Communication as an Art and a Science - Essay Example

Communication: Name: Institution: Date: Communication can be described both as an art and a science. As a science, communication entails voice production and physical movement in order to convey the intended information whereas as an art, different forms of communication are structured in various ways so as present information in the best way possible. This study aims at presenting the art and science of communication by linking the scientific attribute that entails voice production and the manner in which the voice and body work in order to direct a given message. To achieve this, the study will analyze scientific data and documents which relate to voice production as well as study videos obtained from student presentations that demonstrate various ways of communication. A comparison between the various sources of data will then be made in order to clearly demonstrate the different attributes and aspects involved in communication. The art of communication entails voice production; scientifically the larynx is the part of the body responsible for voice production. When it comes to sound production, the vocal folds which are located in the larynx are always pulled together hence restricting the flow of air from the lungs, the breath being exhaled then produces increasing amount of air pressure behind the folds, this leads to the folds being blown apart hence producing sound. Public speaking entails mastering various ways of communication which include mode of presentation and the attribute of sound or tone variation. If public communication lecture is done when the vocal codes are not relaxed, the voice is produced in a strenuous way, when communication is done loudly it sounds like screaming. In order for communication to be done in in an eloquent and clear manner, an individual needs to be strain the body but relax the larynx. The art of communication should not be done through shouting, by shouting, more air tends to be rushed through the vocal folds hence making them rub together, become inflamed thus risking loss of one’s voice. Shouting is a means of communication majorly attributed to danger or stress, when this occurs, the muscles around the neck tighten up and larynx become restricted and distorted a condition that leads to the loss of ability to be emotionally and tonally flexible (Effective Communication Summer School 2015, voice, 2015). Communication in public is an attribute that is learnt and acquired, the ability to speak naturally and fluently is more influenced by learning the correct skills of communication though some aspect of it may be natural thus being an advantage to someone. There is more to communication than using the right voice and tone, communication also entails body language, to some extent the body language tends to convey the message and idea that words may not clearly explain. This is evident in the video samples or students giving a presentation whereby body movement has been used to stress on the message being conveyed. Tonal variation is also an aspect of communication that expresses various emotions, a combination of body movement; tonal variation and facial expression are aspects of communication used to convey various messages (Freeing the natural voice : imagery and art in the practice of voice and language, 2007). To demonstrate different ways of communication, a group of students were divided into four groups and asked to give a presentation on a topic concerning discrimination due to the color of their skin (IMG_0048.MOV.mp4, 2016). The various groups employed different attributes so as to give a clear picture of the message being communicated about the topic of color discrimination. One of the groups started the introduction of the topic by shouting, as stated earlier shouting is an indication of anger or stress which may have been applicable to this context, however, it is not the best means of communication since it involves stretching of the larynx and the vocal codes, by shouting the student risked losing her voice in the process of communicating the message. The presenter described how she was pushed aside because of the color of her screen, to convey this; body movement was used in order to indicate how the pushing was done. The presentation also entailed instances of posing; this was done in order to stress the message being communicated concerning the discrimination she had going through due to the color of her skin and this was done in order to give the audience a moment to reflect on the message. The presenter concluded her presentation by heating the flow, a means of communication that entails body movement to symbolize the feeling of what the presenter had gone through, despite the fact that this was done with high emotions, the message was conveyed. The second presenter approached the topic on skin color discrimination in a more or less similar way. The presenter however raised her voice frequently during the presentation. By raising the voice, the presenter could have intended to stress on the message being conveyed, this however poses a threat to the consistency of her presentation voice since the voice were being raised in a similar manner to shouting. Shouting during communication while giving a presentation could lead to loss of voice as stated earlier, the tonal variation would have been a better way of communicating the intended message rather than through shouting. Communication also entailed body movements whereby the presenter demonstrated various actions by moving around the stage and posing in different positions. The presenter ended the presentation with a clear ending, ‘at least they were honest,’ that summarized the whole concept in a manner concerning the message being conveyed. The third and fourth group presented the topic of study by using much of demonstration than words. The third group communicated the message by the use of an act; this entailed using visual signs to understand the message being conveyed. The disadvantage with this method of communication is that different people in the audience may interpret the act in a different manner hence leading several understanding of the message. The fourth group also used an act in order to communicate the issue of skin color discrimination; this group however employed little conversation thus linking the two modes of communication for a better understanding of the topic on skin color discrimination. The various modes of communication have been described in an attempt to address the topic on skin color discrimination, these methods present a clear understanding of the modes of communication that are appropriate when addressing the public and those that seem to work against achieving the best way of communicating a given idea. From these analyses, it can be deduced that there exists a close association between movement and emotion (Jacques Lecoq, 2003); movement technique cannot be separated from acting. While giving a presentation, one should understand that there is a close relationship between words, actions and the physical behaviour. The body should therefore be in a position to express the same emotion as the words; this means that if one pushes with words the body should push along, whenever a given character states that he or she is scared, the body should express the scary nature (The mastery of movement, 1988). For a better and more understandable presentation, construction of a dramatic situation is fundamental; emotions need to be translated into a dramatic situation Communication entails more than just speaking out words, it involves expressing the emotions involved, description of the scene or topic of study in a way that can be understood without listening to the words involved. This tends to communicate more to the audience or the listener and capture their attention, by merging all these aspects of communication, the persona tends to be focused and develop a connection between them and the topic or idea being presented (Performance analysis: theory and practice, n.d.). Communication should also be done in a manner that will not strain the presenter through tonal variation by ensuring he or she is calm and relaxed with the different body parts involved in communication, the idea should not only be stated but also demonstrated. This is a clear proof that communication is both an art and a science. References Effective Communication Summer School 2015, voice. (2015). In: 1st ed. Freeing the natural voice : imagery and art in the practice of voice and language. (2007). 1st ed. London : Nick Hern,. IMG_0048.MOV.mp4. (2016). [online] Dropbox. Available at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/695y9kb7nlik65p/IMG_0048.MOV.mp4?dl=0 [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]. Jacques Lecoq. (2003). 1st ed. p.Practical exercises. Oddey, A. (1984). Devising theatre : a practical and theoretical handbook. 1st ed. London. PERF 1001 Effective Communication. (n.d.). . Performance analysis: theory and practice. (n.d.). 1st ed. p.About performance. Performative circumstances, from the avant garde to Ramlila. (1983). 1st ed. Calcutta. The mastery of movement. (1988). 1st ed. Plymouth [England] : Northcote House, p.Movement and the body. Vella, M. and Rickards, H. (1989). Theatre of the impossible. 1st ed. Read More