Author Topic: Possible announcing gigs (Read 5273 times)

PYLdude · « **on:** March 03, 2005, 01:03:44 PM »

I know this is gonna sound like a really, REALLY stupid question (and I urge you admins to kick it to the curb if you must), but I really gotta ask it.

I recently signed up to try out to be a public address announcer at a minor league baseball stadium. The tryout is April 16, and I'm looking forward to it.

Now, keep this in mind, anyone willing to field this...I do have some small experience in PA announcing for baseball games (small meaning a few Little League games here and there a few years ago), plus-if this counts-I was a layreader at a church for a couple years. So I have some, if minimal, experience with public speaking. Despite that, I realize that I will have some competition, and I may not come out on top.

While the tryout is a while away, I feel the need to try and practice (if you can put it that way- I can't think of a better word myself) to get my voice into shape and give myself at least a good shot.

I know that we have some people who are experienced in the field of public speaking and announcing (not to mention THE Randy West, who needs no introduction the world over), and we probably have a few who have some sort of PA announcing experience.

Now, I know some of you are groaning after reading all that, so now I'll get to the point.

How can I practice for this? Is there any method that may work better than another? Does the old reading something off a piece of paper method work?

I open the floor to suggestions and whatever you may have to throw at me. Like I said, killfile if you must.

TLEberle · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2005, 01:31:03 PM »

I would suggest the reading things aloud, but also record yourself on a tape recorder, then listen to the aircheck; that's what you'll sound like over the PA.

I don't know how much speaking you'll be doing, but even for just a one-minute bit it would be wise to practice; breathing, speaking from your diaphragm, and all of that good stuff. Because if you do it in practice, you won't have to think about it behind the mike.

But if you've done PA work, I bet you know all this. It might be worth finding out what the tryout will entail, if it's specific passages.

clemon79 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2005, 01:36:22 PM »

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' date=\'Mar 3 2005, 11:03 AM\']How can I practice for this? Is there any method that may work better than another? Does the old reading something off a piece of paper method work?
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Absolutely. Writing helps, too. Sit down and write a few announcements of the type you would hear at a ballgame, in your own voice, and read them. Here's an example I did for a hockey game I did a couple weeks ago:

HEY, SPEAKING OF “ON TAP”, THE BEER GARDEN WILL BE OPENING AT 7:30! WE’LL HAVE BEER AND WINE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE 21 AND OVER, AS WELL AS HOT CHOCOLATE AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FOR FANS OF ALL AGES. WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE, IF YOU PARTAKE, PLEASE DESIGNATE. DESIGNATE A DRIVER, WE WANT EVERYONE TO GET HOME SAFELY TONIGHT.

If you can get hold of the team's training camp roster, you'll be ahead of the game, too. Call the team's Media Relations people and ask if they have a roster with pronunciations (they may not...they may wait for the final roster before producing their media guide...but I bet they at least have something for the TV stations they could fax or photocopy for you), or get hold of whatever roster they do have available and ask them if there is a time when they can spare a few minutes to go over the names with you. It's their job, and they will realize you are approaching the gig from a professional angle, which is good. You'll no doubt be asked to announce a couple of batters, and if you know in advance what inflections you want to put on the names, you'll be ahead of the game.

On the day of, go to the bathroom before you leave the house. You'll thank me later.

Randy may not agree with this, but I try not to eat anything right before I work. I dun wanna get all burpy when I have a mic in front of me. But do keep a bottle of water with you, especially if you're nervous. Being able to sip as you go (and whenever you want) will keep you calm.

When you're there, if they do give you some copy before your tryout, repair to someplace where you won't bother other people and read over it a few times. Note possible stumbling blocks. Don't do it TOO much or else you'll get antsy, but a couple times over will insure you are familiar with it when it's time to do it for real. On the other hand, if they hand it to you when you're sitting in the box in front of the mic, you should still take a few moments to read it over before you do it for them. A good announcer NEVER reads anything cold if they can help it. ALWAYS read your copy, even silently to yourself, before you read it on the air.

And for God's sake, have fun with it! If you like announcing and you're a fan of the game, IT WILL SHOW. Don't force it. Just do your thing, enjoy the experience, and have a good time.

Good luck!

davewalls · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2005, 01:38:21 PM »

In the past, I served as the PA announcer for Liberty University's basketball teams, but also substituted in other areas, including baseball.

The big thing to keep in mind: Be yourself. Relax, read everything as clearly as possible. Sound pleasant, upbeat, and happy, but don't overdo it. If you sound fake, there's no way you'll get it.

A practice aircheck, as Travis suggested, isn't a bad idea. Take the time to read some scripts. Good way to practice for PA jobs is to copy the ads on sports games that the announcers read: (Tonight's game is brought to you by....). Write those scripts down, and pretend reading them. An added bonus might be to get a copy of the team's lineup, and practice correctly announcing their names, as if they were coming up to bat.

Relax, and have fun with it! Hope this helps...

