In November, I had the pleasure of working with Alec Baldwin and Ira Glass - the host and producer of public radio’s This American Life – on the New York Public Radio Gala fundraiser.

On his radio show, Glass makes extensive use of music to support his storytelling. I was fascinated to see him do the same thing in his speech at the Gala. He actually brought an iPad with him to the lectern, which he used to seamlessly cue his own musical underscoring. It made me wish that every speech was underscored with music to help set the tone, add drama, and enhance pacing.

Most of us can’t get away with running music underneath our talks. But it’s worth thinking about what your musical underscore would be. Think about the mood you want to set and the emotion you want to create…then use your words and delivery to make the music.