A look at Hamilton and Toronto's slam poetry scenes
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
I used to think that the only people who wrote poetry were old, dead, white guys and overly emotional females. But then in high school, I was feeling particularly angst ridden one day and decided to write my feelings on paper. It was from that moment that I realized just how cathartic poetry could be. It doesn't have to rhyme, have stanzas, or be written in iambic pentameter. All poetry has to do is contain feeling.
I became immersed in the poetry culture, often spending my nights staying up late watching old clips from 'Def Jam Poetry' on YouTube. After doing several open mics, I decided that I wanted to get into the competition aspect of spoken word known as “slam poetry”. A poetry slam is when poets perform on stage, one after the other, and get scored in an attempt to win cash and be crowned first place. The top performers proceed until the winner is crowned and handed their cash prize. Usually, random judges are selected from people in the audience and they pick a score to one decimal place between zero and ten.
A lot of cities, Toronto and Hamilton included, have poetry slam teams that will travel to different competitions and perform. Performing in front of people can be a scary experience, but it's easy to get into slamming if you want to try. Slams usually have a time limit of 3 minutes, with or without a small grace period, and then the judges will score you. The scores are based on both performance and content. And in the slam world, how you say something matters just as much as what you say.
If you’re looking to get involved with slam in your community, here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Try open mic
It's always nice to perform your pieces and get feedback from the audience without having the pressure of being scored in front of everyone. To me, there is nothing better than looking into the audience and seeing everyone engaging with your poems.
2. Watch poetry slams
Before performing for the first time, make sure you go and watch one so you know the format, how long it should be, what the content of people's poems are, etc. You will also get to watch some talented people slam, and both Hamilton Youth Poetry Slams and Toronto Poetry Slams have performers that are pretty well known. TPS has had Shane Koyczan, Denice Frohman, and other well-known poets perform.
3. Practice, practice, practice
The key to perfecting your poem is to practice. I perform in front of the mirror constantly, my friends and family can all probably recite my poems by heart, and I often get weird looks from people because I recite when I'm walking alone. Playing around with the actual performance aspect of your poem will allow you to figure out exactly how you want to say it. Spacing, inflections, stressing the right word and pauses are all very important.
4. Attend writing workshops
Everyone could use a chance to learn how to write better. Workshops are hosted by professionals and usually feature a chance to get to look over your latest work and a series of writing prompts that could be anywhere from 'write about your favourite childhood memory' to 'pretend dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, what would you say to them?'
5. Go for it!
It may be scary, but it's never going to be not scary. No matter how many times I perform, my knees still shake when I stand on stage and I still get the most intense butterflies in my stomach before I hit the stage, but the feeling after you perform is unparalleled.
Local slams:
Toronto Poetry Slam hosts slams every two weeks at The Drake Hotel on Queen Street. Doors open at 7 p.m., sign up is 7:30 sharp, and the show starts at 8 p.m. starting with open mic, then the first round of the competition, a performance by the featured poet, then the rest of the competition. The slams for December are on the 6th and the 22nd.
Also in December, TPS is hosting an all women slam on December 17th at Supermarket on Augusta Street where the winner will represent Toronto at the acclaimed Women of the World slam competition in March in Austin, TX.
Hamilton Youth Poetry Slam hosts a slam on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at The Lyric Theatre on King Street West, featuring a workshop at 6 p.m. and open mic/slam starting at 7 p.m.
McMaster also has a Creative Writing and Poetry club if you want feedback on some of your work.
Like they say in the slam world, the points aren't the point, the poetry is the point. You may not get the scores you want in your first slam, but putting yourself out there among friendly competition is the best way to improve your writing and get more comfortable performing in front of people. Good luck and write on.
