My opinion on the Meta-FOUR's Slam off. A small disclaimer. This the first time I have ever made a blog off any kind other than what's on my website now, www.outspokenbean.com. But, I'm going to give this whirl.
I am the slam-master for Houston's youth poetry slam team, Meta-FOUR. What is "Poetry Slam" you ask? Good question. Poetry Slam is spoken-word competition. Where contestants are summoned to stand in front of an audience and recite a poem (of their own construction) for 3 min and 10 sec. Afterwards, they scored from 0-10 for their efforts from 5 anonymous judges, hand picked randomly.
That is out the way. I am going to share with you my professional opinion on how I thought my students did. I might be a little bias because I was working all of them to get to this point but i think they phenomenal! Were there some better than others?
YES! Of course there was. None of them were complacent. None, of them gave up.
I heard an interesting quote yesterday off of "Twitter" (www.twitter.com/outspokenbean). The quote read "Don't be afraid of striving for perfection/Because you will never reach it" What my goal is to do with Meta-FOUR Houston is to enrich and enlighten these kids minds. Growth is on my side.
Sidebar- Brief background information on my self and Meta-FOUR. First, me Emanuelee "Outspoken Bean" Poet/Performer/Sound engineer/Coordinator/Slam-Master(Coach). I where a lot of hats at one time. I started performing spoken-word while in 2005 at Prairie View A&M. Started Slamming in 2006 made the Houston Poetry Slam Team & San Antonio's Puro Slam Team, in the same year. Then created, formed, founded, organized Prairie View's first Poetry Club which housed Prairie View Productive Poets. These Students went to Regionals and won 1st place then for the first time ever went nationals and obtained 8th place in the country the first HBCU (Historically Black College and University) to do so.
Second, Meta-FOUR Houston, first named Houston's Young Writers was founded by the Houston Chronicle editor Shannon Buggs. There was no representation for Houston Youth and Spoken-Word. In 2008 different groups and non-profits came together and pasted a team hire the great Marcel Murphy (my first mentor) to be the slam master and went to D.C. The effort was admirable however, the results were harsh. Houston Young Writers came dead last in the entire competition. The main factor was "Time was against them". Not all was lost. A fire of hope was lit and now it is spreading.
Well, this year we have a new coach (Outspoken Bean), new name (Meta-FOUR), new focus (Growth), new blood, (students with a hunger), more support (Houston's elite is pitching in) and the attitude is definitely there!
With all that said, I think I am going to enjoy this blogging thing. Sorry I really didn't speak to much on the details of the slam. I promise next I will. I'm going to leave you this.
"In this life
it can be ugly
it can be beautiful
it can be worthless
it can be useful
Why can't life
be like- how it used to
I love my nieces
but I hate envying
where they are
innocent eyes look
into the sky
all they see is the stars
not the big or little dipper
all they see is the stars
They tell me
'That's where i want to be'
I tell them that's where u r
Ur beautiful-
and you have been beautiful"
-Outspoken Bean.
I believe this website is a great expansion on every thing your doing and can help enlighten people on not just poetry slam but questions they have that kept them from expressing themselves continue building your empire (together our people can build cathedrals one person at a time)
ReplyDelete-Willie P
Rose HB
ReplyDeleteI am excited about how the Lord is using you to work with young people to improve the literacy level. These young people are doing a great work. Continue to encourage and coach them. PV's Productive Poets and META-Four should be proud to have someone with your knowledge and your energy working with them. Use spell check before you submit your postings it should catch most of the misspelled words.However,I can't find it on this computer.