It is the final round of the Phoenix Slam Poetry Championship, and the winner will go on to represent the city at the Individual World Poetry Slam. Two of my poems have already gone over well with the judges, so I step to the mic with confidence. I begin reciting a poem I have memorized, and it feels perfect. But when I look through the lights, some of the audience strains forward, while others whisper to their friends. Finally, someone hollers out, “We can’t hear you!” I pause, look down at the mic and notice the switch has been turned off. An entire thirty seconds of my one-minute piece has been read on a mic that wasn’t even powered on.
What’s worse? I could have avoided the whole thing.

Whether we have booked our first university gig or big theater stage, found an open mic friendly to prose readings, are taking our new poem or short story to a slam, or in a bookstore or on our first book tour: whatever level we are on, there is a place to read our writing to an audience.

This post is about how to best create an environment for your audience to go from being readers to being listeners, as though they were guests in your own home–with few disruptions. The main point: Eliminate as many distractions between yourself (your material) and the audience as possible.

In other words: Know your stage. Knowing yourself, your material, and how to communicate it are all invaluable tools we will not cover in this post. This article is about knowing your stage. This includes a lot: sound (volume and range of monitors/speakers), microphones and stands and podiums (or nothing at all), lighting, the host (yes, the human hosting the show), and much more we won’t be able to cover in this single piece (but please feel free to request more tips) .

As a single individual on a microphone, your sound needs are less complicated than, say, a forty-piece orchestra. You are likely not to move much on stage or have many dramatic vocal/volume stages, which means that most sound systems should accommodate your needs. It is still helpful to have a basic understanding of how these systems function for you. First, understand how “hot” the microphone is, with a mic test. Know how far your mouth can or cannot be from the mic, in order to not merely be heard but to be heard well. If an audience member has to strain to listen, it becomes a distraction. Ideally, make sure you test the mic long before your performance. If this option doesn’t exist, pay attention to those who go on the mic before you. If all options fail, first test the mic by snapping your fingers in front of it (Does the range pick up your snap from three or six inches away, or do you have to be right on it?), or test with a short introduction. There is no point in reading if no one can hear you. Asking for the volume to be lowered and raised is a small request when it is the difference between being heard or not.

Also, understand if there are “dead spots,” areas in the room outside the range of the speakers/monitors, or if there are “hot spots,” areas in which you can be heard through the speakers most clearly. You can have these adjusted prior to your reading, or you can encourage the audience to move to more suitable areas. Another option is putting extra effort into reaching those areas outside the comfortable hearing range. If you are not reading with a mic or speakers, these principles still apply: Can people hear you in the back of the audience, or on the sides?

In addition to the volume and range of your mic, know your mic stand. Maybe a guitar player used the boom stand prior to you, and it’s still waist high. Know how to quickly re-adjust even the squirelliest of mic stands to fit your own posture. I have watched FAR more people choose to read into a microphone more than a foot above or below their mouth (we can’t hear you!), rather than just learn how to properly adjust a mic stand.

Know the other stage props. Is there a podium, a sheet stand, or nothing at all? If you have to read at an immobile podium, can you be seen over its height? How far back can the audience see you? If you have a sheet stand, is it wobbly? Can that wobble be corrected? If there is nothing, what is the plan for where to put your pages or a beverage? As an audience member, if I can hear the reader’s voice but not see them, it’s a distraction. It’s important to have answers to these questions prior to getting on stage. At the very least, pay close attention to those who read before you to gather input on acoustics.

Know your lighting. It is almost always safest not to wear a hat on stage. Anything blocking your face from the audience is a distraction. If your lighting is directly overhead, any rim on a hat will cast a shadow on your face, making you less accessible to connect with from a distance, or even up close. With your face exposed, the nuances of your emoting can be seen. (If you are lit from below, go ahead and grab a 10-gallon cowboy hat and give your reading a go; otherwise, run a comb through your hair like you’re going out for the night, ‘cause you are!)

Know and communicate with your host. The time you have been offered on stage is your time. You represent yourself, your work, and perhaps those who represent your work (an agent, publisher, or editor, for example). It is okay to ask the host if you can provide them with what you would like to have shared on your behalf, i.e. accomplishments from your CV, titles of your other work, or other relevant information. Granted, being introduced by a host will vary by venue and circumstance, but when a host is available communicate with them. I often bring a short list of main points I would like the host to mention if they can or choose to.

In the end, it’s one thing to understand you need to get out of your own way, and it’s something else entirely to know how to get out of your own way. If I had snapped my fingers in front of the mic at the Phoenix Slam Championship, I would have known it was turned off. If I had known my stage like it was my best friend, it wouldn’t have become my worst enemy.

reference: wilkeswritelife.wordpress.com