Finding Your Voice

Cold sweat alert! Many people experience a common unsettling dream that takes place in the classroom… that of being unprepared when placed in the spotlight for an oral report. A few years of working as a radio broadcaster cured that for me. No matter how prepared I was, I was often thrust in situations that were unexpected and foreign. I soon realized that spontaneity is nothing to fear. It can be a strength that encourages fresh ideas and energy, two qualities I find in the broadcast journalists I admire most.

Most of the announcing I do these days is heard on Detroit Public TV, recorded from scripts that can be as simple and direct as “Don’t miss it. Wednesday night at 9.”

Whether spontaneous or by script, I finally have no problem finding my voice. My young son found it one day, too. From toddler to four-year-old, he had frequently heard family members and friends point out that it was dad’s voice that he was hearing when he watched our PBS Kids programming. Back then, he was a quiet boy, and never acknowledged the connection. That is, until bedtime one night. As I crunched across a floor of small Lego parts to tuck him in, I asked with a tone of mild irritation, “Rick, when are you going to pick up these Lego pieces?”

He paused, contorted his face, and tilted his head. With a deepened voice aimed into another galaxy, he mockingly bellowed a response.

“Tuesday at 8!”

I appreciated his timing so much that I let my parenting skills lapse and picked the toys up myself.

I look forward to spending a few hours back on the radio with WRCJ 90.9 FM midday host Chris Felcyn on Friday. We’ll raise dollars for the listener supported classical and jazz station we provide in partnership with Detroit Public Schools. If you appreciate the great music, we’d love to hear your voice.

- John O'Donnell
Communications and Brand Management