try this

[william williams]

so we wish to become a performer okay

Many years ago while on the track out at the crossroads pub. I was cut short so I raced on down to that pubs outback loo. It was out in the middle of nowhere its doorway faced out across the saltbush plains with nought to see but scrub and it had no door anyway.
Now I know what you’re going to say Don’t forget the red backs. But you see I had already checked that out, so I turned and faced out side and there above me head I spied a sign painted in black that said Please be seated during the whole of the performance. So I looks around and there’s no ones there so I drops me daks an sat an sat an sat an all I sees is a couple of kangaroos hopping across the plains an eagle flying
An a couple of rabbit playing leap frog, oh an a lizard sunbaking.

Now I wouldn’t call that a performance as all it did was relieve my constipation.

Now these are performances. A skit by Murrey Harten, Gregory North, or Glenny Palmer just to name a few there’s Peely, Zondrae and me Bill the battler we need all the help that we can get, we try, and kinder succeed, but the previous three are seasoned campaigners and it shows in their performances

Why now lets look at some things

1 Show man ship. Harten, North and Palmer they sell the story, poem or tale
they make you believe it or want too, or enjoy it

2 so what must we do Practise to become better and more confident is your main aim hard I know
Nerves are the main problem( stage fright) I know you may laugh but it is
It is true, but very hard at times to steel your self against but it is something
You must do, so try hard and it is easier the more often you do it

3 Pick your poem or yarn to suit your style most poems are great if you can control your own style
and way of presenting it. Most performers usually perform humorous works that bring a laugh
and this in it’s self helps to relieve the nervousness of your performance.

Bill wiliams

[Neville Briggs]

The loo at the Sofala camping ground was very good, a panoramic view over the Turon River Valley, you could almost forget why you went there.
I thought you were going to tell us, Bill, about the audience that turned up while you were relaxed at the seat of learning and how you wowed
them with your chamber music.

Neville

[william williams]

well neville
Well actually I was going to Neville except the Brolgas refused to dance the emus went on strike
and the darn kangaroos just laid down under the trees and did nothing talk about union members
I think they have learnt to muck sorry I mean much. Actually the whole performance was pretty high maybe I think it was the curry anyway I thought that I would start the ball rolling about problems in performances but look like nobody wants to see about it or contribute so other may be helped. Oh well that’s the way the cookie crumbles you can not help some people some time nor many any of the time that’s why those top few performers have very little competition

bill williams

[David J Delaney]

G'day Bill, mate you advise has been taken on board, but it is funny, how when mentioned that one is a bush poet, people automatically think you are this great performer ,& are a little shocked, when refering to myself, as 'not' a performer, but, I can, if really needed, very nervously, get up & read, yes read!, as, for the life of me I cannot remember a poem, mine included, from 'go to woe'

I'm sure it will get easier if I get a chance to do this more.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Have the same problem Dave - I would love to get up and perform my work but suffer from craft

Now read it I could and I would, but that doesn't seem to be the go - possibly why I have started doing some Audio tapes - determined that someone is going to listen to me somewhere - my old Dad reckoned as a kid I was vaccinated with a gramophone needle and used to love to hear the sound of my own voice- seems nothing much has changed after all.

I don't think you are on your own Mate - and I guess if you really want to do it and brave enough to give it a go - then just do it. Never know you might surprise yourself.

Cheers

Maureen

[william williams]

Mate, I agree with you one hundred no better make it two hundred percent how true that is
as a writer you understand what you are saying but people think that you are super man(woman)
and it is not true. Nerves take over and you begin to sweat not noticibly but you do and your stomach
churns upside down. Now take a deep breath scratch your head have a blank look on your face look at the people and say what in the hell am I doing here scratch head again and say, "Yeh thats right I was gunna say some poetry" or some such stupid remark like that. It is surpriseing how much that helps the people around you and your self relax and above all don't panic. Look what happened to stutttttering sttttuwwwwey shorely you remember the fella you read about.

