Some lessons from Melinda Camille

Who is Melinda Camille, you ask? She's a contestant on American Idol who made it through the first round of auditions and is "going to Hollywood!"

Melinda's audition piece holds some lessons I would consider valuable to any speaker.

1. She's grounded. Look at her stance, her posture, her lack of extraneous movement. You can tell she's comfortable in her own skin.

2. She connects. She sings to the judges rather than singing to herself as many contestants do. She makes eye contact and emotional connection, and brings them into her world.

3. She's confident. She doesn't rush through the song to get it over with quickly. She takes her time, letting the song build naturally and with appropriate pauses.

4. She's herself. She doesn't try to sound like anyone else, or make faces or gestures like another performer. Her style is clearly her own.

5. She's expressive and passionate. You can tell she loves singing. She doesn't hold back her emotions; she radiates happiness.

The audition starts at 1:15.


If this clip doesn't work, watch the video here.

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