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10.6.14

kristen bell the chalkboard mag voice

we can’t say enough about our October Guest Editor, Kristen Bell. And neither can anyone else we meet! Whether they’re obsessed with one of her cult-level shows, struck by her private charitable work, have latched on to her new commercial with husband Dax Shepard (find it through Twitter), or have immersed themselves in the world-wide frenzy known as Frozen, everyone we know has jotted us a note this week about their obsession with Kristen!

Last winter, despite years of successful voice-over work in Hollywood (“Xoxo…”), Kristen shocked us all with those pipes in Disney’s world-wide smash hit, Frozen. Inarguably some of the most prominent music of the year, Frozen proved that Kristen’s got a voice that carries.

We asked Ms. Bell to let us in on a few pro tips – to give us some voice lessons (both figuratively and literally) and talk to us about the importance of using her voice while she’s got the world’s attention. Through her involvement with This Bar Saves Lives and constant support for the No Kids Policy, we love that Kristen is using her spotlit status to bring attention to the causes closest to her heart. Her answers below are totally practical, completely inspiring, and absolutely ridiculous. Did we mention we love this woman? Here’s Kristen on her favorite words and about using your voice to its utmost potential…

The Chalkboard Mag: Finish this sentence: Using your voice as a celebrity is…
Kristen Bell: Both an occupational hazard and a useful job perk.

TCM: What is the cause you’re most willing to raise your voice for?
KB: The hungry, the homeless, the furry and the small.

TCM: Whether it’s someone who is marginalized or whose voice goes unheard –  or someone whose ideas you love, but don’t get enough attention – if you could ‘pass the mic’ to anyone, who would it be?
KB: Nicholas Kristoff. For President.

TCM: Totally. Whose voice do you love most?
KB: In song, Adele Dazeem. (Editor’s Note: OMG. Just Google it.)  In my home, from sweet nothings to a heated argument, always my husband.

TCM: You favorite word to hear?
KB: Mama.

TCM: The best words you’ve ever spoken are…
KB: I do! (And boy do I ever.)

TCM: What words would you love to say, if you could?
KB: Take me, Jon Snow, Dax won’t mind.

TCM: What are the words you most love to hear?
KB: Free refills.

TCM: Give us a legit singing tip, if you would…
KB: Breathe. Always breathe.

TCM: What is your go-to karaoke song?
KB: Anything Motown. And “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls,” obviously.

TCM: Obviously. Which ‘Frozen’ verse do you love to sing most?
KB: “Don’t know if I’m elated or gassy, but I’m somewhere in that zone.”

TCM: Despite the great voice, when are you silent?
KB: When it’s my turn to listen or when I feel like being the loudest.

TCM: Do you have any go-to voice-saving teas or remedies?
KB: Yes, Throat Coat Tea, Grether’s Pastilles, saltwater gargle and a whole lot of vocal rest.

TCM: Are there any inappropriate occasions in which you’re tempted to break out the stage voice?
KB: I don’t understand the question, but did you guys know that male koalas have two penises and female koalas have two vaginas?! #DoubleOrNothing

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Comments


  1. Thanks Kristin for your article. Questions and answer section I love the most.I’m currently working on the f# minor nocturne! they’re beautiful pieces.Don’t get me wrong, you have to be strong and confident to be successful in just about anything you do – but with music, there’s a deeper emotional component to your failures and successes. If you fail a chemistry test, it’s because you either didn’t study enough, or just aren’t that good at chemistry (the latter of which is totally understandable). But if you fail at music, it can say something about your character. It could be because you didn’t practice enough – but, more terrifyingly, it could be because you aren’t resilient enough. Mastering chemistry requires diligence and smarts, but mastering a piano piece requires diligence and smarts, plus creativity, plus the immense capacity to both overcome emotional hurdles, and, simultaneously, to use that emotional component to bring the music alive.
    Before I started taking piano, I had always imagined the Conservatory students to have it so good – I mean, for their homework, they get to play guitar, or jam on their saxophone, or sing songs! What fun! Compared to sitting in lab for four hours studying the optical properties of minerals, or discussing Lucretian theories of democracy and politics, I would play piano any day.

    But after almost three years of piano at Orpheus Academy, I understand just how naïve this is. Playing music for credit is not “easy” or “fun” or “magical” or “lucky.” Mostly, it’s really freakin’ hard. It requires you to pick apart your piece, play every little segment over and over, dissect it, tinker with it, cry over it, feel completely lame about it, then get over yourself and start practicing again. You have to be precise and diligent, creative and robotic. And then – after all of this – you have to re-discover the emotional beauty in the piece, and use it in your performance.

    Biplab Poddar | 02.07.2018 | Reply

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