# Have you appeared or spoken in public? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187 "2006-04-04T02:37:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/21 "2006-04-04T06:45:38Z")
I’ve been in many plays and was often the designated spokesman for the library at large events when I worked for smaller colleges. The largest audience I’ve ever addressed is probably about 2,000 at a graduation (though that was a very brief 2 minute introduction of a main speaker). I teach about 20 classes per month, the majority of them the first and last time I’ll speak to them as a class so I’ve got to “get 'em got now” (to quote my father). I have the opposite of stage fright. Speaking in front of dozens or hundreds of people hardly bothers me at all, and if I ever make them laugh then God help who’s following me because I’ll be there all day. (One of my favorite possessions is a letter from an ultra respected college professor/author that some Dopers have probably heard of who said “You are the only person on Earth capable of making me wipe tears of laughter from my eyes at a _librarian’s_ convention!”; I wasn’t laughing myself when told I couldn’t use it for tenure, but c’est la vie.) On the other hand, if I have to address one to three total strangers, I’ll freeze like some people do when facing one to three hundred. I can’t stand it. I can feel comfortable with a crowd, I can feel comfortable with a friend I’ve known for a long time, but intimate environment with a stranger- hate it hate it hate it. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/22 "2006-04-04T06:47:11Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I once performed in Carnegie Hall in front of an audience. Really. Once again, Smeg, _hostages_ and a team of negotiators and psychiatrists do not count as an audience. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/23 "2006-04-04T07:06:53Z")
I’ve played for two or three small groups as part of a band, but nothing in a long time. I wrote and acted in some radio comedy during my last semester in college. I have no idea if anyone heard it, but that was a lot of fun. Lately I’ve been doing standup comedy once a month at open mic nights, and one day I may do some karaoke. Maybe my most unique public experience was a night of “movieoke,” wherein I played a scene from _The Big Lebowski_ in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/24 "2006-04-04T07:12:21Z")
I’m a dancer, so i’ve been onstage loads of times in front of people. It used to be just whatever parents and friends came to the recitals, but then I joined a small company and we tour a bit and perform for people who are there to see performers, not children. Our biggest gig so far was in Disney World. It was awesome- We do a half-hour set and I had three solos- two singing and one dancing. I was the only girl who had a dance solo and the only person with two songs. We drew a gigantic crowd and had people from all over asking us if we’d be coming to their city or if we’d be willing to. Aside from that, I did acting competitions throughout elementary school (I was the only one from the school ever to win, and so far I still am.) and tons of community theatre. Right now I’m in rehearsal for Sweet Charity. I play Charity. I sing at weddings. That’s not terribly public, but I do get paid for it. And I’m a cantor at church. I do choir, which includes performance ad competitions. I’ve done lots of announcing for various things. I’m a lector at church and at school, I did announcements in grade school and narrated plays, pageants, and prayer services, and I get to do any extra announcements at performances. I want to do it for the rest of my life. I want to be a ballerina or an actress when I’m grown. I know very few people get to do it, and I know you have to generally be either talented, beautiful, or well-connected, but there’s still a chance for me. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/25 "2006-04-04T07:45:32Z")
Yers, almost every day. I do the of-site presentations and on-site tours at our zoo. I’ve stood up in front of groups ranging from half a dozen to several hundred people, showing and talking about the animals. It’s a hoot! I love it. I used to be on my church Drama Team too, doing short playlets, the Christmas productions, etc. Finally, I’ve been interviewed on TV, kind of a "Man on the Street " thing when the new Skytrain extension opened and I’ve been in the paper when I got a poem in Tony Ebert’s old column and during a protest. I’ve also had a few letters to the Editor published. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/26 "2006-04-04T10:03:31Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Once again, Smeg, _hostages_ and a team of negotiators and psychiatrists do not count as an audience. That’s not what my magical pink singing ostrich says. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/27 "2006-04-04T10:43:33Z")
I teach, which I guess is a performance. 🙂 I’ve done live chess commentary, which is both technically difficult (first work out what the grandmasters are doing, then explain it to club players) and naturally unscripted. :eek: I did a live press conference and a short spot on TV (both about chess). ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/28 "2006-04-04T12:11:52Z")
