Welcome to the game

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On a train to New York, I saw a man unpack a portable electric guitar, assemble it, plug earphones into it, and begin to play.  He was sitting at the window with two people packed next to him.  No one heard a sound.

On the way out of the train, I asked him how long he’d had the instrument.  “About a year,” he said. 

“Are you a professional?” I asked.  

“No, I’m a lawyer.”

I said I was a crude folky taking lessons, and he said he was taking lessons too—in jazz.  I told him I was self-taught, and only now realizing how complex music is.

He looked at me.  “Welcome to the game,” he said.

He got 45 minutes of practice on his morning commute, and 45 going home.  That’s an hour-and-a-half of practice for a guy who has a law practice, a family, and a jones for music.

Music is a communication skill.  So is speaking.  If you’re not practicing, someone out there is, and when you meet that person, she will win.  

Welcome to the game.

I am currently offering a public program called Presenting for Results SM  that can help you get in or stay in the game.

I’d be happy to have you among a small group at Presenting for Results SM on November 18th and 19th in New Jersey (at the beautiful Upper Montclair Country Club.)

To register, or to download the brochure, go to http://www.simswyeth.com/services/pfr/ And if you know people who could benefit from an invigorating educational experience, would you please forward them this post?

Sims Wyeth is an executive speech coach in Montclair, NJ specializing in presentation skills and public speaking training in order to give accomplished people the knowledge and skill they need to become accomplished speakers. Learn more public speaking tips at www.SimsWyeth.com.

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