Will this Sunday's Grammy acceptance speeches be riveting, appalling or simply mundane? If tradition holds, we can expect the good, the bad, and the ugly from this year’s crop of Grammy winners.
Viewers will be able to tell which recipients have worked to sharpen their communications edge and which take a cavalier—or outright lazy—approach. Talented singers and musicians don’t always make good public speakers. It’s like learning to sing or play an instrument at a high level. Solid presentation skills demand a lifetime of lessons and a rigorous devotion to practice.
This applies even if you receive an honor not quite as prestigious as a Grammy. Your award may come from a local civic organization or your child’s school. No matter how minor it may seem in the grand scheme of things, it is a big deal to you. As Grammy winner Aretha Franklin would say, treat it with some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
As for this year’s Grammy recipients, if the music starts to swell as they ramble on about their mother, their agent, and God, the best advice I can give to avoid embarrassment is to take the hint and wrap it up—right away!. And let’s hope we are spared what seems to be an annual overdose of self-righteousness—Bono, take note.
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