Bobby Mcferrin on expectations:
Prof. Lawrence Parsons explains what happens:
“He [Bobby Mcferrin] takes a spatial metaphor which is essentially the keyboard.
Then he builds it up.
Notice he starts in a small interval and slowly expands it out.
The audience builds their expectation about what they’re going to sing. Then Bobby plays with that and expands it out.
He builds a melody, harmonizes, and improvises on top of it.
It starts with some shared knowledge, some shared expectations, then it’s improvised collectively.
There are elements of joint action and shared cognition.”
When was the last time you witnessed a presentation that involved joint action [working together] and shared cognition [thinking together]?
Here’s another example of Mcferrin working with an audience to make something beautiful: Unlike the first video (musicians & intellectuals) this audience is made up of everyday people who just enjoy music. They don’t understand how to engage with Mcferrin at first. He doesn’t grumble, insult, or yell at them. He simply explains the process another time and shows them how to participate. The final result is quite winsome:
Notice how the audience really, REALLY enjoys being a part of the final product?
There’s a lesson to be learned here. I’ll skip the bulleted list and take-away on this. I’d rather you sounded in. Readers, what do YOU think?
If you’d like to share a link to a favorite presentation or some thoughts on how a presenter might better engage you as part of an audience, I’d be grateful for your contribution!
Stunning. Simply stunning. Its definitely a lesson in engagement there and a lesson for us all about how to take something “normal” and make it into something very special for all those involved.
Now i just have to figure out how to do it with blogging.
You and me both, Justin.
I'm an at a loss for words at how amazing this is! I have never attended a presentation where the speaker did anything but speak much less engage the audience like this in such a meaningful way. He made them a part of the presentation! I bet they were more engaged after that because they had invested part of themselves in it.
The take-away for me? Presentations aren't about the presenter. They're about how the presenter can inspire, encourage, and create community around an issue/topic. I just hope that I can remember that the next time I present!
I have seen the first video a few times but I haven't seen the second. He is a remarkable teacher and how engaging he is. Totally remarkable!
I'm sure, with a bit of practice, you'll be one of the best!
As always, Seth, your writing is thought provoking.
What an excellent example you've used with Bobby McFerrin to touch on a subject much larger than an entertainer engaging an audience. This post makes me think of the big picture of ALL COMMUNICATION – especially the conspicuous evolution of social media and how businesses and the marketing industry appear to be scrambling to figure out where we're headed in this new era. I've been watching you closely because I think you get it.
You get it.
Bobby McFerrin gets it.
It's about engaging…connecting…relating on a human level. Not just sound bites or experts rambling about knowledge and experience, but human interaction, learning from each other, being inspired by each other, stimulating each other to new heights of ideas and creativity. It's about the experience.
Whether you're communicating to an audience from a stage or a computer screen, it's all about the experience created when the magical power of engagement takes over.
Kudos on another great blog post that once again engaged this reader!
Allison
Hi Allison!
I think a LOT of people really do get SM as just another conduit for
communication. It'll definitely be interesting to see what different
companies do in this space!
Mcferrin is, without a doubt, very high on the list of people I'd like to
spend an afternoon with. I love that he has enough confidence in his message
that he tells the audience to stop applauding so he can continue.
Excellent!
Thanks for stopping by!