Choreograph Your Speech With Staging, Gestures, And Vocal Variety

8/10/2019 Choreograph Your Speech With Staging, Gestures, And Vocal Variety

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Speech Preparation #7: Choreograph Your

Speech with Staging, Gestures, and Vocal

VarietybyAndrew Dlugan

Mar 8th, 2008

Your speech preparation is going well. Youstarted withyour core message,wrapped it ina

speech outline,extractedyour first draft,edited

your speech,andadded impact with rhetorical

devices.Youre ready to deliver, right?

Wrong.You only have words on paper, and

your audience doesnt want to read yourspeech.

Your audience wants to see and hearyour

presentation. You will dazzle themby

complementing your speech with staging,

gestures, and vocal variety.

This article shows you how.

The Speech Preparation Series

1. How to Prepare Your Presentation

2. Select Your Speech Topic

3. Plan Your Speech Outline

4. Writing Your First Draft

5. Editing Your Speech

6. Add Speech Impact with Rhetorical Devices

7. Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety

8. Practicing Your Presentation

9. Self-Critique: Preparation for Next Time

10.

Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Vocal Variety: The Four Ps

Monotone delivery puts your audience to sleep, no matter how riveting your content. On the

other hand, an energetic and varied voice will be music to their ears.
http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-1-how-to-prepare-presentation/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-1-how-to-prepare-presentation/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-8-practice-presentation/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-8-practice-presentation/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-9-self-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-9-self-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-10-win-toastmasters-contest/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-10-win-toastmasters-contest/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-10-win-toastmasters-contest/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-9-self-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-8-practice-presentation/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-1-how-to-prepare-presentation/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-6-rhetorical-devices/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-5-editing/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-4-first-draft-writers-block/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-2-select-topic-idea/


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Vocal variety covers the 4 Ps:

1. Power (or volume)2. Pitch

3. Pace

4.

Pauses

Power

Power refers to the volume you project. At a minimum, be sure that your entire audience can

easily hear youwithout straining.

Turning your voice volume up or downadds interest. Use both variations when they

match the emotion you want to convey. For example, speaking loud might be used to

convey excitement. Speaking soft might convey sadness.

Use a microphone to amplify your voice in large rooms.

Eliminate outside noises, if you can. If you cant, consider moving the audience closer toyou, or moving into the audience.

Pitch

Monotone delivery puts your audience to sleep, no matter how riveting yourcontent.

Pitch is the frequency of the sound you emit. To some extent, you are born with your voice

pitch, whether it be soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, or baritone. However, if your speech

contains dialogue for several characters, varying your pitch is an excellent way to distinguishbetween them.

Pace

Pace is your speaking rate, and varying it throughout the speech adds great interest. There are

many effects that a variable pace can generate, but the most basic are:

Speed upto heighten the emotion in a dramatic story.

Slow downwhen delivering key phrases.

The most common pace problem is speaking too fast for the audience to absorb the material.There are two underlying reasons for this:

Lack of editingleaves too much content and too little time. The resulting pace is far too

fast for the audience to absorb.

Nervousnessalso contributes to a rapid speaking rate.

For an exampleof rapid speaking rate, seeMajora Carter in Greening the Ghetto.
http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/majora-carter-ted-2006-video-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/majora-carter-ted-2006-video-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/majora-carter-ted-2006-video-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/majora-carter-ted-2006-video-critique/http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/majora-carter-ted-2006-video-critique/


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Staging

Great speakers move around the speaking area with purpose.

Staging your speech means utilizing the 3-dimensional space around you in the most effectiveway possible.

Novice speakerswill chain themselves to the lectern or stand in one spot on the middleof the stage.

Intermediate speakerswill meander randomly around the speaking area. Body

movement appeals to the audience and keeps attention.

Great speakersmove around the speaking area with purpose. Every time they take a fewsteps, they are doing so with a distinct purpose in mind.

Like gestures, there are innumerable ways to stage your speech, but here are a few general

principles:

The simplest act of staging is to prepare the speaking area before you begin. Move the

lectern to the side. Move obstacles away, or at least be aware of them. Make sure every

person in the audience has a clear sight line to you (or your slides). Simple acts like this

show the audience that youve thought of everything, and that you want no barriersbetween you and them.

