Tuesday 3 July 2007

Speaking as a Performance

Doug Lawrence has been a singer, music director and speech coach - singing in places such as Carnegie Hall. He suggests singing and speaking have a lot in common. The main goal is to engage your audience and make them listen to you, so everything a singer does, a speaker ought to do too.

Not totally convinced on all points but this is what he says. Take the best - leave the rest.

  1. Circulate with your audience.

  2. Command attention.

  3. Snarl.

  4. Bite your tongue.

  5. Always perform a sound check before you speak.

  6. Use your eyes all the time.

  7. Move away from center to make your point.

  8. Get quiet.

  9. “Underline” certain words with a pause or repetition.

  10. Take a risk and be vulnerable.

  11. Tee it higher.

  12. Know when it’s time to go.

  13. Use Q and A as an “encore.”

  14. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.