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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Great Moments in Historic Speeches - Ronald Reagan


Known as “The Great Communicator” Ronald Reagan excelled when communicating with the American public. At the time of his now famous “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate” speech of 1987, Cold War tensions were steadily decreasing. When President Reagan demanded the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, “tear down this wall” (i.e. the Berlin Wall) he established himself as one of America’s great speakers. This speech was instrumental in both the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union.

Although the general public considered his moniker “The Great Communicator” to be an apt name, Reagan himself did not agree. He believed he “wasn’t a great communicator, but [he] communicated great things.”

When you begin to compose a speech, concentrate on great content. Outline a few central ideas that will be the “heart” of your speech. When you figure out what your main points are, work on effective ways to communicate them. As Reagan said, “I never thought it was my style that made a difference – it was the content.”


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Great Moments in Historic Speeches - Martin Luther King, Jr.


Martin Luther King Monument DC
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character…I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood…I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low.”

“I have a dream”

These iconic words, at the climax of Dr. King’s 1963 speech, represented a triumph both in the struggle for the African-American Civil Rights Movement and in the field of rhetoric. Delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington movement, this speech is a perfect example of the power of nonviolent civil disobedience that MLK both believed in and practiced. The speech had a very large impact on both the audience and U.S. politicians, pressuring the Kennedy administration to accelerate civil rights legislation.

Universally agreed as a masterwork of rhetoric, King’s speech references the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, the United States Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation. A long-time minister, Dr. King was an exceptional public speaker. Repetition of the phrase “I have a dream” was nowhere in the original transcript. Legend has it that Dr. King began preaching one of the most famous phrases in the American language after an audience member shouted “tell them about the dream, Martin!”

This speech is a great place to start when analyzing speech construction. It has many elements of a great speech: meaningful context (taking place 100 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and in front of the Lincoln Memorial), a simple yet powerful message (African-Americans deserve to be treated as equals), and a memorable climax (“I have a dream”).



Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Great Moments in Historic Speeches - Abraham Lincoln


“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” These great words from President Abraham Lincoln began what many consider to be Lincoln’s finest speech – The Gettysburg Address.

A testament to the fact that great speeches need not be long-winded, the Gettysburg Address – just shy of 300 words – lasted only about two minutes. The featured speaker – Edward Everett – delivered a two hour oration after which Abraham Lincoln was to make a “few appropriate remarks” at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery Dedication in November 1863. Lincoln’s carefully chosen words and impassioned delivery made such an impact that this brief speech became one of the most quoted in history.

Take President Lincoln’s lead and challenge yourself to compose your speeches thoughtfully, and deliver them with conviction. So often speakers are given time guidelines for how long a speech should last, instead of allowing the speech to develop naturally. Quantity of words is not as important as the quality of your message. Grab your audience’s attention with your first words, and lead them carefully and deliberately through your message. Include transitions and signposts to make your message clear and keep your audience engaged. Remember to conclude as you started – memorably. Below is Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address from the “Bliss Copy.” Lincoln wrote several versions, and many believe this to be the final.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
November 19, 1863

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln

Monday, August 12, 2013

SW720: All-in-one PA System Connects to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Devices



The AmpliVox SW720 is a powerful all-in-one PA system that puts you in command of your presentation for voice, music or full audio visual with all types of supporting media. The SW720 can play audio or video from any Apple Device such as an iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It will even recharge your device while it’s connected.

An internal DVD, CD player and USB port gives you other options for playing audio and video. The SW720 six inch full range speaker and 30 watt amp project crystal clear sound to audience of up to 500 people in rooms as large as 2,500 square feet. The SW720 gives you easy access to a full range of AV controls:
  • Built in DVD Player

  • Remove control sensor

  • USB port

  • SD Card slot

  • Inputs and Outputs for audio

  • RCA video output

  • 1/4" microphone input

  • Treble, bass and volume controls

  • Wired microphone volume control
This state of the art unit even has a feature that automatically mutes any music when you speak. The SW720 runs on AC power for up to 6 hours on its rechargeable battery.

It ships complete with accessories and ready to plug in and power up. Also available, optional wireless headset and lapel microphones.

Put the power of portable multimedia presentations in your hands, get the AmpliVox SW720.

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Mikana Parade Committee Installs the Radio Hailer for their 2013 Fourth of July Parade




Duncan McCannel, Co-Chair of the Mikana Parade Commitee, has had an ongoing issue over the years when hosting their annual "Biggest Little Fourth of July Parade" in Wisconsin. The problem was with their sound system, many often complained that no one could hear what was going on.

This year for their 2013 4th of July Parade, they choose AmpliVox to fulfill their public address needs. With the help of AmpliVox Account Executive Dan Kreusch, the Parade implemented a sound system consisting of:

• two Radio Hailer Emergency Communication Systems

• two additional speakers for each Hailer units

• and two wireless microphones

"For the first time in over 30 years of the event, everyone could hear and NO one complained. I would like to thank Dan Kreusch and his team at AmpliVox for helping choose the right sound system for our event."

Duncan McCannel
Co-Chair, Mikana Parade Commitee

Public Address Sound Systems For Parades and Outdoor Events


Radio Hailer - Emergency Communication System



The Radio Hailer wireless PA speaker is the ideal solution where a hard-wired PA installation is simply impossible, too expensive, or temporary needed. The Radio Hailer allows you to use your portable 2-way radio, base station or mobile radio to deliver live voice messages directly to a PA speaker up to 1 mile away.