This page contains some information related to my involvement in Rostrum in a number of public speaking clubs in Western Australia (WA).
I am a current member of Rostrum Cub 1 and have been an accredited coach within Rostrum WA for a number of years.
Click here to go to Club 1’s Facebook page –
https://www.facebook.com/RostrumClub1
Donald Woodburn workshop
In October 2018 Club 1 engaged Donald Woodburn to conduct training involving fundamentals of breathing and voice techniques to assist members with developing confidence in public speaking and presentation.
Click here for a detailed overview of the approach taught by Donald during the course of the workshop at Club 1 ,
At that time Donald was lecturing in voice at the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). He now runs Woodburn Voice, where he conducts voice master classes.
The concept involves understanding the “situational dynamic“, e.g. talking to someone at the back of the room is different to talking to someone sitting closer. The body makes natural adjustments and vocal dynamics come out of these natural adjustments rather than out of deliberate vocal manipulation.
Voice is a by-product, not a product. What stimulus before the moment of speech can you integrate that results in ‘vocal dynamic’ rather than a deliberate application of interesting sound.
Click the links below for Facebook videos from the October 2018 training workshop, demonstrating four examples of voice projection and other techniques involving club members Myia Cleggett and Priscilla Nguyen.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19BC8eHZEq
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ExZWRYc6S
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GyoyDk4pU
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15vjoowTek
Rostrum Club 19
I was a member of West Perth Rostrum Club 19 for some years when it was able to use the facilities of the Cooperative Bulk Handling Building (CBH) when it was located in Delhi Street West Perth. This arrangement benefited from a close relationship between Club 19 and the management of CBH, which had fostered attendance and participation in Rostrum’s public speaking and confidence building programs and exercises, as part of CBH’s in-house personal and professional development program.
Therefore, at that time, the membership of Club 19 was a unique combination of both CBH employees and the broader Rostrum membership from a community base.
For about a 10-year period I maintained an in-house website for Club 19, until it was decommissioned in March 2021. As there is some historical value in the Rostrum Club 19 website, an archived version of it is here.
Click here to go to Club 19’s Facebook page –
https://www.facebook.com/club19rostrum
Rostrum Clubs of WA
Click here for information about times and locations of meetings of active Rostrum public speaking clubs in the Perth metropolitan area.
Click here for details of Rostrum WA’s structured three tiered public speaking and confidence-building programs –
- Tier 1 – Introductory development program
- Tier 2 – Intermediate development program