Take the Mic: The Art of Performance Poetry, Slam, and the Spoken Word

by Marc Smith, Joe Kraynak

Overview

Get on Stage and Perfect Your Performance

Have you ever enjoyed a slam or two and thought, "I could do this," but felt apprehensive staring at that empty mic—or worse, you climbed up on stage and struggled?

Let Marc Kelly Smith, the founder of Slam Poetry, teach you everything you need to be a confident performer, from writing a powerful poem, to stage techniques, to going on tour (if that's where your muse leads you).

Take the Mic is filled with insider tips, backstage advice, and tons of examples of slam poems that wake up an audience. With this book, you'll also be able to link to the PoetrySpeaks.com community to listen to samples, meet poets, and unearth inspirations for your next performance.

The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Performing with Power

Take the Mic is an essential guide for lifting your poetry from the page to the stage. Marc Kelly Smith (So What!), grand founder of the Slam movement, serves as you personal coach, showing you how to craft stage-worthy verse and deliver a poetry performance that shakes the rafters and sparks thunderous applause. In Take the Mic, you discover how to...

• Pen poetry that's conducive to on-stage performance
• Overcome stage fright
• Practice powerful performance techniques
• Rehearse like a pro
• Shape a loose collection of poems into a killer set
• Connect with your audience — heart and soul
• Master the art of self-promotion
• Schedule your own slam poetry tour
• Transform your hobby into paying gigs
• Act professional to establish a solid reputation in the Slam community

Take the Mic is packed with practical exercises you can do alone or in class to hone your skills and transform your body, mind, voice, verse, and spirit into an engaging stage presence.

You'll also find a brief history of slam, the rules and regulations that govern official slam competitions, and a list of PSI (Poetry Slam, Inc.) Certified Slams, so no matter where you are, you always have a place to Take the Mic!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402242311
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	04/01/2009
Series:	A Poetry Speaks Experience
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Marc Smith began the poetry slam over twenty years ago at the Green Mill in Chicago. He is the co-editor of The Spoken Word Revolution and The Spoken Word Revolution Redux. Joe Kraynak has written or co-written dozens of books ranging from computer basics to poetry.

Joe Kraynak has written or co-written dozens of books ranging from computer basics to poetry.

Marc Smith began the poetry slam over twenty years ago at the Green Mill in Chicago. He is the co-editor of The Spoken Word Revolution and The Spoken Word Revolution Redux.

Joe Kraynak has written or co-written dozens of books ranging from computer basics to poetry.

Read an Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1: What You Think You Know May NOT BE SLAM

"Competitive poetry.
That's what slam is.
I looked it up on Wikipedia."

When the uninitiated hear the term "slam poetry," they say "slam what?" or serve up the quick and easy answer quoted above or the equally facile interpretation that slam is "rap without music—what Eminem did in 8 Mile or what that singer Grande Corde Malade does in France." Chances are they got a taste of slam at the French Nationals or at the Starry Plough in Berkeley, but it was only a taste. A deeper drink would tell them more. And here's that drink, served up by the Slampapi himself:

Slams are captivating poetry events that focus a live audience's attention on the presentation of poetry that's been composed, polished, and rehearsed for the purpose of being performed—very often in a competitive arena, but not always. It's a carnival, a pageant, an interactive classroom, a town hall meeting, a con game, a versified boxing match, and a churchlike revival that electrifies and animates the people listening to and watching it.

Competitive slam poets battle against one another like wrestlers vying for a championship belt. Each poet takes his or her turn onstage to play at proving their superiority as both poet and performer. The audience is prompted to get involved, and it does! Crowds have been known to roar approval or stomp their boots in scorn for the poetics they love or pretend to hate.

As you'll learn, competition is not the solitary heartbeat at the core of the poetry slam, but it has been an important catalyst for stimulating poet-performers and audiences around the world to bring back the passion and vitality of words spoken aloud.

In this chapter, we look at what slam is and what it's not. We'll revisit a bit of its history, highlight some of the guidelines and principles responsible for its growth, talk about the unimportance (and importance) of the rules, and introduce you to the spirit that propels most slammers.

