What kind of speaker do you want to be one year from now? What comments would you like to hear people saying about you after you speak? What would you have to do to achieve it?
Ben Zandler describes a process in “The Art of Possibility” where he gives all his orchestra students an A at the beginning of class. The point is to help them eliminate comparing themselves with other students and to feel free to make mistakes. What he asks of them, is to write him a letter imagining it’s one year from the beginning of class describing what they did to earn that A. This letter from one of his students, touched me and I wanted to share it with you. Even though it’s about music, when we speak from our naturally expressive voice it can be a similar feeling.
Here’s the letter from his student Tucker Dulin:
Dear Mr. Z,
Tonight the world knows me. That drive of energy and intense emotion that you saw twisting and dormant inside me, yet, alas I could not show in performance or conversation, was freed tonight in a program of new music composed for me…. The concert ended and no one stirred. A pregnant quiet. Sighs: and then applause that drowned my heart’s throbbing.
I might have bowed – I cannot remember now. The clapping sustained such that I thought I might make my debut complete and celebrate the shedding of:
The mask and skin that I had constructed to hide within, By improvising on my own melody as anencore – unaccompanied. What followed issomething of a blur. I forgot technique, pretension, tradition, schooling, history -truly even the audience. What came from my trombone I wholly believe was my own Voice Laughter, smiles, A frown, weeping Tuckerspirit Did sing. Tucker Dulin
Take a few minutes and write a letter dating it one year from now. Imagine you have spoken in a way that ignites your business or completely transforms a relationship. How did you express yourself in order to allow this to happen?
Watch Benjamin Zandler on www.Ted.com for a truly inspiring speech.