All language subtitles for MasterClass LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling - 09 Case Study Reading to Adults

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I believe that you will find
if you practice reading aloud,

in the mirror or to people,
to actual human beings,

it will improve your
comfort level when

speaking in front of
people in the office

or in conversations with
your friends and family.

It is the confidence that
you gain with reading aloud

that will translate.

It will spill over into
your everyday life.

Whether you're
reading by yourself

or reading to an audience,
having a place where

it's okay to experiment
will absolutely

translate into your interactions
that involve storytelling

or speaking in public.

In this case study, I'm going
to read an excerpt from my book,

"Aftermath."

Then I'll give you some
guidance on the practice

of reading out
loud that will make

you more confident in your
everyday communication.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

"Chapter 13.

Leon Cane stood in the
window feeling the wind

upon his face--

cool, caressing, like
the kiss of angels.

It whispered in
his ears, sharing

with him secrets of faraway
places and times long past.

He closed his eyes and imagined
himself flying with the wind,

soaring like a
bird up to the sun.

Soaring, soaring,
soaring, never falling,

sweeping over
mountains and deserts,

touching ancient temples and
forgotten cities of stone.

His spirit passed
beyond the reach of day

into the cool
darkness of the night.

Following the path
of dead kings,

he drank from sacred pools
of water, which glowed

like jewels in the moonlight.

He sighed and opened his eyes.

Leon was on the 20th floor of
the Atlanta Hilton and Towers,

looking out over what had once
been the heart of Atlanta.

Most of the downtown
area had been

destroyed during the riots,
the once glittering high rises

looted and burned.

The remaining buildings had
been pockmarked and scarred

by rocket and artillery
attacks during the war.

But Leon hadn't climbed 20
flights of stairs and a burned

out hotel just to
admire the view,

not that it was worth admiring.

He had come seeking peace
for a troubled soul,

to rid himself of
guilt and anguish.

He had come to join his
family, again, forever.

His throat tightened
as memories of his wife

floated through
his mind, Vanessa

curled up on the sofa
watching television,

a bottle of mineral water
on the table beside her,

the smell of her hair,
the feel of her flesh

when they made love, the
whisper of her voice late

at night when she lay beside
him and spoke of her dreams

for the two of them,
and their daughter.

Tears slowly trickled
down Leon's cheeks

as he thought of Anita,
healing the emptiness that

lay within his heart.

There was no way to describe how
badly he missed his daughter,

for it was beyond description.

Never again would he be
able to hold his little girl

on his lap, hug her,
listen to her laughter

when he playfully
tickled her feet

or see her lower lip turn
into a pout when she was mad.

Words alone could not begin
to tell of the loss he felt

or the guilt.

It was his fault that
his wife and daughter

had died, his and his alone.

Vanessa had begged him not
to publish this article

about space launches affecting
global weather patterns,

but he had refused to listen.

Leon thought he was doing
something important,

looking out for the
welfare of mankind.

Instead, he should
have been thinking

about the safety of his family.

Because of that cursed article,
his home had been firebombed,

and his family murdered.

The joys of being a
husband and a father

had been taken away from him.

There would be no
more quiet walks along

the beach, no more
casual conversations

at the dinner table.

He and Vanessa would
not grow old together.

Anita would not grow up, fall
in love, and get married.

She would never even have a
boyfriend or ride a bicycle.

Gone.

Gone.

All of it gone.

A world of hopes and
dreams destroyed forever

in a fiery blaze, a blaze
he had brought upon them."

[MUSIC PLAYING]

One of the things that I try
to do when I'm reading aloud--

and I do this whether
I'm reading for children

or adults--

I try and use the
writer's road map.

And I play with it a little bit.

Like a period at the end of a
sentence, or comma punctuation,

I tend to ignore--

[LAUGHS] --when I read aloud.

Because it needs-- the story
needs to flow differently

when you're performing
it than it will flow when

you are reading it yourself.

Let me give you an example
of how a different rhythm--

a different attack, that's
what we call it-- let me

just show you how in
a sentence or two,

it really is a different
experience when approached,

when attacked, in
a different way.

"She would never even have a
boyfriend or ride a bicycle.

Gone.

Gone.

All of it gone.

A world of hopes and
dreams destroyed forever

in a fiery blaze, a blaze that
he had brought upon them."

That's one approach.

"She would never even have
a boyfriend or a bicycle.

Gone.

Gone.

All of it gone.

A world of hopes and
dreams destroyed forever

in a fiery blaze, a blaze
he had brought upon them."

So it's just a matter
of interpretation.

You're interpreting
the writer's words,

and you get to choose
the way you interpret it.

So having the freedom
to play with the text,

in terms of how you
deliver it, it's okay.

It's perfectly okay
and really natural.

Because what you
really want to do

is find a way to invest
yourself in the story, right,

and have the story really
hold your interest.

So avoiding the tendency to
just do a verbatim reading that

can tend to become
dry to the ear,

right, mix it up for yourself.

Keep yourself on your
toes and entertain.

And that will be translated
to the audience's experience.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Storytelling is such a
human-driven activity.

And I think we respond
well as human beings when

we are able to meet
someone eye to eye.

Because the dynamics
of hierarchy

don't necessarily lend
themselves to storytelling,

unless it's a part
of the story--

unless you want to feel removed
or higher than the audience

and talking down to them.

In most cases, you want to be
at eye level with your audience

as best as you're able,
because it just, again, it

helps create that rapport
and that sense of safety

for your audience member.

So in this particular
case, being

on a higher stool to meet
the eyes of the audience

is the right choice for me.

And, again, there are
no hard and fast rules,

but these are just things
that I have learned over time

that are successful for me.

Reading aloud is a gift that
you're giving to people.

Everyone likes to be read to.

Right?

It hearkens back to the
time when we were children,

and that was a regular
occurrence in our lives.

People love to be read to.

So let go of whatever judgment
you're bringing to the moment,

please, because you
will enjoy it more,

and your audience will
certainly enjoy it more.

So tips and takeaways
for reading,

say, to an adult audience.

Don't be afraid to
experiment, right?

Play with the rhythm,
play with your tempo,

ignore the punctuation if
you have a mind to, right?

Practice.

Practice.

Practice.

Do it in front of a mirror, do
it in front of a pet or anyone.

The idea is to become
comfortable and familiar

with the activity.

And that level of comfort
and comfortability

will absolutely make its
way into your performance.

I love today.

[LAUGHS]

This is awesome.

This I can do.