I’ve busked (badly) on the pub piano, bluffed my way through a couple of church services on the organ, sung (a whole lot better) in front of many audiences (including karaoke), have something upwards of a dozen stage shows behind me almost invariably as a major principal, have given speeches as bridegroom, as best man, and as son-in-law at a ruby wedding celebration, and have done maybe twenty five-minute spots at the family service in church, usually without notes. But the oddest has to be standing in for the preacher at a wedding. Owing to a delay over divorce papers, the actual _wedding_ couldn’t go ahead, but they had guests, the hall, the caterers and everything else so they had to give them _something_ so everyone could go home happy. So with great emphasis on the unofficial nature of the proceedings, we did the best we could, with your humble obedient servant presiding. (Sadly it lasted about three years, but I told the bride I didn’t do refunds.) ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/29 "2006-04-04T12:39:09Z")
a few years back, I was active in a local group called Pet-A-Pup. It was a therapy dog group, and we took out dogs to local nursing homes, hospitals and schools for visits and demonstrations. I spoke several times to groupls of school kids on dog training and care, and gave breed demos, telling them all about Gordon Setters. I also went with this group to a nursing home caretaker’s convention in Indianapolis to speak publically about the benefits of having therapy dogs visiting the nursing home. I was scared shitless ! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/30 "2006-04-04T12:41:28Z")
I caught the acting bug at 11, after securing the lead in a school nativity play. I joined a local youth theatre, and performed in several productions with them till about 16, when I got a couple of professional roles with Northern Stage (in the chorus, mainly, though I did get the odd speaking part). I then left to study drama at uni, and though that helped me realise I was never going to have the guts to try and make a living from performing, I’ve kept my hand in with a number of fringe companies. In fact, tonight is the opening night of my current production - I play Anne Hathaway in a new comedy about Shakespeare’s work and the “lives” of his characters. Very excited! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/31 "2006-04-04T13:33:41Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > How about you guys? Have you done public speaking? Played in public in a group, orchestra or school or military band? Acted in a play or musical? Been on the radio or appeared on TV? Been on a record that’s been publicly available or on some chart? Been mentioned or pictured in the newspaper? > > Please discuss! Oh, yes. I danced professionally for years, and had a great time…was in several dance-plays, etc. Some of the best moments of my life. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/32 "2006-04-04T13:43:01Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > I was always a ham. I played piano very early, and learned quickly. People would often applaud when I played. I’d see a piano somewhere and go play it. I’d be completely absorbed, then stop and look up, and there would be all these people there! > > From as long ago as I can remember, I wanted to speak into microphones. I used to hang out in the principal’s office at public school. This is where they kept the PA system. It was so cool! It had a mixer with a mic, a turntable and an open reel tape recorder connected. Somehow I finagled my way into being responsible for pushing the button that started the tape playing “God Save The Queen” and “O Canada” as played on the piano by Mrs. Lougheed. Everyone sang along to it. Eventually, I read the announcements. This continued in high school, where I read the announcements sometimes, too. (Hadn’t thought of that in eons!) > > I entered some public speaking contests at school, and won several rounds. One year, I talked about how TV works, and the next, how radio works. I was always fascinated by TV and radio. Not the programs themselves, but how they were made. What went on in front of the scenery with the cameramen and the directors and operators in the control room. I thought for awhile that I might like to be on TV someday. Then I started to become a teenager, and I was exposed to Top 40 rock radio, and I became addicted. I wanted to be a part of that. > > So I started making friends with DJs on the phone. Soon they’d invite me to come to the station and sit in with them and watch. I would watch and learn, and after they knew me, the guys would let me go down the hall to the production studio with some records and play DJ. My voice was on the radio for the first time in 1974, when students at my high school staged a sit-in. The strait-laced principal was going to ban jeans and long hair. My father told me that if I participated in it, he’d kill me. So I covered it for a radio station in the next city. I called the news director, and he recorded me reading the story I wrote. It played on the afternoon newscasts. When it aired the next morning at breakfast, my mother said she missed hearing me, she was waiting for the announcer to finish. _Mom_, that announcer was _me!