I can recall a time back in 2007(easily one of the most enjoyable years of my life regarding music and literature) when I received a heavy amount of exposure to the immensely valuable experience known to Poets worldwide as spoken word. At the time, I attended classes at community college in the mornings and afternoons while working at a local supermarket in the evening. My schedule wasn't always favorable as far as I would have liked it to be; so I really had to attend these spoken word(or Open Mic sets as they have been more widely known as) sets when I had very small windows of time to get from my job to my house to where we were performing that night sometimes.
Take into consideration here that I had no transportation for myself, of course. Thank God that my cousin was working with me at the time; so that was one less issue to worry about. Back then, we would attend open mic on Friday nights at the Quality Hotel. Very intimate setting, open bar, candles at each table, dim lighting, bar food, and a stage most adequate for spoken word poetry: Drum set to the back of the stage against the curtains, bongos on the left, chimes on the right, stands for guitars and various other instruments and dead center in the front of the stage is a microphone stand.
My cousin and I arrived to this scene every time that we were able to attend. There was a calming, comfortable mood about those Friday nights there; but simultaneously, there was definitely an excitement and anxious aura about that stage and everyone who graced it. The host at the time would always carry that clipboard to the stage and anyone just sitting around as a spectator could easily look out into the room and pick out who was set to perform if they had not seen the ledger just yet by watching who responds to him walking towards the stage to announce who was coming up next.
So this had been maybe my second or third time attending and I was set to recite one of my pieces this particular show. As much as I am able to recall the scene and overall atmosphere of the venue, memory doesn't serve me completely as I cannot recall which of my pieces I read that night. I do remember, however that I was somewhere quite delicately placed between anxious and apprehensive; and right when I came to this realization while seated at my table with my poem in my hands, a silence came over the crowd as the host called up the next speaker:
"Alright ya'll. Give my girl another round of applause. That was mad sexy for real! *crowd claps* Alright...*reads clipboard*...next up to the stage, ya'll give it up for my dude. Very talented writer. C'mon up to the stage, Dev."
So I gather myself, get up on stage and I actually felt a degree more ready and relaxed than I was initially. So I recited my piece and got a decent reception from it; but I couldn't ignore the reaction that I was getting from the crowd when I glanced up every now and then as I read my piece. It isn't an extremely accurate depiction, of course as the crowd didn't necessarily show disinterest or boredom; but I still felt that the overall mood was akin to this visualization:
Not the favored visual for any spoken word performer of any variance.
It was at that moment that I saw firsthand how important it was to gauge one's audience when getting ready to perform on stage.
My blight was easy to recognize. The artists that took the stage before me captivated the audience with energetic, sexually charged pieces and songs. The crowd was stirred well with the lively yet very enchantingly mature tone of sensuality.......
............................and here I come with my piece laden with insecurity, relationship trouble, despair and any other somber emotion that could be mixed within this intricate cocktail of rhythmic literary detail.
The crowd was deflated because I took into account what I wanted to convey instead of what the audience wanted to experience.
Literature is both a personal and public vocation simultaneously; but one must know when to distinguish between the two; and I know what you're thinking:
"How could you have known what the audience wanted? How can anyone know that?"
Well the answer to that is simpler than most will realize. When it comes to going to venues where you plan to perform, it would behoove you to assume the role of spectator so that you can gauge the crowd in a very effective manner. Had I done this instead of simply adhering to the message I wanted to convey, I would have been better prepared to entertain the crowd.
Now of course, entertainment is not the sole manifest of spoken word and it shouldn't be in my opinion. There are times when a message must be shared with the masses; but just like the institution of faith and the first shot of tequila, one must never look to impose or force upon anyone anything just because he or she feels like it is important. There must be a level of tact and respect to accompany the art of conveyance.
Now of course, entertainment is not the sole manifest of spoken word and it shouldn't be in my opinion. There are times when a message must be shared with the masses; but just like the institution of faith and the first shot of tequila, one must never look to impose or force upon anyone anything just because he or she feels like it is important. There must be a level of tact and respect to accompany the art of conveyance.
The crowd is but one part of this undertaking, though. Take some time to check out the atmosphere; both physically and figuratively. Does the place look appealing to you? Is there a certain ambiance or flare to the surroundings? How is the lighting? What is the overall reception from the crowd to the acts that grace the stage? Is there a recurrent theme to these acts or is there a mixed variance of sorts? How does the crowd respond to this? Do they like variety or do they want the theme to remain constant? Does the possibility of a recurrent theme sit well with the audience or does it incur mass boredom? Scan the crowd. Pay attention to them instead of the performances every now and then; especially if you notice them giving off this reaction:
What's this look, you ask? This is called intrigue. Intrigue is very important. Critical, even when it comes to that relationship between a performer and his/her audience.
Intrigue is the bonding agent of sorts when it comes to the art of conveyance. Whether conveying a message, sharing information from another source, addressing the masses or in this case captivating and entertaining the audience, aspiring to intrigue them is a key that unlocks a myriad of doors when it comes to performances that will ensue henceforth.
Remember that old adage about first impressions?
