performing

[WIREMAN]

performing your words or whatever....do you?.....do ya wanna but???
what are some of you writers thoughts and feelings about perfoming your words and music???

[mousey1]

What have you got up your sleeve, Wireman?

What plan is nesting in your brain
laying eggs of opportunity?

[WIREMAN]

i dunno mousey...just kinda lookin' for some reparte on a not too heavy topic.....i loves to perform my wired words and do the do quite often these daze with music, which i prefer.....kinda wondering what some of u other poet's are up to??????

[Doreen Peri]

I really enjoy performing ... my poetry, playing the piano keyboard... I *love* it, matter of fact.

Haven't done a whole lot of it... special events like the Cabaradio show used to be a whole lot of fun! I've gone up to Baltimore several times to speak my poetry, too... as you know. And to NYC a couple of time... to read at the Bowery Poetry Club & The Back Fence (but a years ago).

But these performances are few and far in between.

Unfortunately, there's no place around me to do this. I have to go into the city which is a distance (Arlington, Alexandria, DC) and the open mics for poetry usually take place in the middle of the week, not on weekends. That's tough for me... takes 45 minutes to an hour to get down there and I'm a single Mom who also has to take my daughter to various activities in the evenings during the week and I have to work the next day. Also, even if I found an event on a weekend, my eyesight driving at night isn't very good any more. I don't feel that safe driving at night.

So, that's my situation. It sucks, but it is what it is.

There's a relatively new venue in Vienna which is about half an hour from me called The Soundry. I've been there and met the owners, Jennifer and her husband Thor. I get invitations to their various events ALL the time on facebook. I'd love to go participate some time.... but I haven't yet been able to fit it in. Maybe you'd like to come out and go with me some time, Mark. You can check them out at http://thesoundry.net/. They are living my dream, really... always wanted to own and run a place like that... a place for all of the arts with various music, poetry, and visual arts events happening. It's pretty cool! They converted an old auto repair shop into an arts center. Join their FB group for announcements and maybe we can hook up and go some time to something they're doing. I think sometimes they have open mics on weekends... not sure, tho.

Anyway, other than that.... on the rare occasion that I go out to a club to see a band or something and mention to anybody I meet that I write and perform poetry, they seriously seem clueless as to what that's all about. There's just nothing out here.

I thought of starting a meetup.com group .... to create a group where people could meet at Starbucks or somewhere else and hang out and read our poetry... but haven't had time to do that.

[Artguy]

I have in the past read my work in public and it was a very invigorating experience. Though a few weeks ago I performed Ginsberg's howl at a gathering of Artist, the host a musician made noise with his fender guitar and another guest on African Drum...The experience was beyond invigorating...it was elevating...

[mtmynd]

I've never read any of my writings to friends or strangers. I'm (we're) pretty much hermits until we do a tent show then we get to do a little socializing. This year has been quiet so far... sign of the times, I reckon.

[WIREMAN]

kurt doing allen ginsberg howl with music musta been awesome......doreen don't postpone joy, you are an awesome performer with an edge in your voice that is amazing and thanks for that link in vienna too....cecil when i did your stuff back in 'o2 the folks in baltimore loved it......them was the daze my friend.....

[Doreen Peri]

......doreen don't postpone joy, you are an awesome performer with an edge in your voice that is amazing and thanks for that link in vienna too....

As I said, can't go in the middle of the week. I'm a single mother. My daughter and her activities come first. There aren't any poetry readings on weekends, anywhere close to me. Thanks for the compliment but unless I can create something near me for the weekends, not week nights, there's nowhere for me to go.

It's not a matter of "postponing my joy." It's living my life. And right now my life is to be a mother. Sometimes I can hopefully fit in some activities for myself on the weekends but I don't see well enough any more to drive long distances at night, even if it were the weekend.

[judih]

i say - there has to be a way
can we somehow webcam a jam?
i'd be in favour
for me, it's not just that i don't drive
or that i'm far from big cities
but it's also that the stuff round here's in another language!

so, maybe a webcam jam?
Ray from Cenacle might have some input, here, as well

[Doreen Peri]

Cool idea, judih! Maybe we could start a youtube channel. I'd love to watch/hear people read their works!

I don't have a web cam myself. But one day I hope to get a new Mac and these days they're built in... well built into the laptops, anyway... I heard.

If you all have them, why don't you record some poetry and put it up on youtube and share it here on the Videos forum? That would be very cool!