Chatty On The Mic

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Area open mics continue to benefit the artist and the audience

Poetry is meant to be read aloud, and Chattanooga poets and writers have rediscovered the importance of performing their work before an audience. Over the past two decades, opportunities to do so have multiplied dramatically, to the surprise and delight of our writing community. 

On the importance of open mics, Chattanooga poet Marcus Patrick Ellsworth said, “Any creative work cannot be fully realized until it is presented to an audience. Open mics are one way to meet that need. A performer can discover their own strengths and weaknesses, get feedback on how a piece may be improved, make connections with other artists, and build their first audience. At the very least, an open mic can be therapeutic for the soul which simply wants to create and have their creations presented to others.”

Ellsworth continued, “For me at least, there is a joy that comes from watching a performer become better at their craft with each return to an open mic. Sometimes, they go on to become incredible artists. Sometimes they merely reveal that they are incredible people. Either way, being on the periphery of their journey is wonderful. I used to attend every open mic I could including The Speakeasy, Rhyme N Chatt events, and Tremont Tavern’s open mic. I would even seek out open mics while visiting other cities. I miss the camaraderie that comes with being a regular at an open mic.”

The Tremont Tavern open mic which Marcus mentioned takes place on Tuesday nights and is a music event. Marcus got creative and performed his poetry there, backed up by two musicians. Visitors to a few of the open mic venues soon learn that no two opportunities are alike.

The open mic at Barnes and Noble is one opportunity for writers to craft their work. KB Ballentine was already a participant when she took the helm as producer and MC in 2002. This group meets on the final Friday of every month, except November and December, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. During the first hour, each writer is allowed five minutes to present their work. For the final half-hour, participants read poems written from a word list prompt.

KB Ballentine is an established poet with six published books. When asked about the event, she said, “The primary objective for open mic is to get people writing (the list-poems) and to get them more comfortable with sharing their work. Too many people have great poems but are hesitant to share them because they don’t like talking in front of people. This is a no-frill opportunity with an easy-going audience. Participants learn, practice and hone those public speaking skills.”

John C. Mannone, program chair and former President of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild, regularly participates in the Barnes and Noble event and also coordinates open mic events through the Guild. He said open mics, in a supportive environment, can be an important part of a poet’s and writer’s process and craft.

“They help develop one’s voice as well as instill confidence while overcoming a natural fear that many have of getting in front of a microphone. They often ferret out weaknesses (in phrasing, rhythm, and even line breaks) since the eye will lie to the brain but the ear cannot.”

The Chattanooga Writers’ Guild (CWG) usually features an open mic for its members – typically at the June program (Main Library downtown). Mannone described opportunities available through the Guild, which has been meeting since 2001. “An open mic is usually part of the annual meeting (September) and Christmas party (December), which are held at another location. All programs are on the second Tuesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. Outside this literary space, there has been an open mic at the Readers and Writers Fair in recent years.”

Vincent Phipps founded Rhyme N Chatt in 1999. He stepped down from his leadership role in 2004 and Marsha Mills has led the organization since then. In 2009, the Rhyme N Chatt group collaborated with the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild and the Chattanooga Public Library by presenting the open mic program at the Chattanooga Readers and Writers Fair.

Rhyme N Chatt has a strong focus on performances but offers open mics as part of their many events. According to their publicity, one such event is “Love Groove: What’s LOVE got to do with it?” a poetic prelude to the Valentine’s Day season, Friday, February 7. This show has an interactive format for which Rhyme N Chatt is known and, at a Love Groove show, LOVE has EVERYTHING to do with it!

The event includes poetry presentations, an open mic, a live band, a large dance floor and food and drink will be available for purchase. Reservations are recommended for this event and further information is available on the Rhyme N Chatt Facebook page.       

Yet another open mic opportunity is The Open Mic at The Well. This group meets every Monday from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at 1800 Rossville Avenue. Presenters may take up to 15 minutes to deliver poetry, music, performance art, an occasional rant or stand-up comedy routine.

Shawnessey Keith Cargile will celebrate five years of facilitating this group which he says is devoted to providing a safe space for performing artists to present work before a sympathetic audience. He also emphasizes forming a community of supportive artists and encourages collaborations beyond the format of the weekly event. Outgrowths of the event include a band, a book launch by one performer, and a booklet of writings by the participants. Many participants have joined the ranks of performance poets.

Thursday nights bring an opportunity to perform in Poetry and More at the Stone Cup Café. Poets and musicians perform their work in front of a mural, an artistic rendering of the night sky constellations. Carl Pemberton has hosted this open mic for three years and usually opens the evening with his keyboard work.

He welcomes poets and musicians alike. Carl emphasized the consistency of his event, every Thursday night, and the talented performers that show up. He also stated people feel comfortable stepping up to the microphone at this event.

Erika Dionne Roberts (Velvet Poetry) has hosted open mics at The Edney Innovation Center in the past but will offer them at the Palace Theater this year. Watch for forthcoming information about Sunday Scribez.

Fifth Tuesday events take place at Star Line Books at 6:00 p.m. on the fifth Tuesday of any month, four months each year have a fifth Tuesday. Full Disclosure: the author of this article is the host and MC of Fifth Tuesdays. The focus of these events is on the participants. It’s not about the organizer though they grow through the process as well.

Christian Collier who ran The Speakeasy open mic for years spoke about his current involvement, “I’m not currently organizing any open mics. Largely, I moved away from them in 2013 and for the past few years, I have shifted my focus into doing more workshops and other projects. I started The Plug Poetry Project last year, and that’s an arts initiative that strives to help honor and cultivate the city’s poetry community by providing resources, classes, etc. The primary components of it right now are the reading series. I bring a poet to town to lead a free workshop for the community and do a featured reading. We’re bringing our third writer, Jose Olivarez, to town on February 22nd. I also have a docuseries.”

Collier stated open mics are a great way to meet similar-minded people and to see what is possible, not just in terms of poetry but in general. “I remember seeing Noah Collins perform at an open mic once and being astounded with how he used volume and played with time to subtly force the people in the room to lean in a little bit closer and pay attention to what he was doing. That was something that I immediately wanted to be able to do in some of my work, both on the stage and on the page.”

He continues, “I’ll go to an open-mic to tune things up or to see how well I know the material I’ve been rehearsing in a live setting. You can practice something a million times at home or alone but as soon as you step out of the house and in front of strangers, the dynamics are a bit different so I like using open mics as a gauge to see where I stand in the process. I wouldn’t say open mics are essential for a poet’s development, but they can be. I think it’s a matter of what kind of poet one is or strives to be and what open mic environment they’re comfortable in.”

Collier’s words emphasize the learning aspect of open mics. Open mics are vibrant, dynamic experiences. The process continues for poets as they venture into performance, formal readings and publication.

So if you've got a story to tell, write it down, practice in front of a mirror or close friends, then venture out and share your thoughts and visions with the world right here in town.