I recently ran across an intriguing observation by Tommy Chong of the comedy team Cheech and Chong. In his book, Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography, Chong describes his former brother-in-law and bandmate, the drummer Floyd Sneed:
Floyd’s humor was natural and very real…. Most, if not all, drummers have a wicked sense of humor because of their timing. Rhythm and timing are everything in music and comedy. Peter Sellers, the legendary comic, started his career as a jazz drummer.
Chong might have also referred to two other legendary comics – Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby – who were noted for wielding a mean set of drumsticks.
Although Chong refers specifically to comedy, I think his observation about timing applies to any form of communication. To paraphrase another musical source (with the proper timing indicated): It ain’t what you say, it’s [b'dup!] how you say it.
This “what vs. how” distinction is also reflected in the performance improviser’s toolkit. Improv uses an activity called Neutral Scene to train performers how to convey meaning beyond the words themselves.
In Neutral Scene, two performers exchange lines from a very mundane script (e.g., “Hello.” “Good day.” “Have a seat.” “Thank you.” “Where’s Dave?” “Dave’s not here.”). The first time through, Player A conveys his dominance over Player B through just his voice inflection, volume, and body language. The second time through, each player says the very same lines he said in “Scene One,” but this time Player B assumes dominance over Player A through her use of nonverbals.
Kat Koppett, in her (highly recommended) book Training to Imagine, describes this contrast between high-status and low-status behaviors.
HIGH-STATUS BEHAVIORS:
· Take up as much space in the room as possible, physically and vocally
· Move smoothly
· Make eye contact and hold it comfortably
· Make (appropriate) physical contact directly and comfortably
· Hold your head still but not stiff
LOW-STATUS BEHAVIORS:
· Take up as little space as possible
· Say “um” and “uh” when you talk
· Touch your face and hair often
· Try to make eye contact but find it sort of painful
· Want to make physical contact, but it kind of stings
As a Daily Improviser, are you aware of the nuances of meaning you communicate in the way you present yourself to others? Do you think you’re choosing the right words but sense that they’re not having their intended impact? Instead of feeling in synch with others, do you often seem to be marching to a different drum?
Reflect on the way your nonverbals support or undermine your carefully chosen words. In the meantime, I’ll go listen to my Floyd Sneed records and get some sorely needed practice on my b’dups!
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Music Trivia Pop Quiz: Floyd Sneed was the original drummer for what classic rock group? Answer next time!
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Floyd’s humor was natural and very real…. Most, if not all, drummers have a wicked sense of humor because of their timing. Rhythm and timing are everything in music and comedy. Peter Sellers, the legendary comic, started his career as a jazz drummer.
Chong might have also referred to two other legendary comics – Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby – who were noted for wielding a mean set of drumsticks.
Although Chong refers specifically to comedy, I think his observation about timing applies to any form of communication. To paraphrase another musical source (with the proper timing indicated): It ain’t what you say, it’s [b'dup!] how you say it.
This “what vs. how” distinction is also reflected in the performance improviser’s toolkit. Improv uses an activity called Neutral Scene to train performers how to convey meaning beyond the words themselves.
In Neutral Scene, two performers exchange lines from a very mundane script (e.g., “Hello.” “Good day.” “Have a seat.” “Thank you.” “Where’s Dave?” “Dave’s not here.”). The first time through, Player A conveys his dominance over Player B through just his voice inflection, volume, and body language. The second time through, each player says the very same lines he said in “Scene One,” but this time Player B assumes dominance over Player A through her use of nonverbals.
Kat Koppett, in her (highly recommended) book Training to Imagine, describes this contrast between high-status and low-status behaviors.
HIGH-STATUS BEHAVIORS:
· Take up as much space in the room as possible, physically and vocally
· Move smoothly
· Make eye contact and hold it comfortably
· Make (appropriate) physical contact directly and comfortably
· Hold your head still but not stiff
LOW-STATUS BEHAVIORS:
· Take up as little space as possible
· Say “um” and “uh” when you talk
· Touch your face and hair often
· Try to make eye contact but find it sort of painful
· Want to make physical contact, but it kind of stings
As a Daily Improviser, are you aware of the nuances of meaning you communicate in the way you present yourself to others? Do you think you’re choosing the right words but sense that they’re not having their intended impact? Instead of feeling in synch with others, do you often seem to be marching to a different drum?
Reflect on the way your nonverbals support or undermine your carefully chosen words. In the meantime, I’ll go listen to my Floyd Sneed records and get some sorely needed practice on my b’dups!
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Music Trivia Pop Quiz: Floyd Sneed was the original drummer for what classic rock group? Answer next time!
.
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