At a workshop I was holding in Toronto, one of the participants proceeded to deliver part of a rote, memorized persuasive presentation. This man, who I will call Bill, told us that he was a ‘professional' speaker and that his presentations lasted 90 minutes. Luckily for us, he was only allowed to speak for 8-9 minutes; however, it took just 5 minutes of his memorized script for the attention of the group to begin to fade, as their eyes glazed over.

What was so interesting...

I once met a man who told me that his soft-spoken voice made others become quiet and pay attention to him. It took everything in my power not to laugh in his face. In today's loud, fast-paced, hectic world, being soft-spoken is definitely not a strength, especially in America. To be constantly asked to repeat yourself is one of the reasons others take over the conversation.

Imagine watching a movie and the volume is not quite loud enough to be able to understand the actors' words....

It is a universal truth that if one wants to be looked at professionally there is a certain skill-set one must equip. A person who speaks with confidence, and with authority, is taken seriously. It does not matter how brilliant an idea may be, people tend to base their opinion of an idea on their judgment of the speaker. To thoroughly succeed, proper speaking capabilities are necessary.

Declamation is a fantastic speaking event for anyone who wants to improve their public speaking...

Whether a Declamation is paying homage to a classic speech, or rediscovering a relatively "hidden" work, there is one common threat that can affect either brand of piece.  That hazard is how you decide to interpret your material.  With viewable speeches seconds away on the Internet, or perhaps a drive for those archived at a Library, finding a video performance of a popular or classic speech is not hard to fathom.  Here is the issue: with every viewing of a...

Declamation is one of the most underrated events in speech and debate. It requires discipline, research, and most importantly, a very, very good piece.

For those of you who aren't familiar with declamation, students must use a speech or portion of a speech previously given by another person -- the texts used are often political or historical speeches given by important figures in America's history. National Catholic Forensic League rules state that only junior division students...

Often the question of what makes a great Declamation piece arises. People tend to search for something that has either performed well in the past, deals with a popular issue currently in society, or one that will be generally well-received by a typical audience. Notice how the previous criteria is all about the audience? Although you should factor audience reception into your piece selection, the very first question you should be asking is if it is something YOU love. After all, you are...

One could say Declamation is not an event widely practiced.  Some leagues offer it all season, some for special tournaments, and many leagues put restrictions on who can participate in the event (for instance, Declamation is often reserved for freshmen and sophomores).  Due to this discrimination, the rules for this event are few.  Namely, when it comes to what qualifies as a Declamation most rules come to the conclusion that any previously written (thus published) and...

You have found the speech, you have practiced it diligently, and now comes the moment where you show everyone what it is you have been working on late into the night.  The Declamation rounds are where your dedication to detail will be seen.  That is, if you can calm your heartbeat and capture those butterflies wispily lofting about in your stomach.  Too often panic bests us and tampers with all the precision we have planed for our version of a perfect performance. ...

Introductions for any event follow the same principle: set the tone while listing any necessary background information, give the piece's title and author, and have a clever quip to transition back into the piece (a question, powerful statement, etc.).  While a relatively small aspect of your performance, the introduction is by no means something to write minutes prior to stepping off the bus.  This tiny component has the potential to be the butterfly that alters grand...

After you have selected a piece begins the process of memorization, interpretation, and endless practicing.  The easiest, most effective way to do any of these is to connect to your material.  But how is that accomplished?  Quite simple really.  Print yourself out several copies of your script and begin to interact.  Mark-up your Declamation, always being sure to save a clean copy for reference, and watch those words become part of you.

What does it mean...