Since the dawn of radio (I’m guessing), well at least the dawn of my existence in the radio space which has been for the past 21 odd years, the importance of the presenter demo was an integral part of you moving forward from one station to another. So we went from tape to CD, to digital submissions to having an entire brand alive on various social media platforms, perhaps a landing site should your brand be more established.
Because of this, my personal approach to creating a “demo” specifically, and if you have enough immaculate content, is to now produce an official yearly showcase.
The showcase is considerably longer than your demo. You want to be able to not “short-change” the variety of skills that make your incredible talent as great as it is.
Looking at mine for 2021, I first wanted to use clips that had me on various platforms. From commercial radio to internet radio, to podcasting and vodcasting, as well as lifestyle and human interest journalistic environments and interviews.
As a skill set, I wanted to showcase my unique personality that has sediment in grace my position on various shows, at various stations, and being “in bed” with a large number of brands, companies, festivals, events, and community projects. The showcase includes the ability to change from current affairs to taboo conversations, to satire and skits, to meaningful and welcoming connections with a listener, to narratives, and chats with superstars local and abroad such as the infamous podcast pioneer MacG to the international sensation of Robin Thicke. Caliber is what you strive for, but not through who you speak to, but how you speak to them. Have you treated your show with the respect that your listener deserves? Have you connected with humility? That for every play, share, comment, or tune in, your gratitude in return is to showcase your best broadcasting foot forward.
I had a stroke 2 and a half years ago, which completely took away my years and years of built-up communication skills and created a painful clean slate to general knowledge and a dictionary of words, phrases, and expressions I would use previously in my arsenal to being a great broadcaster. I started to build all of it back immediately. From word salad to sensible thoughts and verbal sentences, to create a new database of references, wording, grammar, and again, knowledge. My recovery process was estimated to 5 years. But I had things to do. And even exhausted, discouraged, and in many ways humiliating when a day came to end, and I pushed through more and more obstacles, and embarked on journeys – I still used apps (and still do) to help with annunciation, pronunciation, diction, and so on. I read, listen and watch as much as my brain can consume around pop culture and the world around me. And I practice delivery, first, by never thinking inwardly, but rather always vocally voicing my thoughts to regain structure, and secondly, take any book or written piece, read it out aloud to practice hurdle words and combinative narratives, and thirdly, I am forgiving of myself, I go back to the basics, rinse, cycle, and repeat.
All are great “workouts” for any presenter to stay on top of their craft.
Do this. And the entire scope of the broadcasting industry, from listener to professional peer, will welcome and applaud with deserved respect.
Please enjoy my 2021 broadcaster showcase. I’m very proud of how far I’ve constantly pushed to keep this journey, passion, and dream, going.
Much mad love to you,
Chris