Hi Chris
It wasn't all bad, I even got to perform at the Glastonbury Festival, which is an expereince I will always remember.
However the group I was a member with started getting to tied up with ego. With one of the group leaders, any criticism, of anything was seen as wrong, even if someone couldn't use a mike properly and no one could hear them that well she would get angry about the bad review they got as a result rather than helping the performer improve (unless of course the performer paid to take part in one of the workshops). There was no real idea of improving ourselves, just we are great so everyone else should think the same. In the end it didn't appear to me to be very much about poetry anymore.
I have performed, and I will honestly say I am good at it. However the performance scene didn't really encourage one in the technical aspects of poems and looked down its nose at "page" poets, it was all about getting a laugh, and rhyming.
I did enjoy some of it, but the pressure was to great. I really want to concentrait on getting technically better, and improving what I write, I make a lot of immature mistakes in my work, and I don't believe I can get better through the performance poetry scene in my area. I hope discussions like this will help. :-)
Mairi
--- On Fri, 29/8/08, Christopher Mooney <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: Christopher Mooney <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Question? and performance poetry
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Friday, 29 August, 2008, 6:25 PM
> Hi Mairi,
>
> Question: why didn't you enjoy your 'several years
> in performance
> poetry'? The culture of both scenes may be different
> and there are
> good examples and poor examples in both categories. The act
> of good
> oral delivery is an ancient and classical art and one we
> just getting
> back in touch with. I am for Poetry in many forms. I think
>
> unfortunately there is a lot of false distinction between
> poems on
> the page and on the stage. I am for Homer and Shakespeare
> the Slam
> Poets of history. :-)
>
> In my experience (I earn my living teaching writing and
> also poetry
> performance technique) they are totally complimentary. I
> love the
> thrill of hearing a poem performed with style and clarity
> and feel let
> down when I hear a poet read their often tremendous poem
> poorly. I
> think, "why did you bother to stand here and make us
> endure your lack
> of presentation practice. If you haven't put some time
> into learning
> to read or deliver well, please don't get on the stage
> and waste our
> time - just pass us the book. " I find today that most
> 'page poets'
> critical of 'slam' and other performance genres
> have not trained
> themselves to present their valuable words well enough to
> be heard in
> public.
>
> Likewise, I feel saddened that you left the poetry
> performance scene
> with regret. Why? What happened? I think the truth of the
> matter is
> finding your voice and presenting your own work with truth
> and
> integrity - whether it be a haiku, sonnet, ghazal or some
> fast-mouthed
> rap or ode to lemonade or rubber chickens. There are so
> many kinds of
> poetry and ways of presenting them.
>
> Just some thoughts....
>
> Warm regards
>
> Chris Mooney-Singh
>
>
>
> On Aug 28, 2008, at 11:05 AM, Mairi Campbell-Jack wrote:
>
> > Hi all
> >
> > I'm new the The Works. I spent several years in
> performance
> > poetry. In the end I didn't really enjoy it. So
> at the moment I'm
> > trying to get to grips with page poetry - and
> realising just how
> > inadequite my English teaching was at school!
> >
> > So as I struggle away with trochees and feminine
> ending etc I just
> > wanted to introduce myself by asking a question...
> >
> > What, in everyone's opinion, makes a poem great?
> >
> > Looking forward to your replies.
> >
> > Mairi
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Send instant messages to your online friends
> http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
>
> Christopher Mooney
> [log in to unmask]
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
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