has changed the speech for corporate executives and employees of many top companies and Am Law 100 global law firms including, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, JP Morgan, Mercedes Benz, Capital One, among many others.
AnnJoan Hyman is a licensed speech pathologist in practice for more than 30 years. She holds a master’s degree in speech pathology from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.
AnnJoan is licensed in New York and New Jersey and holds a national certification from The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
AnnJoan trains you to make yourself more marketable for the roles you want.
Work with AnnJoan to:
- avoid being perpetually “type cast” for your accent or distinctive speech patterns,
- show up to auditions polished and prepared,
- impress and delight casting directors with a voice that matches your look,
- increase your employment possibilities for television, film and stage,
- master the regional dialect or foreign accent spoken by your character for a more convincing performance.
Testimonials
I am a Russian fashion model and actress and have worked with AnnJoan for the past year in an attempt to improve my speech and accent modification. I have not yet reached my ultimate goal, but have nonetheless seen significant improvement. Previously, even though I knew that I had an accent, I couldn’t really understand what exactly made me sound so different. Now I can clearly realize where I’m making mistakes and can immediately correct myself. Doing so definitely makes me feel more confident about my speech. And I can hear how my accent is changing little by little. I have enjoyed my time with AnnJoan and found her to be very diligent and knowledgeable in the field in which she practices. I would recommend AnnJoan to anyone attempting to modify their accent as she is a true professional.
Just done with a great Voice Over gig for a “tech company ” with very “techy” words and this time… in ENGLISH!!! ? Grateful to My speech coach AnnJoan at AJ Speech Services for helping me out. Totally recommend her!!!
As a French Canadian my native language is French. On a recent audition in both English and French the casting director asked if my French was as good as my English. AnnJoan made that question possible.
I relocated from Mississippi to New Jersey with a heavy southern accent, a speech impediment, and aspirations of being an actor and model. I was recommended to see Ann Joan Hyman and I am proud to say it has been an incredible experience for me. After 25 years of stuttering and working with Ms Hyman for 9 months, I'm finally able to control my stuttering, manage my nerves, and turn my accent on and off .
Training Programs
Dialect Aquisition
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Foreign Accent Reduction
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Speech Improvement
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Regional Accent Reduction
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