*jumps on soap box* Yes, yes, amen and asè! Professionalism people. We gotta help each other out. Ive spoken about this plenty of times with friends and glad theyve decided to address this publicly. Last year, I was booked to perform a 15-20 minute set for a conference of lawyers & judges. The night before, the head organizer asked me to not show up in a dashiki (Im serious. She told me that), dont use the N word, and dress professionally. My first thought was to take her head off, but i bit my tongue (as a professional) and said okay. By the end of the set, she walked up to me in tears apologizing for her attitude and said, Im just so used to...(you get the picture) A month later, I was booked to perform at John Marshall Law School in Chicago for a youth convention they were holding. THE DAY OF the performance, the head organizer decided to cancel me because I can find anyone to do some poems. Why would I pay you? Needless to say, they asked me to perform way beyond the time originally allotted to me with full payment after hearing just one poem. Afterwards, the guy says Im sorry. I didnt know you was for real. I performed at many events, often with the same disrespect until they actually hear me (side note poets, you can actually book nicely paid gigs without having a poem thats viral on Button Poetry. Not to downplay that platform at all. I fully support and love it, but some of yall are sitting around waiting for The Huffington Post, or Upworthy to jump start your career when you really need to put together an EPK, ACTUALLY HAVE TANGIBLE PRODUCT (book, CD, merch), email vendors effectively and market yourself like crazy, have a website, business cards, GRIND.) I agree with this essay, but what I will also contend is that spoken word poetry began as collective work. Ask the founder, Marc Kelly Smith. Pay attention to what JW Basilo has been doing & putting together. Button, The Strivers Row, Fiveology, The Dark Noise Collective, Chicago Slam Works, etc. are current models & examples of a lost concept of performance poetry - collective/ensemble work. Its not about one poet being thee poet. Its about contributing your verse to a shared narrative. Thats actually how it began. So if you want to be a professional poet, do all the things I mentioned earlier but also - join a crew. Collaborate your work with others. That is the primary reason I slam, to be with a group of poets and contribute a verse. Winning is cool, but growing your art and adding more people to your family like Billy Tuggle, Blythe Baird, Nate Olison, Mojdeh Stoakley, and Eric Sirota is way better. Last note, shoutout to Kyla Jenee Lacey for being a professional bad ass. Shoutout to Asia Samson too. We never met but I be taking notes from the moves youve been making. We need to protect and grow the band. And of course, shoutout to Brandon Alexander Williams who first exposed me to the grind. THE MONEY IS THERE. And yes, its not about the money. However, doesnt mean we cant create amazing art AND EAT. Thats all Im saying - lets all eat. Theres enough room at the table for those that are putting in the work.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 17:21:51 +0000
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