Name: Why I live in mortal dread of public speaking
Uploaded: 2014-08-08T14:59:43Z
Duration: 12 min 48 s
Description: Megan Washington is one of Australia's premier singer/songwriters. And, since childhood, she has had a stutter. In this bold and personal talk, she reveals how she copes with this speech impediment—from avoiding the letter combination “st” to tricking her brain by changing her words at the last minute to, yes, singing the things she has to say rather than speaking them.

Megan Washington is one of Australia's premier singer/songwriters. And, since childhood, she has had a stutter. In this bold and personal talk, she reveals how she copes with this speech impediment—from avoiding the letter combination “st” to tricking her brain by changing her words at the last minute to, yes, singing the things she has to say rather than speaking them.

Megan Washington: Why I live in mortal dread of public speaking

Why I live in mortal dread of public speaking

Avoiding 'st' and tricking her brain to change words last minute, Washington navigates her stutter with inventive strategies.

Singing transforms Washington’s world, offering a fluency and clarity in communication her stutter denies her in speech.

Stuttering shapes fear of public speaking, yet singing offers a fluent escape, revealing the power of music over language barriers.