So Long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight

Looking back on the entire course of public speaking, I have seen a huge improvement in myself and my ability to give a really good speech.  The goals that I had for myself at the beginning of the class were, 

Goals:

1.) One goal that I wish to achieve in this class is being able to speak confidentially in front of any number of people.  I am not the worst public speaker, but I am never really confident that what I am saying is important or if it is any good.  I want to learn how to be comfortable in front of a large group of people, or if I'm nervous (which it is normal to be), I want to learn techniques to present a calm front and be able to communicate my ideas or beliefs eloquently and confidently.

2.) Another goal I have for this class is to control my body language while speaking in order not to distract my listeners.  When I get nervous I tend to blush, play with my hands, rock back and forth or not make eye contact.  I wish to be able to control these habits so that the people listening will only be paying attention to the message I am presenting, rather than being distracted but my mannerisms instead.

3.) My final goal in this class is to be able to memorize a speech and deliver the message as if I am taking on the character I need to be to get the meaning across. I have always just read my speeches word for word, rarely making eye contact, and it seems robotic and not fluid.  I wish to be able to know what I want to say and have a general idea of what the speech will include, but to also take on my message personally, getting into the speech even if I need to improvise every once in awhile.

Now looking over time I see that I achieved my first goal, to give a confident speech.  I have given many speeches over the course of the year and each one I have been less nervous and more secure in front of many people.  The speeches that stick out to me the most are the one I gave in front of the whole school and the last speech I gave for my Ted Talk.  For both of them I was passionate about my topic and wasn't nervous to talk about it.  I was able to get through with a clear strong voice and people loved both speeches.  I saw a huge improvement in myself in both of them.  Another goal I accomplished was my body language. I learned from this course to use body language only when it is effective so as not to look nervous.  In my final speech for the class, watching myself, I only used my hands a couple times for emphasis but otherwise I looked calm and confident.  My last goal was to be able to memorize of take on a character to give a good message in a speech.  I even accomplished this both in my monologue and also in my spoken word poetry.  Memorization isn't as scary as it was when I first started the class, and looking forward to giving my senior speech, I am confident I will combine all my accomplished goals to be able to really give a great delivery.  

One thing that I have gotten better at but always need to be conscious to continue working on is my volume and speed of my speech. In the beginning of the class, I was very quiet and barely audible. Not make matters worse, I also read my speeches extremely fast and really lost the audience in places.  At the end, I have made a conscious effort to speak more slowly and I am very proud of myself for this.  I have also learned to be confident and speak loudly which is also helping me give effective speeches for audiences to enjoy.  

The biggest things I will take away from this class is all of the techniques that go into a great speech and also the many different types of public speaking. Going forward, I will always use these techniques because I will always have to speak publically in my life, so now I feel that I can give a great speech with all of the tools I have learned.

"How to Save a Life" Through Music- TedTalk

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tHRIvpdBHAA

Final Delivery of Speech

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uTex3BDiF1A

When Will My Self Reflection Show

After giving the final draft of my speech in front of the class, I felt very confident in its quality and the progress I have made since my first draft.  I feel that the content in my speech has come together really well, incorporating the research I did on music but also capturing my ultimate love for it perfectly.  I hope that when giving the speech, my excitement for music and the hapiness I get when talking about it is visible in my presentation of my speech.  It was something I worked on to really convince my audience how passionate I really am about this topic, but then I realized I really didn't need to work on showing my enthusiasm because after I was comfortable giving this speech I wrote, the excitement part was easy and very real.  One major thing that I was concerned about when giving my speech was reading it too fast and losing the attention of my listeners.  After giving my final, recorded speech though, I felt really confident when speaking, was able to add all of the effects and emphasis to certain points while I talked, and also I felt as if my pacing was perfect.  Whenever I felt myself speeding up, I was able to slow down and really give a clear depiction on how I believe music is one of the most powerful outlets in life.  

Even though we were able to read our speeches in front of us, I felt that I still had a really firm grasp on what I was talking about and also what I had written.  While reading, I found mistakes in my writing and also there were times where the promoter went a little slower than I was reading. I'm felt as though I was able to continue with my speech smoothly because I knew what was coming next in result of me really knowing my speech well.  I was able to fix my mistakes on the spot and also added a couple things here and there while I was talking if I felt as though my speech needed it and it worked well in it. I was also able to control my body movements as well even though I was nervous when giving my speech.  My feet stayed perfectly planted on the ground the entire time I spoke, and I was able to use my hands only when necessary.  I used my hands sometimes when I was emphasizing a strong point or if I was showing excitement for something I was saying, but I didn't not fidget with my hands in a way that would make me look nervous.  