So you carn't remember the words can you, so what your not in a comp are you and your amongst friends,or at lest people you know well so what. you can read carn't I know you'd rather look at picture books but not this time your reading from a sheet (make sure the words are clear in slightly larger print. I know your eye sights failing but don't swallow the sheet hold it to one side so your voice travells out to the people
and glance at the sheet when you need to. Tell the people that your memory ain't what it was. You would be surprise how much they accept about the truth. but abouve all enjoy your self. in the next section if you are interested I will put a short tale in it showing how I break it down and have breaks and high lites

PS my reciting memory is dam lousy so I read but not in comps

Bill the old battler

[Zondrae]

G'day all,

Well, I thought you blokes were tough! The first few times I read or recited my poems, my mind went blank. Not on the stage as much as from the time I left my seat to go up, til the time I sat back down again. Often I had no idea of, if I said the stanzas round the right way, or if I left a big chunk out of the middle of the poem. I would get all the symptoms you have described, Bill, and more. I was determined I would conquer my nerves. I wanted to get to a place where I was comfortable on stage again. When I was a kid I did loads of stage work, singing, dancing, and in plays. If I wasn't nervous then, why now? I have almost got them by the throat but if some auspicious person is in the audience, I still tend to choke a little.
It is a strange reaction isn't it. I can practice at home til I'm blue in the face and yet I can never 'do' on stage what I 'do' in the lounge room. I would love to be full of facial expression, like Graeme Johnson, or the consumate performer like Geoffrey Graham or even recite half as well as Sue Carcery or Melanie Hall, but I guess I will always be a bit of a mouse.

I have been asked why do you do it to yourself? my answer: If I don't think my own work worth being heard, then who else will. I have been asked by three different performers for permission to 'do' one of my poems (three different poems) but am still waiting for the day someone gets up and says "I would like to present a poem by ZK". If it ever happens.. I will know I've made it.

[Terry]

G/day All,
I recently had a crack at reciting I managed to memorize one poem and got through without much trouble then cheated and read the second one, I had learn it but still wasn't confident I could get through it without a memory fadeout. At the Cervantes poets breakfast I recited one but read the rest of them including a poem I had written especially for there. It was my first attempt at writing humour I nearly chickened out on that one but Irene reckoned it was ok so I read it and it seemed a get few laughs, I'll post it later.
Corin Lynch Was the mainstay and as usual didn't miss a beat, he's a top notch performer and was ably backed up by Irene and Dave Smith who you all know. An interesting thing about Corin is that he reckons he would never win a written contest, well I don't know about that, because his recital of his poetry is as smooth as silk.

Cheers Terry

[william williams]

Like me Dave for years you lived on the road talking to your self, kidding your self that you could face the world and tell everybody all about the words of wisdom as you recite a poem or a yarn. Bull easier said than done mate. Zondrae states that what has happened to those tough men.
Well Zondrae for many years Dave drove a truck where he had to listen to any engine sound that may be different or any road sound that may be different. And remembering where he is going plus many other things that others may think mundane so he had little time to think about remembering poem as his mind was on other things trying to make a living. Now he’s nearly stopped working his mind is free at last, or is it. There’s many things to do and his mind like mine is was not trained to remember other things like poetry or reciteing. Now when you were young, Zondrae you sung and danced, and played in plays. Remember Zondrae you were young then and your mind was not cluttered, with other things involved with life. Then you stopped and changed tracks and became a wife a mother and then suddenly you were free again
But your memory of remembering things came slowly back to your nerves you slowly got back under control now with practice your self esteem is now coming back. Good luck to you woman your improving. Now all Dave has to do is practice remembering his lines that he is reciting, and mate she’s a dam hard thing to do. Nerves you’ll beat cause you’ve got curage by your side to beat those nerves ( and may be a shot of scotch ½ hour before hand , but don’t over do it)
And the same goes for you to Terry. They say a little Swan helps Terry, but since when did a little bird do that because that little bird always told my mum when I was naughty .

Good luck to you all bill the old battler

[Hully]

...hey a trick for memorisation that I heard somewhere was to learn the last stanza first, then the second last + last in order, then 3rd last + 2nd last + last in order etc...so you learn the 1st stanza only after you know every other one.....with the idea being that the big stumbling block is making a great start but then struggling in hte middle-end - so the starts are clear and confident but the ends invariably varialbe - This way, the closer you get to the end, the more confident of the territory you are...

Don't know if it works though, I never seem to have trouble memorising work so haven't tried this trick....

Now itps for perfroming???....there i cannot help...

cha

h