SHINE CREATIVE COACHING
Helping YOU Shine Through
Get the powerful, clear, and expressive voice you want. I'll show you how.
Hi, I'm Christine, a voice and accent expert.
I know that whether you are an actor or not, you need a voice that is truthful, authentic, and powerful. A voice that can be heard easily, is willing to stand up for itself, and that expresses your place in the world clearly and directly.
It's my purpose to help people get more connected to their voices. Because I believe that there is power in vulnerability, I believe that a voice that reveals, rather than conceals your heart and mind is a voice of strength, and I believe that strength is compelling.
Whether you are learning a new accent, prepping for a speech, or developing your acting chops, these are the principles I work by. Every session offers the opportunity to develop the clarity and authenticity of your voice, and to share that connection through the words you speak.
I began working with voice and speech over 20 years ago - earning a BFA in Acting, an MA in Voice and Speech, and specialized certification as a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher. I spent 7 years training actors on faculty in the Theatre Performance Program at Humber College, alongside coaching privately through my business. Many of my students and clients continue to do great work on the screen and stage today. Past clients and students are currently acting With the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, and appear on major shows such as: Grey's Anatomy, Kevin at Work, Saving Hope, and Orphan Black.
Selected corporate clients have included executives from: Scotiabank, TD, Aveda, Jam 3, Fresh Squeezed Ideas, JH Hospitality, McKinsey, and The Boston Group.
ACCENT REDUCTION
This training is for fluent English speakers who learned English as a second language either at school or as an adult.
Changing your accent takes dedication, time, attention and practice. A one-on-one coaching experience can provide you with the regular, specific feedback necessary to help you assimilate new sounds quickly and effectively. We’ll teach you all the nuts and bolts of North American speech sounds, in an engaging and supportive atmosphere.
Through this training, you'll develop your listening and speaking abilities so that you can:
• Receive a personalized speech assessment, so that you understand the most important sound changes for you
• Learn to hear and reproduce standard North American consonant sounds
• Learn to hear and reproduce standard North American vowel sounds
• Learn to hear and reproduce North American intonation patterns and rhythm
• Develop your vocabulary
• Begin to implement these sounds into your everyday speech
Following a typical course of 10 x 1 hour sessions, you can expect to be heard and understood much more easily in business meetings and casual conversation, and to feel more confident when you speak.
Individual Sessions on-site or at my studio.
PUBLIC SPEAKING COACHING
Private coaching, in my studio, or, right where you work
My personalized, one-on-one coaching sessions focus on your specific needs. We will give concentrated attention to an upcoming presentation and teach you all of the skills that we teach in our group sessions, tailored to areas in which you need to see particular improvement.
Our private coaching sessions help you to gain insight into what you do beautifully and into what you could develop further. With my help, you will master new techniques in order to fortify weaknesses in your presentation skills, and in order to ensure passionate, bold, and inspired delivery.
Who should attend?- management-level personnel who regularly present and would like to improve audience engagement
- speakers preparing for a specific upcoming event (e.g., sales presentation, annual general meeting) who would like to give extra polish to their work
- people who would benefit from the supportive and interactive format of individual, tailored learning
ACCENTS FOR ACTORS
Whether the accent you need is from across the pond, south of the 49th parallel or all the way around the world, I can help! With me you'll learn your accent in a fun and creative atmosphere that is as technically specific as it is imaginative and supportive.
Need coaching in a hurry for a last minute audition? Don't hesitate to get in touch. If there's a way to fit you in, I'll do it!
Through coaching, you'll:
• gain a thorough and specific understanding of the sound changes required to take on your new accent
• experience an embodied understanding of the required rhythms and intonation patterns
• apply these changes directly to your script• learn a systemic approach to accent acquisition that will enable you to prepare and rehearse any accent
Email or call to book your session.LINKLATER VOICEWORK
This work is for actors who want to develop a stronger, more connected, more expressive voice for stage and screen.
We will utilize the Linklater vocal progression to develop and strengthen the voice through connecting breath to sound, exploring resonance, flying up and down through pitch, exercising breathing power to support the voice, and building more specific connection to speech sounds and language.
If you are an actor or voice teacher considering Linklater Designation, I am currently training several people working towards designation, and would be happy to discuss that process with you.
“I want to hear YOU, not your voice.”
― Kristin LinklaterBlog
Testimonials
Ravi Dhanwani
Accent Reduction Client
"After the 10 session accent reduction course with Christine, I can confidently say that she is the best accent modification/correction expert I could have asked for. I found her to be very personable, caring, approachable and goal oriented tutor who has a deep understanding of facial muscles, upper body muscles, accent, and speech. Her keen insights, homework, and approaches helped me transform my accent by leaps and bounds. In addition, as a major bonus, she helped me understand how to access my more natural voice. Accessing my more natural voice has boosted my confidence (surprisingly so) and I've observed that my interactions with people feel much more satisfying and complete. As a result, I've started to initiate and enjoy conversations with people, even talking to strangers (something I've never done before). It is pleasantly surprising how minor changes in my accent, speech, and voice have made me significantly more extrovert. I think of sessions with Christine as a journey that had a profound (and positive) impact on my speech, tone, voice, accent, and my personality. I'd highly recommend Christine to anyone who is keen to improve or transform their accent."
Nolan Molfetta, Actor
Actor
"I started working with Christine during my theatre training at Humber College. There, she helped me to discover the potential for change and growth in a voice that was locked up from habitual tension and lacked support. Christine is a pleasant, understanding and patient instructor who truly cares about the progress and well-being of her students. She is very in-tune with who she is working with; she can tell what areas are more difficult and her in-depth knowledge of the material allows her to work around what is hassling the student. Every time I travel home from a session with Christine I feel proud about how much I had discovered that day."
Jo-Anne Hill
Public Speaking Client
"I worked with Christine to take my upcoming speech at Cornell University up a notch or two. She worked with me to tap into my energy, my personal passion and even my heart, transforming a good speech into a highly impactful one!
I highly recommend Christine and will definitely hire her again!"
Anastasia Marinina,
Actor & ModelAccent Reduction Client
"I love coming every class knowing that I'm going to progress and learn so much. I come out with a little bit more confidence in myself. Confidence in my speech and confidence in my performance. I don't just want to be known for my accent. Learning a general American accent gives me a great variety of roles I can play."
Kendall Nelson
Actor
"Christine Berg has significantly aided my voice-over career. First and foremost, she worked with me to neutralize my regional accent when necessary, allowing me to compete for national jobs. Her direction was professional and constructive without advising me to completely lose my authentic, natural voice. in addition, she helped me to better prepare for auditions with valuable exercises, script reading tips, breathing techniques, and vocal health awareness, something that I previously took for granted. I encourage anyone who is serious about enhancing their voice potential to partner with SHINE CREATIVE COACHING."
Jennifer Villaverde, Actor
Actor
"Christine's approach was very relaxed and hands-on. Her intuitive coaching helped me make new discoveries with pieces I had been working on for years!"
Jenn Ferris
Actor
"I've been working with Christine for over a year and have seen large improvements. She's helped me find a voice I never knew existed. Her sessions are very relaxed and a perfect environment to explore and develop your voice. I've also gained such an awareness in my speech that I'm able to speak with a sense of ease."
BOOK ONLINE
Contact
If you’re interested in discussing your needs more specifically, get in touch. I'd be happy to talk you through the coaching process, the results you can expect, and answer any questions you might have.
Call Christine at 416-884-8130
Or send me an email below. All emails and calls are returned within 48 hours
© 2014