An unwanted school trend and what speakers can learn from it

/ News & media / An unwelcome school trend and what speakers can learn from it

"No one needs to go on stage dead on their nerves," says master Jerry Knotter in the May 2, 2025 NRC article about the rise of the final film as an alternative to the traditional group-eight musical. More and more elementary schools are taking this modern approach: an estimated 1,500 of the 6,500 schools in the Netherlands now have a farewell film instead of a musical.

I understand this development. Recording a film takes less time, children don't have to learn lyrics by heart and it offers space for every child - even those who are shy or don't want to sing. Moreover, scenes can be re-recorded until the desired result is achieved.

Yet for me, as a presentation trainer and TED-talk coach, as well as a mother, it feels like we are losing something essential with this development. It says something about how we deal with visibility, with public speaking and with discomfort.

My idea is that a live stage offers something that a film can never fully replace. I have rarely been as happy and loud (!) as I was at my children's final musical. Moved to tears - not only for my own children, but for every child in the class. One overcomes embarrassment, another beams infectiously and number three suddenly appears to have the laughs on his or her hands.

And then, all together receiving the applause... It is truly a magical moment and a crazy conclusion to eight years of teaching.

What makes a live performance so valuable and what lessons can we learn from it about public speaking?

1. Look the discomfort in the mouth well prepared

A live performance is inescapable. It has to happen in that moment. There is no way out. That creates stress. And that's not nice. As parents and society, we seem increasingly anxious to protect our children from discomfort. Sweeping away all obstacles. While exposure to it and overcoming it actually makes them more resilient.

And so in our coaching practice we also meet a lot of professionals who spend a lot of time and energy avoiding presentations. The fear holds them in a stranglehold and is a brake on their personal development.

Just as children do well to face their discomfort head on and stretch their limits by stepping onto the stage under proper guidance, so the euphoria is great in people who no longer allow themselves to be limited by fear and - with proper preparation - finally dare to give a presentation again. And thereby manage to give a voice to their conviction, idea or point of view.

2. "There is no perfection, only life
."

Thus Milan Kundera in The Unbearable Lightness of Existence. In other words, a film can be directed to perfection, but it is precisely in the imperfection that the authenticity lies. Things happen on stage that you cannot plan: a forgotten phrase, an unexpected laugh, a tremor in someone's voice. And that is precisely what makes it exciting and memorable.

Even in presentations, we often tend to strive for perfection, so we seal up the story and memorize it. But in doing so, we lose spontaneity. Especially with online presentations we often hear: "Great, I can hang my text next to my computer and read it out". That's easy, but has its repercussions: the audience may not see your script, but they also lose sight of what you're saying.

So don't be afraid of imperfection; therein lies great power.

3. Make it a group performance

The shared tension, culminating in that one moment when it has to happen, and the pride and relief afterwards, create a bond. That bonding effect diminishes when you break up a musical into separate pivotal moments.

Similarly, business presentations are often seen and prepared as separate, individual contributions. One colleague "is him" and feels compelled to do the job on his own. And even if you present with several colleagues, there is often little mutual coordination - a crying shame! In our team training courses we repeatedly demonstrate how valuable it is to make use of each other's insights and feedback. A nice side effect is that this exchange leads to a closer team bond.

Finally

After my own group-eight musical, I never thought about acting again. I wanted to be a newsreader for the youth news (note to self: never succeeded, never tried). But when friends encouraged me at 18 to join a play, I went along with their enthusiasm. That encouragement, that confidence, that victory - they were and are worth their weight in gold.

So yes, the yearning for comfort and control are understandable. But that very uncomfortable moment in the spotlight, that live interaction with audience, that's where the value lies. That's where growth, connection and memory occur.

Live ultimately gives life more sparkle....