General American 11

Karen Ryker

This recording of the General American dialect of English was contributed by Karen Ryker, a white woman born in 1946. She is a professor of voice and acting, and her dialectic influences include her parents, who were both college graduates from Iowa. As a child of the military, international living and travel experiences widened her sphere of dialectical influences, but her parents were careful to monitor her speech habits. As an adult, Karen trained in various voice methodologies; her major influences include Linklater, Lessac, and Berry.