Giant: Barbara McAfee
“if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
1675 letter by Isaac Newton:
I met Barbara at Mt. Madonna school in California where Skip Olsen and I attended a workshop with two of my other giants Peter Block and Angeles Arrien. Barbara was playing the piano during breaks. She has a great voice, sang songs she wrote, and fifty people sat in awe of the meaningful lyrics and melodies. I asked where she was from. Minneapolis, MN. Yikes, that is where Skip and I lived. We connect when we were both back in MN.
Barbara has done workshops for staff in schools where I was a principal, presented to student leadership teams, and gave me voice lessons. As I got older, and my voice was fading, and she lovingly called me the “Mumbling Bear.” She gave me feedback with kindness. I try to use my metal voice when presenting. (Kindness, another one of her songs)
Some of my fondest memories were her workshop with students helping them find their own voice. Barbara did the opening staff meeting in two schools building collaboration and cooperation ending the with Spirit of YES. The tears and passion in the eyes of the staff and me were a tribute to her meaningful time with us. She also came to an alternative school where the theme for the year was the Spirit of YES. She co-presented with Margaret Wheatley in one of our Learning Omnivore events in Utah.
I learned a great deal from her modeling of convening conversations, blending the head and the heart through music, and the positive energy she created for teams of staff and students. If you get a CD or access her songs, you will definitely hear and feel her presence. Below is a list of my favorites.
Listen to her songs and lyrics of:
- Who you gonna be when you do what you do
- Brain Rats
- I wish that I could show you
- Every Morning
- Dwell on the Spirit of Yes (always brings me to tears, passion, and action)
Barbara can be found at www.barbaramcafee.com
Her book, Full Voice (2011) has practical ideas to incorporate in the message increasing the impact in a more powerful way. Here are some excerpts from her book.
Vocal presence changes the way you live. You access all of the power and wisdom available to you:
- Great ideas—poorly expressed—were never realized.
- Roy Hart, “The voice is the muscle of the soul.’
“When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice”
In many workshops Barbara taught me and others about the five voices.
- Earth: Gut instinct, authority, and grounding.
“Lower your voice and strengthen your argument.”
Lebanese Proverb
What Are the Best Uses for the Earth Voice? The earth sound can be used to project authority: When you need to confront a challenge or establish a firm boundary, the earth voice literally lends weight to your words.
Examples of Earth Voices are Bea Arthur, James Earl Jones, Johnny Cash, Barry White
- Fire: Passion, personal power, and vitality – passion, personal power, and vitality.
I have a dream speech
Martin Luther King
What Are the Best Uses for the Fire Voice? Fire is the voice of choice if you want to convey passion. it’s not necessarily the same as shouting. This sound is as much about intensity as it is volume.
Examples of Fire Voices are Pavarotti, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen
- Water: Caring, compassion, and affirmation – caring, compassion, and affirmation
What Are the Best Uses for the Water Voice? When you want to extend caring or compassion to someone, this sound is an ideal vehicle. If you have difficult news to deliver, the water voice can help soften the impact on the recipient Hearing bad news from a genuinely caring person doesn’t change the facts, but it goes a long way m honoring the humanity of everyone involved.
Examples of Water Voices are Fred Rogers, Desmond Tutu, Nat King Cole, Julia Child
- Metal Voice – clarity and focus
Ethel Merman belts out “There’s No Business Like Show Business’ on a Broadway stage that doesn’t have any microphones. Willie Nelson kicks off “On the Road Again” to a cheering country music festival crowd. The metal voice uses only a tiny amount of breath to create a great big sound.
Examples of Metal Voice in addition to the above are James Taylor, Bob Dylan
- Air Voice – Inspiration, possibility, and spiritual connection
A storyteller leans toward a group of children and breathlessly intones, “Once upon a time in a land far, far away. The air voice helps ideas take flight. It’s the best voice for bringing the future into the room. If you want to inspire colleagues or customers about a future possibility, bringing a hushed excitement to your voice can make them lean forward in their seats.
Examples of Air Voices are Taylor Swift, Beach Boys, Norah Jones, Marilyn Monroe. Smokey Robinson
“People literally “grow into” songs they love”
As always, I am grateful for Barbara’s teaching me, helping me build learning cultures, connecting with staff, students, and communities in ways I would never have thought of. I hope you buy her book to find many additional ways to understand and use your voice and presence even more effectively.
There are two links below that will provides a visual and auditory experience. Buy her songs. They are energy, passion, and get me up in the moments of doubt. Barbara you are the Spirit of YES. Thank you. I have stood on your shoulder for many years.
References:
McAfee, Barbara. (2011). Full Voice. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.