When I hear students in my courses say after their presentations that for the very first time it's like they are not just communicating some content but actually feeling something, I never know if I should be happy... What I do like: they classify the experience as something that "enriches not only their abilities but their entire existence".¹
What does teaching rhetoric mean to me?
I'm teaching speech as a tool for emancipation and self-determination, which in addition opens personal creative potential.
Within the framework of rhetorical practice, my focus is on lectures, presentations and ad lib speech. Physical techniques for performance, voice and articulation are integral components of this process.
The amount of positive feedback I have received for my courses at the University of Salzburg has motivated me to offer my methods to a wider circle of interested people.
Videostill: Hans Christian Gruber, Salzburg 2018.
Technique
My special interest continues to be the clear patterns intrinsic to natural speech behavior. Most people are well endowed with natural forms of expression involving body and voice, but these are normally used only in nonreflective situations in daily life. Few people are aware of how multifaceted their repertoire is for delivering speeches. It's important to develop these skills. For this reason, the techniques I use aim to professionalize the processes of natural speech and integrate them into public speaking. Again and again, the question is raised: what is proper tone? Well, to achieve it, voice and body language need to interact organically. It doesn't matter if you are holding a speech or moderating. Direct vocalization establishes a connection with the person addressed – and something people often overlook – a connection with yourself. This results in credibility and authority.
Moreover...
I teach with fervor, and this fervor is based on a deep fascination for the process of speech. Whether for theater or for rhetorical purposes, my interest is in people speaking. What does rhetoric mean to me? Developing your individual rhetorical potential.
Hints at my way of working can be found in my four paths.