Table of Contents

Introduction
How to Use This Book
Companion Book
A Note from the Publisher
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: What You Think You Know May Not Be Slam
The Big Definition of Slam Poetry
What Slam Is and Isn't
Poetry and Performance
Where Art Thou, Slam?
Finally…Attention and Respect
Staged Bouts for Audience Appeal
Sowing the Seeds of Slam
"The Points Are Not the Point"
Who's the Best and Who Cares?
Striving for the Best of Both Worlds
Performance Poet as Audience Servant
New Life for a Dying Art
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 2: Getting into the Spirit of Slam
Spoken Word's Long Tradition
Battling Bards
Oral Tradition's Dark Ages
Spoken Word's Rebirth
Slam Takes Center Stage
Who Inspired This Madness? and Why?
Slam Poetry Goes National
Slam Poetry Goes Global
Slam Poetry Here and Now
The Spirit of Slam: Poetry for the People
Breaking Down the Color (and Collar) Barriers
The Culture of Democracy
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 3: Slam Competition—Rules, Regulations, and Other Formalities
It's a Game, Stupid!
The First Slam Competition
Who Says Who Wins?
The Basic Rules of Slam Engagement
Perform Your Own Work
Three Minutes Is All We Can Stand
No Props, Costumes, Trombones, or Other Carry-On Luggage
Scoring: 0 to 10 (or Down to Minus Infinity)
The Mean Chicago Rules
The Official Emcee Spiel Used at the National Poetry Slams
Slams Are Open to All
All Styles, Forms, and Subject Matter Are Welcome
The Prize Is Not the Point
The All-Important Audience Is Always in Control
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 4: Penning the Powerful
Slam Poem
Once Upon a Slam— Storytelling
What's Your Point—Oratory, Poetics, or a Laundry List of Love?
Pop Ideas and Newspaper Politics
Write from Experience
Seeing Is Believing— Concrete vs. Abstract Language
Slam Examples of Concrete Language
Abstract Language
Exercises
Flaccid Phrasing
Exercises
Too Smart for Your Performance
It's Gotta Sound Good, Too
Rock to the Rhythm Exercises
Old Testament Stanzas
Exercise
If You Must Rhyme...
The Hip-Hop Line & Rhyme
Caution on the Motion—Too Much Rhyming Commotion
No Sermons, But If You Must Preach…
All Forms Can Slam
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 5: Confronting Stage Fright— Overcoming the Fear
What Is Happening to Me?!?
Slay the Confidence Busters
It's Not Natural…It's an Art
Is That Text Well-Prepared?
Visualize Success
Practice, Practice, Practice
Shift Your Focus
Breathe Already!
Please Release Me
Tricks (or No-Brainers) of the Trade
Not Recommended
Celebrating Your Slam Virginity, and Then Losing It
Confessions of a Virgin Virgin— Joel Chmara
Confessions of a Virgin Virgin—Mary Fons
Accumulate Stage Time
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 6: Slammin' Fundamentals
Engage
Entertain
Affect
The Entertaining Fundamentals
Vary the Volume
Exercises
Classroom Activities
Tweak the Tempo
Exercises
Classroom Activity
Articulation
Exercise
Classroom Activity
Breathe Deep and Pause
Exercise
Classroom Activity
Look 'Em in the Eye
Exercises
Memorization
How We Make Memory Deposits
Total Recall
The Memorization Curve
Exercises in Flexing the Memory Muscle
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 7: Body Talk—Shake, Gesture, and Move
Warming Up
Exercise: Shake Out
Exercise: Breathe
Exercise: Vocal Warm-Ups
Classroom Activity: Warm-Ups
Elements of Movement
Exercise: In the Bubble
Exercise: Catching Butterflies
Exercise: Imagine the Stone
Exercise: Paint the Reading Room Red
Laban's Eight Efforts
Exercise: Applying Effort to Your Words
Classroom Activity
Down to Specific Body Parts
Working Out the Kinks
Posture and Stance
Crossing the Boards
Dos & Don'ts of Movement
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 8: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
Establish a Rehearsal Regimen
Set a Rehearsal Schedule
Rehearse in Layers
Spice It Up with Some Variation
Finding Voice, Tone, and Mood through Rehearsal
Discovering a Poem's Voice (Character)
Exercise: Exploring a Poem's Voice
Discovering a Poem's Tone (Attitude) & Mood (Emotion)
Exercise: Exploring a Poem's Tone and Mood
Discovering the Situation and
Identifying the Unseen Audience
