Telling Stories in Texas: A Speaking Voice Coach Listens in at SXSW
PIN ME FOR LATER!
Spring has kicked off nicely around here. Last month I had the pleasure of attending South By Southwest (SXSW), dare I say the Cadillac of all festivals. It was a full-on feast and I helped myself to a bit of everything at the smorgasbord. Everything from hearing a panel of female scientists share mind-blowing discoveries from the James Webb telescope to listening in to Paul Giamatti & Stephen Asthma launch CHINWAG - a podcast on our cultural fears & fascinations about monsters.
I heard a lot of interesting and driven people speak about their passion projects and I want to try to articulate what these very different people, speaking about very different things, have in common as communicators. What makes them excellent at the art of connection? Here are a few snapshots that embody Things That Work when it comes to communication.
Exploring With
When NASA Webb Exoplanet Scientist Knicole Colon was asked, "Do you believe there's life on other planets?" she acknowledged that the question got a laugh, AND she went on to thoughtfully explore it. First by questioning what we mean by 'life'. Do we mean in a human-like form? Or something more rudimentary? What about signs of potentially inhabitable worlds? What about the odds now that we've 'confirmed more than 4,000 exoplanets in our galaxy'?
Putting ego aside and exploring material with the audience as partners is a fast track to meaningful connection.
Level of Formality is Right for the Event
Initially, I was surprised at the ‘fireside chat’ style of events at SX. Not a lot of folks that I saw chose to stand and deliver prepared material. At first, I wondered - why not ‘do more’ with the opportunity? But then I thought about The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker - the book I happened to read on the flight. One of the topics she discusses there is group energy versus group intimacy - and the idea that as a host, you need to know what you’re looking for. YES! By setting up these discussions as more informal chats, the audience was invited into an experience of intimacy. Almost as if we were part of a late-night living room discussion rather than attending a conference. More play than work. More exploring our human curiosities and less being our titles and roles.
This was embodied in such a fun way by Paul Giamatti launching his podcast. Rocking out his ball cap and hokas, jamming out on the theremin and clearly having a ball with it.
Receiving from the Audience
Nothing made my heart happier than the chance to see New Order at Austin City Limits. Give me a Dark 80s dance party and I shed a few years and leave my responsibilities behind along with any intention of going home at a reasonable hour.
Sis and I showed up super early, snagged great seats and waited for the concert to start. We were waiting as the crowd started to fill in and waiting as the opening act played. Waiting still as the mayor of Manchester came on stage to share a few words. Really ready for it by the time New Order finally took the stage and the first chords of Crystal began to play. BUT it didn’t take long before I wondered if something was off. It didn’t seem to be going to plan. Bernard Sumner seemed a bit cranky initially. He said something about the fog machine irritating his voice, and it seemed like the fans onstage weren’t circulating the air. Doubt started to creep in. As an audience member, I began to lose trust - maybe this wasn't going to be the bucket list experience I’d hoped for?
And then something changed. Even though the musicians hadn’t hit their stride yet, the audience cheered as if they were. A truly generous applause started - it was a palpable positive energy. And the energy of the band started to shift too. By the time they launched into Bizarre Love Triangle, the whole theatre was singing and dancing, and the vibe was just right. It was cool to witness - and further underlined later in the week when Sumner said this about performing, “without anything coming from the audience, it’s nothing. It’s a two-way deal.”
This is a good reminder because it means that whether you're an audience member or a speaker/performer - you are responsible for how the thing goes. We all need to show up fully.
From a voicework perspective - these soft skills are the work:
How do I really be with people’s ideas and emotions and my own at the same time?
How do I read the room accurately and bring the energy that’s needed?
How do I shed layers (years!) of conditioning and habits to be truly open to giving and receiving energy - vocally and otherwise?
If you're ready to explore the power of your voice, shoot me an email. I’ll meet you where you’re at & custom design a program that’s both practical and profound.