Overall, I really enjoyed creating and presenting this speech because it was about a topic that I love to talk about.  One of the requirements to graduate is to give a senior speech that works under the "This I believe..." format.  I feel as though this speech will work perfectly and I will not be nervous anymore to present it.  If I read it over time and time again, I will become even more comfortable with it and the memorization will come more easily.  I am excited to add all of the elements in my Ted Talk that will make this speech from really good to great.

"How to Save" a Draft

One strength that I have in my speech is the research I was able to include but also without just throwing it into my speech. I was able to reference the article or information briefly but this research also added to the content of my speech. It made my speech credible but also interesting and supported my own personal ideas.  Another strength I had was adding my own personal connection at the end. It helps to keep my readers interested and also shows how passionate I am for this subject. Not convinces my audience and keeps their attention.  I also think the singing at the end will really excite my audience.  Everyone seems excited to hear me sing and I know it will both add to my speech and make the ending interesting but also memorable.

One thing I need to work on that is wrong with my speech is going from written to spoken. When writing an essay, things are ordered and phrased to be read, not spoken.  When first reading my speech aloud, I noticed that certain things I wouldn't say the way they were written and had to go back and fix a lot of the phrasing.  Also, i have to work on not sounding like I am reading from the TelePrompTer.  At certain points, I tend to rush, so by slowing down and taking pauses, this will make the speech flow better, be easier to understand, and also keep it seeming like I'm not just reading. 

It is going to be both easy and a challenge getting the readers to feel my passion when I am speaking.  I am extremely passionate about music and get so excited when I get to speak about it, but sometimes I get so lost in my speech I lose the feel I am trying to convey.  I need to be more animated without feeling silly to really convince the audience that music is my life and what I love, which really shouldn't be that hard with a little practice because both of those statements are true.  I am also really good at using my body when speaking.  I feel that when using your hands in a speech or walking around a little bit back and forth, this is a more interactive form of speech and also shows your passion for the subject you are speaking about.  The only trick here is that I don't want to appear nervous or figity when doing this.  I have to practice and get into a rhythm so it feels rehearsed or natural and not out of anxiety.   

While watching the Torres in the class, i san how we'll they paced their speeches and I want to achieve that when I deliver.  It was easy to follow most of their speeches without getting bored or lost.  Also, watching My showed me the kind of interaction with her body language that I feel is affective.  I want to use some of this when I deliver my speech.

"How to Save a Life" through Music

So girls, how many of you have seen the TV series, One Tree Hill? And boys, let's face it, you all know you've probably heard of it too, don't lie.  One of the main characters of the show, Peyton Sawyer, had a traumatic life as a young adult growing up. There were many times where she hit rock bottom due to the trials and tribulations of life, feeling so depressed, so mad, or so scared, that she felt she could not go on any longer.  Peyton had a strong passion for music, though, and in a quote from her to her unborn daughter, she explains how her love of music had saved her, as well,as the power it has to save others.  She says, "The Honorary Title, Matthew Ryan, The Cure, Audio Slave, Hayley James-Scott, they are all on here.  It's music to set your life to, and music always helps, no matter what you're going through.  So, if you flunk a big test, or you have a really bad breakup, or you just miss someone so bad it hurts, then listen to my playlist '100 Songs to Save Your Life,' and it should help." For those of you who know me by now have definitely heard that, just like Peyton, music is my passion.  It is one of the things I love most in my life and it, too, has saved me during my hardest, and darkest times. I believe in music.  I believe in music so strongly that I know it has the power to change, to save a life, any life, and also it has the potential to be a major factor of importance to anyone and everyone, across the globe and around the world.

I believe that music is underappreciated.  Many people believe they know exactly what music is, but there is so much more to music than what meets the ear. To some, music may just be a bunch of songs, sounds or melodies that people can listen to, sing along to. Music is so much more than just background noise though.  In an article called, "Music" from Grolier Online, music is described as an art, that communicates ideas, feelings or states of mind that has the purpose of influencing and stirring the listener.  This description of music is one of the most important aspects, in my opinion.  It has the power to make someone happy when listening to a happy tune, but can instantly make one sad when listening to a sad ballad. Music has been used widely in more everyday activities than most people stop to think about.  It is used in military and athletic activities, education, dance, and is even a huge part of religion.  In an article called "I Believe in Music," the author Sandra Wilder states, "music is a powerful vehicle for transferring emotion.  It's scope of influence can be seen in a broad, public sense and shared with many people simultaneously.  Or, it can convey the most private, intimate thoughts that only two people can share.  One piece of music can mean the same thing to different people at the same time, or it can have different message to the same person at different times depending on what's going on in their life.  When I look around my life and my world, I find countless examples of how music is familiar, but new; timeless, but ever changing; publics, but very private- all at the same time." (Put up quote on PowerPoint) I couldn't have found a better quote to exemplifying exactly how I feel about music.  This woman, like me, has a strong passion for music, but sees its dual function in the world, on people, and this quote really captures the multiple powers of influence that music has over people all over the world, or just one person in general.  