_ Anyway, I didn’t participate in it, I covered it, so I didn’t get punished. The principal backed down. Life went on. > > I started playing in groups when I was 14. Bass, piano and keyboards, then drums, and as I got better at it, guitar. I’ve never had stage fright. I’ve known people who had to throw up before they went onstage, from nerves. I’ve never faced thousands of people, but I don’t think it’d be a problem. > > After some twists and turns, I am back in radio, where my voice is heard all day as the local announcer and the guy who does the top of the hour ID. I don’t have a big head about it. I’ve been on the station for four years (worked there for five) and have only had my voice recognized in public six or seven times. I’m actually anonymous to the point of invisibility. That’s OK with me. I get to play with thousands of dollars’ worth of cool technology every day. That’s my idea of fun. They pay me to do this stuff! > > How about you guys? Have you done public speaking? Played in public in a group, orchestra or school or military band? Acted in a play or musical? Been on the radio or appeared on TV? Been on a record that’s been publicly available or on some chart? Been mentioned or pictured in the newspaper? > > Please discuss! The dreaded piano recitals when I was a kid. I currently speak at my surgeon’s (gastric bypass) pre-op seminars. I love it; I love sharing my story. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/33 "2006-04-04T15:54:07Z")
Violin recitals when I was a little girl. I remember we had bright red jumpers with blue calico appliques of violins on the front. Very cute. We played for the Gov of Florida once. When I was about six or seven I read “Crictor” to be recorded for a filmstrip of the book. They had the filmstrip, they didn’t have the narration, and apparently my little voice was cute enough (and I was good enough at reading) that they wanted me to do it. I was paid in a Nutcracker Suite album – real album! Real vinyl! I might still have it somewhere. I was on public access TV for my high school’s show for about a year. It was sort of fun, but most of my job was interviewing various teachers/coaches/etc. “So, you’re our basketball coach. What exactly do you do?” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/34 "2006-04-04T16:48:42Z")
Yeah, I’m at home in front of a group. I’ve taught at several colleges–mostly specialized courses with \<50 students per class, although I lectured at Berkeley once and had it broadcast on the M-Bone. I emcee several events per year. Usually audiences of 50 to 200. I’ve put on a slew of seminars, participated in panel discussions, and given educational talks with audiences up to 600 or so. I played guitar at a friend’s wedding, but I won’t be doing _that_ again. Played piano at a bar once–that was fun. Sang in a choir for a year or so. Oh, and here’s the big one: I post to a message board with 58,341 members! ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/35 "2006-04-04T17:34:28Z")
- Classroom speeches and presentations growing up - College Speech class - Courtroom appearances as an attorney - Member of a charity where I was expected to perform a funny skit as part of the election campaign to take an seat on the Board of Directors. I wrote and performed several skits that got good reviews and laughs with an audieance of about 100. I also performed in other people’s skits to help them out when they ran for office. - Karaoke bars - Being an officer or director of various groups, every time I chime in with my thoughts at a meeting, I guess I am speaking in public. Depending on the group, the audiences can vary from about 10 people to 100. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/36 "2006-04-04T17:58:39Z")
Two or three times a year I have to present plan amendments in front of the Local Planning Agency and/or the Board of County Commissioners. Pretty dry stuff, but it gets me on the local version of c-span for five minutes. Whee. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/37 "2006-04-04T18:06:03Z")
As a kid I played piano and flute and did a bunch of performances in groups or solo. In high school I did a few plays, some forensics and sang in the church choir. As an adult, I have about 10 years of teaching at the college level, though I don’t do that anymore. Lately, it’s mainly the odd conference presentation. In a couple of days, though I have to talk about Matisse and Miro in front of a bunch of 6 to 8-year-olds. Now that’s terrifying. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/38 "2006-04-04T18:11:47Z")
I was a radio DJ on a volunteer basis for our college radio station. One day I just realized I fucking hated sitting in a little tiny room for three hours on end, waiting for the phone to ring, and being involved with the annoying snobs that infiltrate college radio. I realized just how one way the interaction is; good DJ’s make it sound like they’re connecting to you and that they’re excited and interested and always sound like they care about what they’re playing, but without feedback, that was just impossible for me. Now I still go into the stacks to burn CD’s but I’ve stopped doing any more than the bare minimum for that privelege. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/39 "2006-04-04T19:30:12Z")
Wow, lots of interesting replies! I had a question. What goes on in Forensics class? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187/40 "2006-04-04T19:35:35Z")
**fishbicycle** , the major part of it is debating, which is very formalized and has whole sets of rules that other people could elaborate much better than I. There are other forensics events that are for individuals, including original oratory (write your own speech and deliver it), drama (perform all the parts in a short dramatic scene), dramatic reading (read a short story or essay written by someone else.) At our school it was not a class, but an extracurricular. You spent time preparing your stuff, then the whole team would travel to compete with other schools’ teams. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-appeared-or-spoken-in-public/351187.md?page=3)