A high percentage of the population is moved by music, from pop to classical, from global to Baroque. I’ve heard that the music you listen to at age 12 determines your musical tastes for life, but mine have also changed over the years and anecdotally I’ve heard the same evolutionary story from many others. I listened to Olatunji a good deal at age 12 because his “Drums of Passion” was one of the few LPs we had in our household, but I haven’t listened to him much since then. In fact, I had forgotten all about the LP, only re-discovering him during the pandemic, with real delight. Now, he’s once again on my occasional playlist.
The neuroscience tells us that music cuts through our conscious awareness and activates emotional centers of the brain rapidly and powerfully. That’s why you get so pumped at the Metallica concert or come out of that Handel performance humming a melody with a smile on your face.
As a speaker, you try to make a lasting impression on an audience, to move them to action, and ultimately to change the world. That means taking that audience on both an emotional and intellectual journey. So why wouldn’t you use music as part of your speech, given its power to affect people emotionally? Yet few speakers do. The use of slides and video is widespread; it’s not that we abjure the multi-media approach in general. Something keeps us from fitting music into our talks. The movie makers long since got over their reluctance – what is stopping us?
I think it’s a combination of inertia, custom, and uncertainty. None of these reasons are particularly compelling, or deal killers. So, let’s make 2023 the year of Music and Public Speaking.
If you do decide to use music consciously, how would you go about it? Following is a set of suggestions for how to include music in your speaking in order to increase its impact.
First of all, use music to get yourself pumped up. Many speakers do this already, but if you haven’t got yourself a set of ear buds in order to blast your fave up-tempo song into your ears just before you go on stage, standing in the wings, it’s time to start. Music is a great way to get your mojo working for the big gig. Avoid sad and slow songs, unless you are already so jazzed that you need calming down. Some people meditate before speaking, and if that’s you, then you can think about adding to the effect with wind chimes or something very soothing and New Age.
Second, have music to enhance your entrance. I’m indebted for this idea to Jayson Gaignard, who founded the invitation-only Mastermind Talks, a super-high-quality annual event for entrepreneurs. I had the chance to speak at one of the events, and Jayson created a brief customized video introduction for me, as well as for the other speakers, and then arranged for a favorite song to be played as I walked on stage. It was a delightful touch, it gave me an emotional lift, and some of the audience members appreciated the joke: I had asked for the “Mission: Impossible” theme song to be played. It may have been a little too surreal for some.
Third, add music to selected moments of your talk to create a mood. I can only suggest a few thoughts on a big subject here but think about the last movie you saw. Most of them have musical accompaniment for some scenes, especially high-octane ones. Where could you subtly set the emotional mood for your talk with music? Why aren’t you already doing it?
Music is a powerful, underutilized way to connect with our audiences and ourselves. And BTW, conference designers should build more music in between talks as refreshers and mood enhancers. How will you make more use of it in 2023?
What an interesting point you make about music, Nick. Some of the most memorable TED talks I’ve watched have incorporated music – Ben Zander’s take on classical music and Bobby McFerrin using “Don’t worry, be happy” as an amazing piece of audience interaction. I’m a snooker fan and in recent years they’ve jazzed up the impact of the players entering the arena by playing their favourite track. Maybe I’ll start using music more myself. I love that ‘Mission Impossible’ theme (I think Lalo Shifirin wrote it).
I also came across a wonderful interview Andre Previn did with the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. He actually demonstrated what he called, “points of tension” where the music asks a question and demands a resolution. It reminded me of the way a story deliberately unsettles an audience and then reassures them with a satisfactory ending. As always, you’ve got me thinking – thanks Nick!
Thanks, Andrew — Previn and Peterson are quite the combo! The idea of points of tension in music is quite well established; perhaps a little less so is the connection you’re pointing to here between story tension and music. But it is the same idea!
Thank you Nick, very interesting.
I use to use music before starting speaking but I haven’t used it in the middle…yet
By the way, I thought you were going to talk about the rythm of the speaker, with is a very interesting topic too
Speakers are like singers, and the rhythm of words and pauses — sound and silence — is very much a kind of music. I have blogged on that in previous posts.
Interesting topic. What are the logistics you use to ensure that you are not infringing on copyright when playing music during your talk?
Important question. I’m not a lawyer, and it would be smart to get legal advice on this. The basic process involves writing to the copyright holder, describing the intended use, and then paying the fee that the copyright holder imposes, or deciding not to use that piece if the fee is too high.