How my experience may help you navigate this world of spoken word poetry.
By Taylor Drake
Photo via @pulpczar on IG
For the people who are looking for the confidence to take action after they Google “poetry slam near me” or “poetry club near me,” a virtual open mic night might be the place to get some confidence to read one of the 400 poems you wrote during the height of the pandemic. Twitter or Instagram poetry night might be the place to get your feet wet as a wordsmith.
1. You Should Practice a Little
Nerves can still strike, even in a virtual space. On an app you can have hundreds, possibly thousands of people listening to you in that one to two-minute span, it can be intimidating. Before you go on, read your material aloud a few times. This will give you a sense of control and reduce the chance of stuttering and misreading. You must be comfortable with your work. When I did my first poem on Twitter Spaces, reading the poem Humble Soil from my Instagram, I used a different word in one line and I studdered. This is a piece that I have read a million times, but if you hear me in that chat room, you can tell that that was the first time reading it allowed.
2. The Use Of Emphasis
Simply reading the poem can limit your reaction from the audience. People like emotion, you don’t have to do the stereotypical,
“I WAS BORN WITH ONE HAND !!! WOULD LIKE SOME GREEN EGGS AND HAM? NO THANK YOU, MA’AM!!!”
Just a little passion on important parts. During the 3 hour show, there were two great examples of this, @LouieFish_ and @Josephreubenfu2. Both were super powerful in their performances and the room ate them up.
3. People Like Rhymes
In a majority-black open mic, you hear a lot of rhymes; plenty of them are clever and utilize flow and unique syllable patterns; this lures an audience in. Nonrhyming poems get great reactions, but not the same as a good rhyme scheme. I was one of the few people who didn’t rhyme and I got some good responses, but a punch line from the next guy made my efforts pale in comparison.
4. A Great Place to Learn and Mingle
Hearing more than a dozen people let off different styles and punchlines, will make you want to improve and try different things. There were experienced slam performers, there were rappers, people with poetry books out and so many on the spot performances from first-timers. There were poems about relationships, racism, and everyday life. That one 3 hour clip encompassed the vast identity of black poetry.
These virtual events are a great way to make connections with other creative people, who will appreciate your work. After attending one Twitter Space and doing three poems I gained 10 followers that I engage with all the time, my outreach as a writer has improved after that one time. I attended an Instagram live event for Open Mic Renegades, did a piece, and gained more than 12 followers after that and I have a new source of east coast counterparts to share ideas with.
I can’t wait to get back to the mic and see what interesting people I can interact with.
THE END
Have you ever done an open mic online? What Was your experience? How did you improve? Did You Enjoy it? Please leave a comment and thanks for reading.