Public Speaking is Like Practicing the Piano

I started taking piano lessons in second grade. I loved show tunes and learned to practice consistently and meaningfully every single day. I broke down each new piece into bite-sized chunks: I practiced slowly, measure by measure, line by line until I made my way to the end. Then, I would put it all together, eventually practicing the piece out of order so I started with a tricky passage and learned to master it. I let myself make mistakes and worked through them. When I wasn't practicing, I could hear the music in my head. While I was reading a book or watching tv, my fingers would often tap the notes on an imaginary keyboard.