Marie Ramirez Downing
Voice, Text, and Dialect Coach, Educator, Director, and Actor
Marie's clients range from Actors, University Students, to Corporate Professionals.
Brandon Durkin
Accounting Student, graduate of Californina State University, Chico Selected to to speak at The Business Department Commencement Ceremony.
Noelle Rodriguez, Sonoma State University Grad, Actor and Designated Linklater Voice Teacher (MFA, 2023)
Thank you! And especially thank you for the coaching, I greatly appreciate everything you helped me with.
Shortly after our last session I gave more consideration to how you thought I should talk more like my "likable self" and came to the conclusion that I needed to rewrite parts of the speech because while it made the points I wanted it to, it wasn't written using diction that I normally use. I didn't believe that I would be able to get to my 'normal self' unless I found a way to write the speech in a more conversational manner that I was familiar with, and I did include your "Harry Potter lady" reference (a couple people told me they specifically enjoyed that part).
I have to admit I was pretty nervous, but once I got going it became more and more comfortable to give the speech. What was nice is that I got a lot of positive feedback afterwards. Once the graduation ceremony was over, and I was walking to the BMU to return my cap and gown, I had countless people approach me who had recognized me from the speech and tell me how much they liked it - and that was a good feeling.
Thank you, again, for all of your coaching! I enjoyed it and learned a lot from you.
Beyond the designation, I also wanted to let you know how much I value the incredible opportunities you have given me. Being pulled into the Linklater world has been an enriching experience, and the chance to coach a show has been such an invaluable experience. Your trust in my skills and potential has been a tremendous boost to my confidence and has inspired me to strive for greater heights in my career. Working alongside you has been an absolute pleasure, and I genuinely hope to collaborate on future projects together. Your creative vision, dedication, and mentorship have been an inspiration to me, and I know that any project we work on will undoubtedly be a success with your expertise and guidance. I believe that when you work with someone who not only shares your passion but also nurtures your growth, magic happens. You have been that person for me, and I can't thank you enough for all the support and opportunities you've provided. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you've done for me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have you as a mentor and a colleague, and I look forward to our future endeavors together. Abrazos,
Javon Grey
Actor
Since I started training with Marie my voice has heavily improved. Marie's voice instruction has resulted in a major improvement to my Acting and speaking skills. I believe that the Linklater technique is required study for any Actor, and is extremely conducive to anyone looking to learn how to use their voice. I have learned so much about how the voice works, and how to use my voice to communicate my thoughts and emotions effectively. Marie is a knowledgable, attentive, passionate, and caring instructor who will help you achieve your desired results. I recommend her to whomever wants to master their voice.
"Thank you for teaching the Management Club all about vocal awareness! We all enjoyed the interactive activities and learning about the Linklater Voice Technique. The relaxing technques will be very beneficial to us in our futures." -Nicole Castillo, Student member, CSU, Chico
"I just wanted to reach out and properly say thank you for everything that you contributed to my experience at the Summer Shakespeare Intensive. Following my time at the intensive, I think I would now categorize myself as a self-proclaimed Linklater nerd. I loved getting to explore my voice in your class, and I found that despite any previous training I may have brought into the room with me, I got to experience parts of my voice that I had never used before in new activities. I really appreciate how personalized you made the space feel and the amount of individualized feedback you took the time to give us, it was incredibly helpful and I found that it gave me permission to go out of my comfort zone with my voice. Selfishly I wish that you could've been with us for the duration of the intensive, but it was so generous of you to be there while you could and I'm so thankful to have been able to work with you."