Cheesy as it may sound to all of us, it is definitely true. One bad debut can spell bad luck going forward for a spoken word artist. Does this mean that there is no chance for the artist in the future? Of course not. It does, however make it increasingly more difficult to break through that wall that is thickened and bolstered by initial criticism. Criticism will always exist, of course; but any tenured performer will tell you firsthand that initial criticism is harder than most any other form to push past or get rid of completely.
It is often expressed and proven that the path to where a performer wants to be must and often does start, progress and end with the his/her audience. I have developed some close friendships with Poets, Singers, Comedians and other stage performers that have built a veritable reputation on their ability to captivate the audience. My hope and wish for each of them is that they get to the point in their individual paths with their talents where their intrigued crowds become fanatics like this:
Intrigue is the bonding agent of sorts when it comes to the art of conveyance. Whether conveying a message, sharing information from another source, addressing the masses or in this case captivating and entertaining the audience, aspiring to intrigue them is a key that unlocks a myriad of doors when it comes to performances that will ensue henceforth.
Remember that old adage about first impressions?
Cheesy as it may sound to all of us, it is definitely true. One bad debut can spell bad luck going forward for a spoken word artist. Does this mean that there is no chance for the artist in the future? Of course not. It does, however make it increasingly more difficult to break through that wall that is thickened and bolstered by initial criticism. Criticism will always exist, of course; but any tenured performer will tell you firsthand that initial criticism is harder than most any other form to push past or get rid of completely.
It is often expressed and proven that the path to where a performer wants to be must and often does start, progress and end with the his/her audience. I have developed some close friendships with Poets, Singers, Comedians and other stage performers that have built a veritable reputation on their ability to captivate the audience. My hope and wish for each of them is that they get to the point in their individual paths with their talents where their intrigued crowds become fanatics like this:
Disregard the girl reading the text message from her soon-to-be ex boyfriend.
There are some crowds that will be subtle when expressing their displeasure for the performer that is on stage. Some will be so subtle that they may even offer the audience equivalent of a golf clap as you make your way off the stage. Every audience isn't as friendly, however.
This is yet another reason why it is important to go through the aforementioned measures when going to a place where you would like to perform. The reaction an audience gives off is merely a reaction to the performer; not an overall indicative attitude of the the crowd. The crowd can be a pretty enthusiastic group of people and one performer can get on stage and stink it up so bad that a majority of the audience is irreversibly offended from that point forward.
Conversely, I have seen performers grasp the heartstrings of some of the most critical crowds a performer could ever look to stand in front of. Preparedness is one part of this performer's success, though. I believe the other part is speaking with conviction and having exceptional delivery with your content.
That's for another post, though.
Conveyance in the open mic setting in my opinion has very little to do with the performer relative to the content therein and the audience he or she is performing in front of especially.
My readers from here in New Orleans know about a cozy little place known as Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club. As the name implies, it is a club primarily aimed towards Blues and Jazz music; but they do hold an open mic night for spoken word artists and other performers alike. The few times that I have been privy to this show, I must say that I definitely enjoyed myself. What always stands out to me is how the crowd is just as active as whomever graces the stage; and they aren't afraid to express their displeasure or full approval of who is up on that stage; which I believe is fair enough.
All of us who take part in performing on stage owe it to ourselves to make sure that we are prepared to some degree; especially since we will never be fully prepared in any sense of the term. We also owe it to the audience to make sure that we can appeal to them when we choose to perform for them.
Take the time to get to know your audience. Doing so may just make sure that they always know who you are.
There are some crowds that will be subtle when expressing their displeasure for the performer that is on stage. Some will be so subtle that they may even offer the audience equivalent of a golf clap as you make your way off the stage. Every audience isn't as friendly, however.
This is yet another reason why it is important to go through the aforementioned measures when going to a place where you would like to perform. The reaction an audience gives off is merely a reaction to the performer; not an overall indicative attitude of the the crowd. The crowd can be a pretty enthusiastic group of people and one performer can get on stage and stink it up so bad that a majority of the audience is irreversibly offended from that point forward.
Conversely, I have seen performers grasp the heartstrings of some of the most critical crowds a performer could ever look to stand in front of. Preparedness is one part of this performer's success, though. I believe the other part is speaking with conviction and having exceptional delivery with your content.
That's for another post, though.
Conveyance in the open mic setting in my opinion has very little to do with the performer relative to the content therein and the audience he or she is performing in front of especially.
My readers from here in New Orleans know about a cozy little place known as Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club. As the name implies, it is a club primarily aimed towards Blues and Jazz music; but they do hold an open mic night for spoken word artists and other performers alike. The few times that I have been privy to this show, I must say that I definitely enjoyed myself. What always stands out to me is how the crowd is just as active as whomever graces the stage; and they aren't afraid to express their displeasure or full approval of who is up on that stage; which I believe is fair enough.
All of us who take part in performing on stage owe it to ourselves to make sure that we are prepared to some degree; especially since we will never be fully prepared in any sense of the term. We also owe it to the audience to make sure that we can appeal to them when we choose to perform for them.
Take the time to get to know your audience. Doing so may just make sure that they always know who you are.
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