The Public Eye

I used to not mind speaking before a group of people. Part of my work when I used to be a healthcare provider, was giving what was called in-service sessions to nurses and doctors, explaining and demonstrating how adaptive equipment was to be used on patients. I would probably not be so comfortable with it, now.
 
Have you ever done Karaoke?
Spoken in public?
Been interviewed on TV?
How about called in to a radio or podcast?


How did you do? Were you nervous or at ease? Enjoy the experience or want to throw up?
How do you do when you are in the public eye?

:eyes:

Karaoke once on a bet that I couldn't get 21 people on stage together to sing - I got friends in low places . Most were drunk, we sounded aweful, but it was fun. I won, got 22 to do it.
Public speaking, I was nervous in Mr. Bracke's class in Jr High but no problem at work decades later doing the security presentations. The Irish and the Scotts were my favorite bunch. Enjoyed it too much to be nervous.
No TV interviews, radio or broadcast.
I do customized weddings. I'm a little nervous for the first few seconds before I speak. I scan the faces of strangers for one person with kind eyes. I look them in the eye & get them to smile. Then I'm good to go. If my nerves start to rise again, I zero in on that person's eyes for 3 seconds while speaking and it calms me. When I married off my former daughter-in-law to another man I had a hard time at the end presenting them as Mr & Mrs ... she was like my own daughter. I just scooched them together and stepped back, tears had started to well up and my voice cracked a little on the surname. I knew it would so I was prepared, I'd choked at the same point when I practiced my part earlier before the ceremony. Nikki told me later that nobody noticed.
Job interviews get my nerves stirred. I've given countless interviews in my life. Second nature after you do it so many times, but when it was me across the desk as an applicant, I'd be nervous. Looking them in the eye would fix it.
When I was young, I had a hard time looking someone in the eye if I didn't know them really well. I had a lazy eye and was teased a lot. Grandpa taught me to soften my gaze & look at their nose briefly before looking them in the eye. If I felt my eye drift, look back at their nose again. Grandpa said you'll gain respect if you can look a person in the eye, even those who try to intimidate. With years of practice, I was able to control the drifting eye and bring it back in without it really being noticed. Grandpa was right about eye contact, and it wasn't hard to smile if you're having to look at a very odd nose while trying to keep your focus on the conversation at hand. Thanks Grandpa!
 
Diggin' the Excalibur avatar :) Yet another synch...just as i typed this, the song from movie was playing on a commercial in other room lol.
That's a film I definitely need to watch again. There's no finer film, nor any betrayal of Arthur better than that of Nigel Terry. And was this what you heard?

 
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That's a film I definitely need to watch again. There's no finer film, nor any betrayal of Arthur better than that of Nigel Terry. And was this what you heard?

I need to rewatch as well. It's a classic and i have on VHS though not sure where i have a player now lol. Also like the comical take on Merlin. The british show Merlin that was out for i believe five seasons was also pretty decent, though got some backlash over 'modernizing' the story.
 
'85 to '92 I had my little body building career and had to do pretty much all the media. And I got to tell you that everybody from a photographer to the sportscaster really tried to make it easy.
When I was in college I had a health and fitness column in the student newspaper. So I knew the media people. So when the time came I knew what they wanted and somehow I wound up on the front page of the sports pages. Little tiny towns and big cities !

One day there was a photographer and reporter covering a show in a little Indiana City. I wanted to know everything about what this guy was doing behind the scenes to make my own game a little better. They shared their knowledge very freely.

And that was the day that I woke up in my hotel room and grabbed the newspaper. And on the front page of the sports page was me and Walter Payton.

Those guys didn't need to do that but they did. They were really cool with me and I did my best to give them a good interview.

( My thing was below the fold...... because that was Walter Payton.)

And today I just call to talk radio in Chicago and air my grievances.

Latley ,sometimes somebody at a gym would hold a symposium and I would give a little talk about the glycemic index. So I went from an absolute hero too a nerd.

( that's how you win these things )
 
For all those afraid or embarrassed about karaoke I would like to share a little secret, nobody cares if you can actually sing or not. I have had entire bars standing up, cheering for me and I'm tone deaf. Karaoke isn't about singing, it's about fun. If you are happy and having fun up there the crowd will be happy and have fun with you.

Do you think people paid to see performers like Bob Dylan or Tom Petty because of their flawless vocals? No. They enjoyed those performances despite the vocals. Likewise, people go to karaoke because they want to have fun and be entertained. When you are up on stage it's to sing a song the crowd already likes, the music and lyrics are already provided for you. It's not talent that you need, it's personality. Anybody can get up there and sing those songs, but you are the only person who can get up there and be you. I've read enough of these posts to know that we have a lot of fun, entertaining people here. If you can bring that same personality and attitude to the karaoke stage you will nail it.
 
I need to rewatch as well. It's a classic and i have on VHS though not sure where i have a player now lol. Also like the comical take on Merlin. The british show Merlin that was out for i believe five seasons was also pretty decent, though got some backlash over 'modernizing' the story.
I first saw the film when I was 17. We watched it after History class and at the time, I'd never heard of it. But even then, I was mesmerized. It has this element that most modern films can't even begin to replicate. The story was impeccable.