I just saw something on /links that reminds me of something that has been bothering me recently.
What is the deal with all these school productions (plays and musicals) where they put microphones on all the kids? What ever happened to teaching the kids to project their voices? Has technology ruined The School Play?
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Tue 8 Jul 2008, 3:10, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

One good reason
It gives other kids like the ones I'm teaching stagecraft a chance to practice using and balancing the volume of the kids (there's always one who bellows).

It's also to stop parents complaints that "Little Tierney couldn't be heard over the rest of the crowd and she's got such a sweet voice *insert incessent droning noise here*". The mics make them all the same volume... when they're actually switched on, of course.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Tue 8 Jul 2008, 9:44, Reply)

Ah-ha!
Thanks. I had hoped there would be a good reason. Maybe I just went to school with a lot of really loud kids because I don't ever remember anyone not being heard without microphones.
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Tue 8 Jul 2008, 20:38, Reply)