Dave

tvrandywest · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2005, 02:24:27 PM »

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' date=\'Mar 3 2005, 10:03 AM\']I know that we have some people who are experienced in the field of public speaking and announcing (not to mention THE Randy West, who needs no introduction the world over... [/quote]
In honor of that great kiss-up, I'll be happy to respond ;-)

First, congratulations! And it's anything but a stupid to ask for help so you can shine at this and every audition.

With over a month to prepare I would try to find addresses to contact the guys who do that very specific kind of PA work. I bet most would be happy to give you a tip or two that applies to that unique work. My few times in that kind of massive venue (Ballparks, Jai Alai frontons and one incredible night at the Hollywood Bowl) I quickly learned to force myself NOT to listen to the echo of my voice; it will totally make you crazy. Focus or wear headphones to "tune out" that half-second to 2 second repeat of your voice.

Also specific to to this work is that you must speak in short phrases, lest the words you speak become part of an indistinguishable soup with the previous words that are still on their 2nd or 3rd echo across the field. That's why those speech patterns are always laden with pauses: "Batting 7th...... Right-fielder...... Jose....Canyoosee...". Depending upon the hardware available to you now, you can actually practice with that phenomenon using a reel-to-reel tape recorder running at 3.75 ips.

In general, spend tons of time behind a microphone reading anything, recording and playing yourself back until, through trial and error, you find your best voice placement and mic technique. And until you are no longer self-conscious hearing your own voice.

I just read Chris' post and agree with his wonderful suggestion about getting the names and pronunciations burned into your brain. Yes, don't eat just before. And yes, WARM liquids while you work.

Good luck. Just stay away from game shows!!!

Randy
tvrandywest.com

wschmrdr · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2005, 06:50:11 PM »

Reel-to-reel, eh Randy? I'm sure half the people here don't even know what that is!

After doing the morning announcements in high school for a while, it could get tricky. One definite thing to do is to rehearse the copy. Read through it, make sure you can pronounce everything. Do speak either slowly or with breaks so even the echoeist areas can understand what you're saying. Enunciation never hurts either (just make sure you don't hit the consonants too hard).

Best thing to do when practicing is go to a random website with text online, and read out loud a paragraph of it. If you've got a karaoke mic with a speaker, all's the better!

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #6 on:** March 03, 2005, 06:58:32 PM »

Here's a tip that my radio teacher gave us for when we're recording news stories and such for our school radio station.

Try practicing reading the script aloud with a pencil in your mouth. Have it lengthwise across your mouth, biting the pencil with your back teeth. Then read it aloud again without the pencil. You'll enuncitate a million times better. I guarantee it.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 03, 2005, 07:18:03 PM »

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Mar 3 2005, 02:24 PM\']Depending upon the hardware available to you now, you can actually practice with that phenomenon using a reel-to-reel tape recorder running at 3.75 ips.

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[quote name=\'wschmrdr\' date=\'Mar 3 2005, 06:50 PM\']Reel-to-reel, eh Randy? I'm sure half the people here don't even know what that is!

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I never saw Peter Marshall give away any tape recorders on that early PAX show! Then again, I never saw any of the producers actually give out *anything* either :-p

Seriously, If you have copy that you can write on, WRITE ON IT! Insert pauses where you should pause and underline words or syllables you want to emphasize! It comes in handy when it's audition time when your nerves can tend to ignore all punctuations, and it allows you to write player names phonetically for your convenience -- people never hear mispelled words you purposely mispell for yourself,

ROLF BIN-ERSH-KAH!

tvrandywest · « **Reply #8 on:** March 03, 2005, 08:36:29 PM »

I'm sure I can do that 3.75 ips echo effect with any of the ProTools, CoolEditPro or SoundForge I've got, but damned if I can figure out this new fangled nonsense. I love oxide!! ;-p

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Mar 3 2005, 03:58 PM\']Try practicing reading the script aloud with a pencil in your mouth. Have it lengthwise across your mouth, biting the pencil with your back teeth. Then read it aloud again without the pencil...

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Now try with a mouthful of marbles. Read the copy and then remove one marble before reading again. When you've lost all your marbles you can proceed with wanting to be a professional announcer!

Randy
tvrandywest.com

Don Howard · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2005, 11:28:48 PM »

Don't drink any milk beforehand..at least not a lot. I chugged 16 ounces of that stuff just before opening the mike a few weeks ago and ye olde phlegm had built up a bit which noticeably decreased the quality of the delivery. Soda builds up too much moisture on the tongue. Water is good anytime.

pianogeek · « **Reply #10 on:** March 03, 2005, 11:51:15 PM »

You know, some those tips you posters have been writing are also found in a nice book I'm reading called "The Art of Voice Acting", written by voice-over artist James R. Alburger and published by Focal Press. I got this book since I'm thinking and preparing myself in becoming a talent in voice acting and getting a professional coach. (That would be my spare 2nd career. 1st career, I'm a web programmer. hehe)

It also has tips on how to quickly analyze a script, how to warm-up your voice, how to enunciate and infect, how to act professional when entering a recording, etc. Plus it has commercial and narrative scripts (a.k.a. "a copy") for readers to practice and information on how break into the industry (from finding an agent to getting clients).

Hope you have fun out there, PYLdude!

