Latest / The Vocal Hack Podcast / #10 Borrowing vs Copying: The Voice Edition
Transcript
- Assumpta Munsi: Hi everyone, my name is Assumpta. Joana Lisboa: And I'm Joana. Assumpta Munsi: And welcome back to the vocal hack podcast where we explore voice communication and authentic expression. And today's episode is about something that almost everyone experiences at some point, especially when we admire powerful communicators, singers, speakers, leaders or performers. We hear someone speak and think, I wish I sounded like that. And honestly, inspiration is beautiful. It's natural to learn from voices and communicators we admire. But there is an important difference between borrowing inspiration copying identity. Because eventually, if we want to become impactful communicators ourselves, We need to stop hiding behind someone else's voice and style of speaking and start discovering our own. Joana Lisboa: Yes, absolutely. And I think this happens very often, when people are still developing confidence in their own communication. They start imitating the tone, the rhythm, the gestures, the vocabulary or energy of someone they admire. Because it feels safer than fully expressing themselves authentically. And sometimes imitation can even be useful at the beginning. It helps us explore possibilities, and ways of expressing emotion or authority. But at some point, people can feel when something is forced. They can sense when someone is performing a personality instead of embodying their own truth. And that's usually where communication loses emotional connection. Because authenticity is what creates trust. Assumpta Munsi: I think copying often comes from admiration, but also from insecurity. When we don't yet trust our own voice, we look outside ourselves for models. We think, maybe if I sound more like this person, people will finally listen to me. And social media amplifies this even more because we are constantly exposed to polished versions of communication. We start believing there is a correct way to sound successful and confident and intelligent and charismatic. So people begin adjusting themselves to fit those expectations instead of asking a more important question. What does authentic communication sound like for me? Joana Lisboa: And the truth is, your voice carries your individuality. Your life experiences, personality, emotions, culture, energy and the way of perceiving the world all shape the way you communicate. That uniqueness is not a weakness, it's actually your greatest strength. The communicators who truly impact us are usually not the ones who sound perfect. Not at all. They're the ones who sound real. Grounded, honest, human. And I think people sometimes forget that authenticity has texture. not always polished, sometimes it's vulnerable, sometimes imperfect, sometimes it feels alive and audiences connect much more deeply with that than with perfectly constructed performance Assumpta Munsi: Absolutely. I think this is super personal, but like I even have it tattooed on my body, like perfectly imperfect because perfection doesn't exist and neither it can exist in authenticity. Now, this doesn't mean we shouldn't learn from others. Actually, I think observing great communicators is incredibly valuable. We can absolutely borrow techniques, inspiration, structure, energy, storytelling skills, vocal variety, or ways of using silence and presence. Every artist, speaker and communicator learns through observation first. We always have an idol or a muse or someone that inspires us. But borrowing means filtering inspiration through your own personality and values. Copying means abandoning yourself in the process. And audiences usually feel the difference immediately. Joana Lisboa: Exactly. Borrowing allows growth. Copying creates disconnection. when you hear someone that you admire, you can inspire yourself on them and think about what are the characteristics that I'm loving about it. And you can copy them and apply to yourself. For example, You might admire someone's calm speaking pace or the confidence in their pauses. You can experiment with those qualities and integrate them naturally into your communication. But if you try to reproduce their entire personality, your voice often becomes rigid and unnatural. It's because... it's no longer connected to who you truly are. And ironically, the more we relax into ourselves, the more powerful our communication becomes. Because authenticity creates coherence, your voice, body language, emotions and message start to aligning instead of competing with each other. Assumpta Munsi: also think finding your authentic voice requires Because when you stop copying others, you no longer have a mask protecting you. Your real personality becomes visible. Your natural rhythm, your natural emotional expression. And that can feel vulnerable. Especially if you're afraid of judgement or rejection. But that vulnerability is often where true connection begins. People relate to authenticity because authenticity gives other people permission to be authentic themselves. Joana Lisboa: And your true voice will continue evolving throughout your life. This is something important to remember. You, being you, is not fixed. As you grow, heal, gain confidence and experience life, your communication changes too. your voice becomes more mature, more grounded, more aligned with who you are becoming. So instead of asking, how can I sound like someone else, better question is, how can I sound more like myself? Because your goal is not become a copy of a great communicator you love. Your goal is to become the most aligned and expressive version of yourself. Assumpta Munsi: I mean, if your goal is becoming an impersonator, then disregard everything we just said. For Joana Lisboa: Yes. Assumpta Munsi: today, if that is not your goal, remember this. Inspiration is powerful, but being your own self is unforgettable. Joana Lisboa: We can borrow from others, learn from others and admire others, but our real power begins when we stop copying and start owning our own voice. Assumpta Munsi: Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Vocal Hack Podcast. Joana Lisboa: And if this episode resonated with you, share it with someone that is learning more about trusting their own voice. Assumpta Munsi: Yes, follow, like, subscribe, give us your comments, give us your experiences and let us know what you think and we can't wait to see you again. Bye. Joana Lisboa: Bye, see you next week!