Presentation Skills That Will Take You to the Top (Collection), 2/e

46. Presentation Advice from Frank Sinatra: The Art of Phrasing

In one of Frank Sinatra’s compilation albums, the liner notes contain a meaningful quote from the celebrated singer: “The reading of a song is vital,” he said. “The written word is first; always will be. Not belittling the music, but it really is a backdrop. To convey the meaning of a song, you need to look at the lyric and understand.”

Imagine that: Frank Sinatra, whose rich, resonant voice was lauded and listened to perhaps more than any other in the history of music, considered the lyrics of a song more important than the melody. The man who was aptly nicknamed “The Voice” relegated his legendary “chops,” as professional musicians call it, to second place.

The presentation advice ...