(P.S. I still have the TPIR Close Captioning Plug I did for fun, featuring the unused '72 commercial bump. Hahaha...don't worry. I'm not breaking into game shows, either!

mystery7 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2005, 12:48:55 AM »

[quote name=\'pianogeek\' date=\'Mar 3 2005, 11:51 PM\']how to enunciate and infect...

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How to spread the word, in other words...?

Quick hints: If you buy headphones, make sure they're a CLOSED-BACK style that goes around your ears rather than on them. You'll shut out the ambience around you, and you won't get the feedback you'd get with open 'phones if you like 'em loud.

Tim K mentioned writing on your copy. Most if not all of the ad copy you'll be reading will be double-spaced for just that reason. It's also in ALL CAPS to make it easier to read.

Hey, I've got some actual ad copy if anyone wants to practice with it. It's a half-dozen 10-second product blurbs, just right for an end-of-show rattle, but will probably work in a stadium setting too. Lmno if you need it and it's yours in your choice of a Word file or copy 'n' paste.

PYLdude · « **Reply #12 on:** March 04, 2005, 10:07:37 AM »

Thanks to everybody who's responded so far.

I took Travis' suggestion into mind last night and went out looking for a voice recorder. I got a little cash flow problem this week, so I may have to hold off on getting one 'til next week. But I am definitely going to get one. (I might be able to borrow one from school, though...would save me some money, at least for now.)

I did find out that some of the tryout is going to involve reading some ad copy, so I definitely will practice that. I'm going to use your copy you posted, Chris, as part of my practice, because I think it was a good one.

Also, to all those who suggested I get a copy of the roster...can do, already did. I sort of have a small advantage there, because most of the players from the 2004 team are back for this year, and I was at quite a few games last year and was able to learn some pronunciation. The rest of the guys on the roster for right now have relatively easy names to pronounce, so I shouldn't have any problems there. Hopefully I don't choke on my words.

Randy, appreciated your suggestions. I'm gonna try the headphones idea out for sure. I technically took your "read anything" suggestion into effect by reading some of the things that appeared on my TV screen while watching a DVD last night (you know, the FBI warnings and all that...figured it was worth a shot). Didn't have something to record it on, though.

And also, thanks to you I have Weird Al Yankovic's "Smells Like Nirvana" stuck in my head.

Senor Schmarder, muchas gracias for your idea. Don't have the karaoke mic, though.

whoserman's idea seems a little strange, but if you guarantee it'll help, I'll try it.

Wise idea on the milk, Don. Last thing I need is to have my voice all nasally-sounding on the day of my tryout.

Hey, mystery7, I'd definitely like to see some of your ad copy for practice. My email is c_mpalmer@hotmail.com (cut-n-paste variety, please).

I thank all of you who offered tips and advice, and to those I may have forgotten to mention above, I do appreciate it all.

I can sure use all the help I can get, so keep it coming, whether it be here or at the above e-mail address.

GMar · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2005, 11:14:26 AM »

I've never posted here before, but since you're on the topic of announcing, I thought I'd reinforce a great point made by "wschmrdra" a couple of posts back. I have been a professional radio announcer for 35 years (mostly in Georgia), so I "speak" from experience! Trust me...always..ALWAYS pre-read your copy..OUT LOUD..before you deliver it!! In my first radio job, as a young buck of 18 and ready to own the radio world, I was working in a very, very small market. So small, that each morning, we had to read the local obituary announcements on the air in between the news and weather blocks. Anyway, being young and way too "cool" to proof read anything (by God I was on the air..and I knew EVERYTHING!), I had a live commercial inside of the news block that also announced the winner of a brand new radio. I joyfully announced "Congratulations Mrs Tessie Lassiter! You're the winner of our transistor radio." Turning to the next segment in the block..cold..., I reached into the box to pull out the obituaries (you're ahead of me, aren't you?) and blurted right into: "Funeral services will be held today for Mrs Tessie Lassiter!" I was mortified!! I didn't know whether to laugh or hide!! Believe me, I learned my lesson that day and have never read one word on a mike I haven't proof-read out loud in advance. If you don't get into the practice, it's not a matter of "if" you screw up..it's a matter of "when"!

Oh..and believe it or not, the lady's husband stopped by the station that afternoon to pick up that damned radio!!

Anyway, I enjoy the posts and comments from all of you! Thanks for a great forum! Long Live Game Shows!
Lurking in the wings of the great sparkled curtains,
GMar

(Long overquote edited out. -DZ)

clemon79 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2005, 12:02:58 PM »

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' date=\'Mar 4 2005, 08:07 AM\']I did find out that some of the tryout is going to involve reading some ad copy, so I definitely will practice that. I'm going to use your copy you posted, Chris, as part of my practice, because I think it was a good one.
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Glad to help. I will repeat, though, you should rewrite it in a way that feels natural to your own delivery...what's natural to me probably won't be to you.

Quote

The rest of the guys on the roster for right now have relatively easy names to pronounce, so I shouldn't have any problems there. Hopefully I don't choke on my words.

I'd still take five minutes to call the Media people and run down the list, just to be totally certain. Of course, I do hockey, where "Martin" can be "Mar-TIN", "Mar-TAN", or "Mar-TEEN".