Exercise: Exploring Situation and Audience
Classroom Activity
Practicing Your Approach: Stepping Up to the Mic
Make the Right Approach
Use Your Nervous Condition to Your Advantage
Hitting Your Mark
Exercise: Practicing Your Approach and Stage Movements
From Closet to Mirror to Tape Recorder to Friendly Ears
Through the Looking Glass
Audio Replay
Video Replay
Recruiting a Critique .
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 9: Shaping a Performance and a Few More Skills
Mastering the Art of Seductive Revelation
Enter and Open with a Flair
Exercise
Hold 'Em
Mixing It Up
Something Up Your Sleeve
From Knee-Slappers to Sidesplitters
Spectacle and Visual Accessories
Musical Accompaniment and Sound Effects
The Edge
Closers
Underpinning It All: Style and the Subject Matters
All Forms Can Slam— Take Two
Avoiding Common Performance Clichés
Performing in the Zone
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 10: Where and How to Gig Around
All the Gigs You Can Do
Open Mic Search
Bookstore Readings
Don't Forget the Slams
Performance Venues of Every Variety
Nightclubs, Saloons, and Other Informal Venues
Late-Night Theater
Slammin' in the Schools (Educational Outreach)
Do-It-Yourself Venues (Create Your Own Show)
Performance Poetry Etiquette 101
Look & Listen & Get to Know
Behave Yourself, Be Courteous, & Do Your Job
Audience Etiquette
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 11: Book Me! Please!
Thinking Like a Marketing Mogul
Hitting the Campaign Trail
Press Pack
Page One and Only One!
In-Depth Résumé
Look at Me!
In the News!
Finally My Poems!
Audio Component
The Do-It-Yourself Audio Method
Getting a Little Sound Advice
Studio Time
The Clock's Ticking
Aftersounds—Editing and Production
Roll 'Em: Filming Your Act
Built-In Opportunities
Call the Pros
Establishing a Web Presence
Blog
Launch a Website
Populate Your Website or Blog with Content
Promote Your Website or Blog
Explore Social Networks
Share Podcasts of Your Performances
Post Video Clips on YouTube
Low Budget or All-Out Glitz?
Putting the Tools to Work
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 12: Getting the Word Out: Publicizing Your Performance
Know What You're Promoting
Marketing Materials: Forms That Fit
Making a Name (and Logo) for Yourself
Cheap, but Effective: Flyers and Postcards
Not as Cheap, but Very Effective: Posters
Garnering Some Free Press, Radio Time, and Exposure
Generating Feature Stories, Interviews, and Media Attention
Step 1: Write a Press Release
Step 2: Send the Press Release
Step 3: Call 'Em
Work Your Angle
Press the Airwaves
More Methods for Getting the Word Out
Managing Mailing (and Emailing) Lists
Press the Flesh
Paid Ads
Cool Calls
Website Appeal
Never Underestimate Word of Mouth
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 13: Taking Your Show on the Road
Tour Planning 101
Step 1: East Coast? West Coast? No Coast?
Step 2: Book a Big Gig
Step 3: Find More Dots (Gigs) and Connect Them
Step 4: Route Your Tour
Step 5: Filling in the Gaps
Step 6: Get a Ride
Step 7: Find a Place to Sleep and Shower
Step 8: Promoting Your Tour
Step 9: Before You Start the Engine
Schmoozing the Bookers, the Waiters, the Ticket Takers
Slams and Their Masters
Nightclub Owners and Their Managers
Buttering Up the Booking Agents
Concert Halls—Performing in the Big House
Don't Get Set Up to Fail
Getting Paid
If you remember anything, remember…

Chapter 14: Old-School Advice: Act Professional
Oh, Behave!
Keep It Down During a Performance
Don't Pull Focus While Others Are Performing
Don't Glower
No Hoot-and-Holler Cheerleading
Keep Conspicuous Negative Opinions to Yourself
It's Not Your House
Would You Talk That Way to Grandma?
Be Courteous: Nobody Likes a Jerk
Final Reminders—Last Bits of Advice
Be Prompt: Early Never Hurts
Offstage Preparation: Recap Getting the Nerves Out
Primping for the Stage
Hawking Your Wares
Respect Your Audience and Your Fellow Performers
If you remember anything, remember…

Appendix A: Slammers:
Performance Poetry
Poetry Collections
Audio Recordings
Anthologies
Publishers of Slam Poetry
Agents

Appendix B: Books on Poetics & Performing
Appendix C: Slammin' Websites
Appendix D: PSI—Certified Slams

About the Authors