Matthew Dunning

Matthew Dunning Saturday, March 09, 2002, 20:45 GMT
...
Matthew Dunning, MS CCC-SLP, Director Cedar Valley Speech and Voice Services

Matthew Dunning Saturday, March 09, 2002, 20:54 GMT

Here is a recent news article of mine:

Cedar Falls- While springtime streams through the office windows, Matthew Dunning, speech therapist, sits behind his New York City desk coaching one of his clients: an average looking British chap wearing khakis, loafers and a faded sweatshirt.He has come to swap his thick Derbyshire, British accent for a Standard American Accent.
...
Script in hand, Bates works with Dunning to learn his character's (Alexander Leek) American accent for the upcoming feature film with Richard Gere: "The Mothman Prophecies."
...
According to Dunning, 250 clients per week came to the NYC office.
...
"If they don't learn the unique American sounds of this language, even if their grammar is flawless," Dunning said, "they might be unintelligible because they apply the sound rules of their native language to the grammar and vocabulary of English."

Dunning works both acoustically and visually.When working on an accent, for instance, he begins with a rigid individual analysis of a person's speech patterns.The differences between those patterns and the desired ones are analyzed acoustically and then Dunning designs speech, voice, diction and accent classes for each client individually.In the one-on-one personalized instruction sessions, each client is guided in a step-by-step program to change undesirable aspects of speech and voice.

Dunning teaches what most of his clients come looking for, "Standard American English" which is a sound pattern of 44 consonants and vowels.
...
According to Dunning, "To get the most out of speech and accent training you must have normal hearing, good instruction from a competent professional, and the ability to imitate particular sounds and inflectional patterns."Dunning's fees vary widely.Correcting a lisp or a nasal twang for example, would cost around 40 to 50 dollars and accent modification could cost a couple hundred depending on the level of work involved as well as the client's diligence and aptitude.

"It was interesting working with actors and politicians in NY," says Dunning, "but the bulk of my work, and the most rewarding, was working with just average individuals who want to be better understood.These are the clients who are most motivated to achieve the lasting accent changes, and that's exciting to experience."

Dunning has opened Cedar Valley Speech and Voice Services (319-266-1900) in Cedar Falls and is offering free consultations.

Baumgartner credits choreographer Georgia Sandvik and music director Sandy McDonald, as well as speech therapist Matthew Dunning, for the show's authenticity.
...
In addition to casting "great singers" in the roles, Baumgartner asked Dunning, a former New Yorker and speech therapist at Cedar Valley Speech and Voice Services, to work with actors on learning a New York City accent.
...
Dunning was dialect coach for Tony Award-winning actor Alan Bates and other Broadway and movie stars.
...
A true 'Noo Yawkah' drinks 'cawfee' and eats 'chawklit,' will say 'dis,' 'dat' and 'doze' for 'this,' 'that' and 'those.' Dropping the 'r's' from other words as in 'he-uh' for 'here' and 'huh sis-tuh' instead of 'her sister,'" said Dunning.