Part ONE: Are we having fun yet? Play wins the day!
Performance English is an attitude of play.
In my experience, the most successful performances, concerts, and interviews with entertainers are those where the performer is relaxed and playful. This attitude of play is the energy of connection and trust that draws people in and makes them take notice.
This currency of curiosity feeds the inner child within all people, from the fan-girliest fangirl to the most stoic metalhead. Resistance is futile when it comes to inviting people to play. We crave it, as human beings. It speaks to the innate spark of creativity in all of us. People desire more than entertainment. They desire connection.
The inclusion that artists give to their audiences will make or break them in the West.
Western audiences tend to see the aloof artist as a snob, not worth their time. The too humble artist comes across as false humility and uninteresting. The distance can be equated with arrogance or a lack of confidence. Either one of these attitudes can put you permanently in the freezing zone of public disinterest. Western audiences are not tame. They demand much from the artists that they offer their interest and devotion to. But once you win their trust, and make the connection with them, you can end up with the most devoted fans for life!
Benjamin Lee Whorf (April 24, 1897 in Winthrop, Massachusetts – July 26, 1941) was an American linguist. Whorf is widely known for his ideas about linguistic relativity, the hypothesis that language influences thought.
Memorable begins with “ME”
If English is not your first language, chances are your cultural inheritance or social norms may be at odds with the ‘ me first’ experience of social normality in the West. This is because; LANGUAGE SHAPES REALITY.
English is a “ME first” language because it is structured as a SUBJECT first language. We begin every sentence with the subject first.
BASIC ENGLISH SENTENCE STRUCTURE IS: SUBJECT-VERB- OBJECT ( This is the most basic structure and is in no way complete. There are predicates, modifiers, adjectives, adverbs, etc., that also form sentences. This is just the basic starting point.)
Examples:
STATEMENT QUESTION
I am happy to be here. What can I say?
You are the best! Are you ready to rock?
We can’t wait to come back! Will we see you there?
They will be available soon. When are they available?
The English-speaking world puts the subject, usually, themselves, first, all the time, with ease and comfort as if it is their first language because it is!
So, can you!
