Thelma Said:

My voice sounds retarded, literally. What to do?

We Answered:

Try out for the role of Corky in the sequel to Life Goes On.

Marie Said:

Research Experiment help!!!?

We Answered:

I like your project ideas! They are very creative.

I'd go with the second one, because the first one already has a great deal of literature on the subject. If you have access to music therapy journals, or psychology journals through a database of some kind, there are hundreds of articles with positive results confirming the effectiveness of music therapy on stress and anxiety reduction. Additionally, the second project idea has more practical data-collection methods.

Kent Said:

According to other people, I sound "retarded". What to do?

We Answered:

@ Josh
Actually, there is such thing as "speech improvement." They're called elocution lessons. They aim to remove speech impediments and improve pronunciation. My brother had to go to a speech therapist when he was very young because he used to call trousers "wazzas." LOL
There is such a thing as a 'speech disorder' but I wouldn't know how to improve the sound of your voice. Perhaps the overuse of your vocal chords (by shrieking your head off when you were younger) damaged them or catalyzed an existing problem. If you're really that concerned about your voice, I would suggest picking a voice that you like and trying to imitate it. Speak clearly and coherently. Know when to use your tongue so you don't slur. If you're that desperate, you could even learn some new words to make you sound smarter when you speak. Don't let your mouth get lazy in speech: use your teeth, tongue and lips appropriately. One of the most popular accents in the world is the upper-class English accent (or "British" as the Americans insist on calling it.) It's renowned for its meticulous articulation of vowels and consonants, its vocal precision and exquisite tone. If you really do care about making your voice sound "less retarded" you could always listen attentively to accents you admire for a couple of hours a week and try to mimic how they speak. How do they pronounce certain vowels? Where does the emphasis on certain words lie? How are the teeth used in speech? Compare what you say with what this guy says. His accent is my favourite in the whole world! Here is an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KqebPkh6…
ps. Ever seen the movie Forrest Gump? "Retarded" voices can be adorable too.