I believe that music has the power to save lives.  One example of the power of music globally is the program El Sistema.  El Sistema is a program that is dedicated to introducing music and instruments into the lives of undeserved or at-risk children.  This program is centered in about 54 different countries.  This shows that music has the power to be a distraction, or a relief from the struggles of daily life.  It has the power to give children hope in order to find hapiness in an unfortunate situation.  One of the most interesting studies I discovered while researching music one day was the use of music as therapy.  Music is now being used in order to heal patients who are traumatized emotionally, mentally, and physically.  Music can helpe premature babies drink formula more and also help babies to sleep.  Music can help cancer patients, people suffering from chronic pain, and people who have suffered brain injuries.  Music can even be used in order to work with autistic patients.  Therefore, it is clear that music has many functions throughout life and it is important for people to realize all of the beneficial qualities of music in order to appreciate it more often.  It is important not to take advantage of music and its importance in our daily lives, and start to recognize the benefits in order to use them to our advantages.

I also believe that music has transformed my entire life and also my entire being.  I remember many times in my life where music was my only outlet for my feelings.  When my parents got divorced, I listened to music in order to get through it, angry music, maybe, but it still helped me cope. When I went through a terrible breakup, you can't even begin to imagine how many sappy love songs I listened to in order to heal. There are times though when I was happy, like when starting a new and healthy relationship.  Listening to romantic and happy, or just fun music is my way of expressing emotions in that respect.  I also love to dance and without music I wouldn't be able to move around to anything! Music is a vital piece in my life.  Ask my family, there isn't a moment that music isn't playing from my phone, from the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed.  I literally feel empty without it playing, crazy ik!, but so true. I tell my best friend almost everyday, "I wish I had a background track for every moment of my life, just like in the movies, it would make my life so much more interesting!" One day I hope to be able to work in the music industry in order to use my passion to spread that passion to others around the world for others and also let it be my daily job.  I have so many future passions and dreams that I hope to pursue in the near future, but all of them express my creativity and are not just typical aspirations.  I want adventure and excitement in my life and a perfect song that exemplifies this is from my all time favorite play and movie, Beauty in the Beast. This song is Belle the Reprise and in this song, Belle sings of wanting more just like me and it goes a little something like this:

(Sing Belle Reprise.)

Thank you. 

                                                                   Works Cited

"Music." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2014. Web. 10, Nov. 2014.

Juslin, Patrik N. and Va ̈stfja ̈ll, Daniel. Emotional responses to music: The need to consider underlying mechanisms. http://nemcog.smusic.nyu.edu/docs/JuslinBBSTargetArticle.pdf. 2014. Web. 10, Nov. 2014.

http://www.elsistemausa.org/el-sistema-around-the-world.htm(El Sistema Website, about tab)

 

 

El sistema [videorecording] : music to change life

a production of EuroArts Music International in co-production with ARTE France, NHK and SF, SVT, YLE, ETV, TVP and Knowledge Network, Wilder, Sandra Call. "I believe in music." Student Research Center. EBSCOhost, 2014. Web,. 9 November, 2014. <http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=745abdba-2429-4f97-99af-fc9c4da271cc%40sessionmgr110&vid=0&hid=109&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=khh&AN=9605282159

Mix it All Together and You Get the Makings of a Ted Talk

During my research on the Library Catalog, I found a DVD there is an El Sistema DVD on the power of music to change life.  This will be useful to me in my speech because I am discussing how music changed my life and how it can sometimes save people in their lives.  This includes a bit on how people introduced music into children's lives who come from poor backgrounds.  These children have nothing in their lives but with the power of music and the introduction of instruments into their lives, it had the power to heal them or inspire hope in their lives.

In another article from the Grolier database, it gives an over view of music in general.  It states how music communicates to people through feelings or states of mind to people's emotions or states of mind.  It also tells how music is important in many different aspects of daily life for different people, such as in athletic and military arts, religious ceremonies and also dance and drama.  It also states that music is intended to "stir and influence the listener".

In an article called, "The Healing Power of Music", it talks about how music is now being used in actual therapy to treat many types of people that need help in their lives.  For example, babies need music to fall asleep now,  to treat children with trauma relief or depression.  It is said that laughter is the best medicine but now music might be.  This helps my argument which is that music has the power to lift people out of hard places and get them to a better place.

Lastly in an article called, "I Believe in Music", it talks about how music transfers emotions. It is the purpose of song and the author gives a personal example, like I will do for my speech and may get good ideas from this article on how to structure my own personal story.