In the last few weeks I introduced this year鈥檚 piano adjudicator for the Kiwanis Battlefords Music Festival, Amy Watson, band adjudicator Terry Heckman, strings adjudicator Anna Marie Bekolay, musical theatre adjudicator Joy McFarlane-Burton and vocal adjudicator Jeri Ryba.
Our final adjudicator representing the discipline of speech arts is Doug Virgil Riley. Riley began coaching professional singers more than 30 years ago, bringing this experience to now offer vocal instruction to most age levels in a variety of styles and genres from Royal Conservatory repertoire, classical, opera, show tunes, art songs, jazz, blues and country, to pop. Riley holds a master鈥檚 of music degree and is a singer and actor who has directed and performed in operatic and music theatre roles throughout Canada.
He has acted in over 100 film, stage, television, musical theatre productions and commercials while participating in various CD recordings. As a member of Yorkton Community Theatre, Riley has starred in Hello Dolly (2001), as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (2004), as Buffalo Bill in Annie Get Your Gun (2005), and as Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof (2006). Memberships include ACTRA and Actor's Equity. He is co-creator of Parkland Performing Arts Academy (2012) www.parklandperformingartsacademy.webs.com.
Many local youth become acquainted and experienced with public speaking through 4-H. Posted online is a 4-H study citing the benefits of public speaking experiences. Learning communication skills helps young people navigate their world and prepare for workforce, civic and family roles they will assume as young adults.
North Carolina 4-H recognized the importance of these skills more than 80 years ago by initiating public speaking and record keeping events for youth, ages nine to18. A recent study by North Carolina Co-operative Extension staff indicates the public speaking program builds skills. Youth prepare and deliver a five- to 12-minute demonstration, illustrated talk or creative performance for an audience and panel of three expert judges. In the process, youth learn skills including research, goal setting, organization and oral presentation and increase knowledge in one of 38 subject-matter areas sponsored by the program. Most important, public speaking fosters self-confidence that empowers a young person to learn, serve and lead in many arenas for years to come.
In terms of impact, it describes that both boys and girls of all ages indicated public speaking helped most in confidence building and learning more about a topic. Preparation and delivery of a speech helped them communicate ideas to others, organize, set goals and do research. Most reported the experience also improved their abilities to work with others.
Greater confidence was not related to increased knowledge of the speech topic. Rather, improved confidence was most closely associated with skills in goal setting, communication and working with others. The pattern of life skill development and higher self confidence held true across all age groups and subject areas. Youth who reported subject matter learning as helpful were also likely to report that presentations improved.
Note that the schedule for this year鈥檚 festival has been adjusted and finalized: piano March 16 - 18 (Monday to Wednesday), band March 19聽(Thursday), strings March 19 - 20 (Thursday and Friday), musical theatre March 22 (Sunday), voice March聽23 - 25 (Monday to Wednesday) and speech arts March 26 - 27 (Thursday to Friday). The gala will be at the Dekker Centre. The gala date is Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Admission will be $10 a seat for adults with free admission for performers, award recipients, award donors and youth 18 and under.聽
鈥淚've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel鈥澛� 鈥� Maya Angelou
