About the Author

Denise Woods is one of the nation's most sought-after voice and dialect coaches, with clients such as Halle Berry, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs, Ray Liotta, Laurence Fishburne, Jessica Chastain, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershala Ali, Idris Elba, and many, many more. She is a graduate and former faculty member of The Juilliard School, and a long-time faculty member of California Institute of the Arts.

Reviews

“You don’t need to be an actor to benefit from finding your unique ‘voice print,’ as Denise calls it. When you do the necessary work, clearing your voice of distractions and pairing it with your personal narrative, it can be liberating. There’s no more powerful way to unleash your true self onto the world and fully connect with others.” — Mahershala Ali, Academy Award–winning actor

“As a woman of color,  I can’t think of anything more meaningful than knowing the importance and power of my own voice. Denise has helped me understand how to use my voice and how to ensure that my authenticity is heard. In The Power of Voice, Denise describes the voice as a super power, we are as powerful as we allow our voices to be.” — Halle Berry, Academy Award-winning actor

“Denise Woods is an essential, practical guide for anyone who breathes and speaks, as well as a riveting memoirist. Uniquely, Denise not only coaches others to discover and reveal their authentic voices, she shares her own authentic voice and experience. I think my own teaching will improve from reading this necessary and inspiring book.” — Tim Monich, dialect coach for blockbuster films such as The Departed, Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood, A Star Is Born, The Wolf of Wall Street, and many more

“In my sixty years as a producer and artist, I have never been so impressed with anyone in the field as I am with Denise Woods. Beyond her immense knowledge of voice and expression – once available only to the famed or fortunate few – she brings the reader to the heart of their own truth. Merely reading it will create a new richness in how you experience yourself and how you are perceived.” — Robert Hooks, Founder/producer of the Negro Ensemble Company, actor, and activist

“Through her own personal story and those of the many actors, broadcast journalists, and others she has coached, Denise leads us through an engaging and encouraging journey of vocal empowerment.  In each chapter, she shares the wisdom she has acquired over years of teaching and offers exercises we can all employ to locate our breath and unlock our individual connection to our own voice and speech.” — Evan Yionoulis, Richard Rodgers Dean and Director of the Drama Division, The Juilliard School

"This inspirational memoir and instructional guide will help readers train their voice and mind." — Booklist