Astound – Voice & Speech Coach

I am a high energy, fast talking, at times lazy mumbling, think out loud person but let’s get to next topic. I have been speaking fast all my life and dealing with clarity/articulation issues. Frustrated by the advice “just talk slower” (most frequently by mom). This wasn’t working for my brain and is impractical advice, I looked for books and exercises to practice to improve my speech. Where are the exercises King George VI used?? 😂 How costly is a speech pathologist? Thankful this app was invented for a common and overlooked challenge many have!! People have commented on how I am talking more clearly and definitely getting less “what?”. And I realized SO much more goes into clear communication besides “talk slower” e.g. pitch, lazy tongue, opening mouth more, etc. Some of these exercises I have come across in books but having an app to track and demonstrate is invaluable. Many books/podcasts focus on public speaking or other focus. This breaks down where our speech is garbled in day to day communication and why certain problems occur. And something I think everyone would benefit from trying once. Only minor inconvenience — It is a new app so crashes every once in awhile but it is very user friendly and continually updated, so not a deal breaker — especially when nothing like this exists or that I have found to help.

I wanted to train my voice to be deeper and more resonating so I’ve been using this app as a part of my morning routine. I do love the contents and could tell the difference almost immediately, as I got more conscious of the impact my body and mind can have on my voice. I also like how the app eases you into various techniques. That said, the app needs to be updated more often. Due to some bugs, it keeps shutting down as soon as I click on the icon. There’s a bit of buffering for, like 3 seconds, and then it shuts down. This has happened before and also this last 4,5 days. I also don’t know why I get logged out so often as well as the routine I choose (e.g. “speaking in front of a group” or “articulation”) doesn’t come up as the very first thing on top. Last time I was on the app, the category I had downloaded didn’t play Day 2 for some reason and I was stuck in Day, even though I already finished that routine twice. Given that it’s a training app that requires one patience and consistency to keep up, it’s so frustrating that technical glitches like these occur this often and in so many different ways to sabotage my desire to develop a good habit. Plus, I have a 6-month deal and it feels like I’m not getting the most out of what I paid for. I really hope they’re able to fix these issues so that it can become the greatest app that it truly deserves to be.

I just gave a presentation to a group in a large conference room. For the first time ever, I felt like I had plenty of breath and I could reach the back row without straining my voice. I didn’t have to keep clearing my throat. That tremor in your voice when you are nervous? NOT a problem! The exercises seem so simple but they really worked for me. In the past I always thought that I don’t sound as confident as I feel and this app has helped me turn that around. Contrast this with the speech coach who wanted $8000 for six months of online coaching. I feel that this app is a fantastic deal! A big thank you to the developers.