It's really incredible yet frustrating that I thought I made some eye contact during my speech when in actuality, I looked up only a handful amount. Simply put, I need to practice more. There were too many "umm"s spoken even when I was reading directly off the speech. There were definitely some times when I could have moved away from the notes (maybe when describing the several parts of the violin).
The content and structure were there. I'm glad Mark noted the organization of my presentation because that was my intent: to introduce the physics first and then going on describing how each part contributes to making sound. I felt that was the best way to present the information without confusing my audience by switching around from physics to the violin and so forth.
I do think I have a strong and clear voice in my presentations. The only things holding me back from a powerful presentation are confidence (through more practice) and less "umm"s. Also, I talk a little too fast at times. I noticed that other people have deliberate pauses, which are effective since it allows us (the audience) to soak in what's being given to us. Time in general seems way too quick during a speech. Next time, I should utilize (only a few, of course) pauses to drive my message. For me, it'll definitely feel like I've stopped talking for too long, but I think there is potential for this to work out.
Lauren and Haris suggested maybe that I bring my violin in to demonstrate the harmonics. I was thinking about doing that for my non-expert speech since it would be more visual and direct. Since this speech was for experts, I thought I could describe only using words and images to demonstrate the concepts.
The main takeaways from this presentation are to look up more and make eye contact and be less reliant on the notes themselves. Practice, practice, practice!
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