Voice of the Blue Personality
A Blue person's voice is restrained, subdued, and controlled, with little variation in tone or rhythm regardless of the situation. This consistent, pensive delivery often sounds flat to musicians and can lack perceived flow.
THE IDEA
VOICE
Though not exactly weak, a Blue’s voice is restrained and subdued. They don’t make much of a fuss about themselves. Their impression tends to be controlled. It’s common for them to sound very pensive, as if weighing every word before it’s allowed to see the light of day.
Generally, there’s little or no variation in a Blue’s voice. He sounds more or less the same all the time—whether he’s reading the TV Guide or giving his acceptance speech to the nation after winning the presidential election. Without much rhythm or melody, he just continues to say what’s on the script.
Musicians tend to have difficulty with this. They think everything a Blue says flows badly.
When to use it
Identifying personality types in a team meeting by observing vocal patterns.
Adapting your communication style when presenting to a Blue-dominant audience to match their preferred tone.
Coaching a Blue individual on how to vary their voice for different public speaking contexts.
Understanding why musicians or creative professionals may find it challenging to collaborate with Blues in audio production.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Consistent tone across contexts
A Blue person reads the TV Guide with the same subdued, even tone as when giving a presidential election acceptance speech.
Musician's perspective
A musician might perceive a Blue's lack of melodic variation as poor flow, even if the content is well-structured.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you tell if someone you are speaking with has a Blue vocal style?
What strategies could a Blue use to add more variation to their voice without losing their natural restraint?
Why might a Blue's consistent tone be an asset in some professional settings and a disadvantage in others?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Surrounded By Idiots (Thomas Erikson)