There was one instructor in broadcasting school who typically spoke, even in a small room, as if he were projecting his voice to the back of a 10,000-seat auditorium. Whenever he listened to my mock radio show tapes, he encouraged me to put more energy into my delivery. Even when complimenting my tapes, there would be a qualifier.
"This is good, professional, and you'll probably be hired tomorrow," he once said. "But it can't hurt to stretch and see what else you can do."
I thought, "I'm sure that's well-intentioned advice, but that isn't me. I don't typically speak with manic energy, nor would I seek work at a station where that's required."
At another session, he listened to one of my tapes and joked, "Did someone pass out the Valium?" I played that same tape for the next instructor, who said she liked it. I told her, "(The previous instructor) thought it needed more energy." "No," she replied. "That's plenty of energy for me."
I felt vindicated. I felt even more vindicated when that second instructor became a program director and hired me for her radio station.
It's good to know that some listeners appreciate a subtle announcer.
