Using a microphone for a speech

You are sitting at a wedding enjoying your meal and the speeches start.  You honestly love this young couple and are waiting to hear from their friends and family.  Then it all goes wrong!
Screech, screech - the sound system screams, the speaker is drowned out and the audience wince. Someone jumps up and sorts out the problem and on go the speeches.  One speaker pops and blares over the group, the other can barely be heard.

Probably the best advice to give anyone who has to use a microphone at an event is to practise!

We tested a couple of microphones at our recent Rostrum meeting and here are the tips that we noted:

• each microphone is different - you need to test and understand the one that you are going to use before you stand up to speak
• you need to know which part of the microphone to aim at your mouth - the side or the top - for our test the top of the hand held microphone was most successful
• we made great popping noises with ts and ps when the microphone was held in the wrong position - our tests found that slightly to the side of the mouth was best position with the top  of the microphone angled toward the mouth
• it is important to move the microphone with any sideward head turns.  One of the group suggested that we imagine holding our thumb outwards from the microphone with the thumb resting on your cheek.  When you turn your head, the hand will move too
• how do you want your voice to sound?  We found that the sound system could be adjusted from a deeper sound to a higher sound.  Which is most appropriate for you?