Be on stage talking to the microphone can test anyone, even the most experienced showman. Therefore, if you want to have an experience in tourist entertainment, you will find this brief guide on “things-to-avoid-at-the-microphone” very useful.
It could happen to you, to get on a stage, and talk or present a show in front of an audience of guests who want to have fun and enjoy an unforgettable summer. Knowing what mistakes you should avoid with a microphone in your hand will give you an extra chance.
Apply as a tourist entertainment
1. Take it easy: don’t talk too fast
As soon as you get a little familiar with the microphone, talking faster will make you feel good. But it is a mistake. If you want to speak well to the microphone from a stage you simply have to talk with the same speed with which you would talk to your friends. Too much speed or too much slowness would underline an insecurity that you should never show.
2. The dialects? Use them without abusing them
Dialects are a very powerful weapons of which you must not abuse. They can emphasize a character or reinforce concepts, they can also bore or, even worse, make what you want to say unclear.
3. Do you talk about politics, religion and football?! You better not
If you want to avoid finding yourself in uncomfortable discussions, do not talk about these three topics. Often you have a very heterogenous audience in front of you and not offending anyone’s sensibility should always be your priority.
4. Don’t move too much on the stage
Very common vice when you stand on stage is to walk while talking. Remember that in theater every gesture or movement must have a scenic reason; if you are presenting, then do not distract people with superfluous gestures. Stay still in order to get their attention on what you are saying.
5. Use the right number of words
If you can express a concept with twenty words, do not use thirty of them; being simple and clear is one of the qualities most appreciated by those who listen to you.
6. The importance of the pauses
Another very frequent mistake in talking to the microphone, as well as in acting, is represented by not taking pauses. These, contrary to what you might think, are essential to create expectation and get the attention of the guests, or to give more effectiveness to the closure of a sentence.
7. Avoid signals to the Deejay while presenting
‘Higher!’, ‘Lower!’, ‘Adjust the frequencies!’: these are just a few of the many gestures you could mimic to the technician in the cab, while you talk to the microphone. Try to always remember that he can hear better than you, since he is usually in a more strategic position. The sound that a microphone must have has to be chosen before speaking in front of an audience: so think about your performance and trust the technician.
8. Don’t get the microphone too close to your mouth
A naivety that almost everyone commits at the beginning of their career is to put the microphone too close to the mouth. Leave four, five centimeters of air; it is essential to avoid a distorted sound.
9. Be creative opening the shows
Do not open all the shows with the same word. For example, don’t always start like this: ‘So guys, how are you?’, ‘So, are are you ok?’, ‘So, are you having fun?’, ‘So, how was your day?’. It may give you the right launch, but for those who listen to you, it can be boring.
10. Stay always focused
Don’t lose your nerve! It may sound obvious: you will understand that it is not so once you are in front of an audience. You have the microphone in your hand and this means that you dictate the times, explain the concepts and create the atmosphere that characterizes the event. Always pay attention to the audience and try to understand if they are enjoying.
11. Your voice is fine, do not change it
Last but not least, what you shouldn’t do at the microphone is changing your voice. It is not clear where this habit originates from, but all the best entertainers have experienced it. You will find those who make the deep voice, or who will look like a nineties disc jockey. Your voice is perfect as it is, focused on speaking in a simple and fluid way with a correct Italian and a decisive, sure and above all clear tone.