If you are using props or other visual aids, plan where they will be before and after you

use them. When they are not being used, you want them out of sight.Just as long pauses can signal the transition between major points, so can considerable

movement within the speaking area.

You can map specific locations in the speaking areato be virtual locations for certainstories of your speech. Then, when you refer back to these stories, a simple gesture backto that area of the speaking area is valuable to help the audience make the connection.

In very large rooms, be sure to balance your positionon the left, center, and right of the

speaking area.Not every speech allows for it, but dont forget about the forward/backward direction

as well as up/down. If you can meaningfully bring in these directions, it will make a

powerful statement. For example, consider what climbing on a chair might allow you todo within your speech.

Example of Staging, Gestures, andVocal VarietyFace the Wind

As I have done with previous articles in this series, I will use my

2007 contest speechFace the Windto illustrate the use of

staging, gestures, and vocal variety.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ba_sRjllxMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ba_sRjllxMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ba_sRjllxMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ba_sRjllxM


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Below is an annotated summary of key staging, gestures, and vocal varietythe

choreography of the speaking performance. The summary is time-indexed e.g. [1:15] according

to the video.

Staging:Throughout the speech, note how most of the humor punch lines are deliveredlooking right or left. Similarly, many of the serious lines are delivered front and center.

This is a technique that I was exploring in this speech for the first time.

Gesture:Arm gesture to left, then right to match the trading of house keys for condo

keys. [0:27]

Vocal variety:escaped loud vacuous whoosh. Also complemented by arm gestures

to the right [0:42]

Gesture: Facial expressions on yard work [0:56]

Gesture: Arm gesture referring to audience on a Toastmasters club officerbecausemany in the audience were (or have been) officers. [1:00]

Staging:The walk around my yard looking at numerous bushes and trees [1:26]

Gesture/Staging:Introduction of the Japanese maple tree is with arms up to indicate theheight of the tree. Notice how this stage position is mapped to the tree location. [1:34]

Vocal variety:Vocal variety: no, not wide enough [2:10]

Gesture/Staging:Difficult to see this on the video, but the hole-digging sequenceinvolves stage movement from front to back, diagonally. [2:13]

Gesture: Arms open wide to indicate the breadth of the moat [2:21]

Staging:Drop to the floor to wrestle the tree. [2:30] This position was also the setup for

the roots like tentacles, as expansive as its branches gesture [2:50]

Gesture: Triumphant gesture [2:34]

Staging:Note the location of the neighbours monster tree is off to the right (actually

above the audience). This position is mappedfor future reference to the monster tree.

[3:12]. For example, notice reference to monster tree at [3:51] and again at [4:12].Gesture: Forceful gestures to mimic the gas BBQ being lifted up [4:05]

Gesture: Double hand gesture for force combined with direction [4:30]

Gesture/Staging:Full body gestures for wind blowing and tree resisting. Notice that forthese gestures, I am facing to the side so that the majority of the audience will see these

gestures in profile. This is more effective than facing the audience. Note also how the

contrasting wind directions are indicated [4:39 to 4:55].

Vocal variety:Voice is quieter at the start of the miscarriage story, then gets louder with

when that wind came for them, not once but twice [5:05]

Gesture: holding infant Maximus [6:22]

Gesture: incubator [6:30]

Gesture:Notice the gestures in the yesterday-today-tomorrow segment [6:45] It startson the audiences left, then middle, then right just as if they were viewing a standard

timeline from left to right.

Vocal variety:Lengthy pause before We are not trees [7:04]

Gesture: Emphatic gestures to indicate we are nottrees [7:12] and roots going through

the seat [7:13]. Energy here is amplified.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ba_sRjllxM


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The Speech Preparation Series

1. How to Prepare Your Presentation

2. Select Your Speech Topic

3. Plan Your Speech Outline

4. Writing Your First Draft

5.

Editing Your Speech6. Add Speech Impact with Rhetorical Devices

7. Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety8. Practicing Your Presentation

9. Self-Critique: Preparation for Next Time

10. Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest
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Choreograph Your Speech With Staging, Gestures, And Vocal Variety

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