Event Details:
Open Mic Night Returns!
Please join us in our newest endeavor—Open Mic Night at Central Square!
At these events we will create a safe space for all to share openly, inspire each other, and support one another in mutually respectful ways. Our philosophy, is based upon the transformative power of art and writing that allows us to express, explore, reveal, understand ourselves as well as each other creativity and storytelling. Feel free to come and simply listen. Whether or not you are ready to share your own creative work or voice, we hope to inspire you with empathy, to think deeply, feel passionately, embrace vulnerability, and find your creative spark!
Don’t underestimate the potential of an authentic, warm, community like ours to give you an outlet you’ll cherish and come back to again and again. We welcome all kinds of art and oration, and all we ask is that you maintain respect for all in order to keep our space secure and safe.
Your donations are welcome! Donations enable us to provide fun, free events like Open Mic Night!
Walk-ins for this event are welcome, but if you would like to register in advance, click here to fill out a quick registration form.
Guidelines for Open Mic at Central Square:
Each participant has 5–10 minutes to share their work. Speakers are limited to 5 minutes, while musical performances are given 10 minutes. Practice reading, reciting, or playing before the show to check the length of your material. Please be respectful of time so everyone gets a turn. (we’ll use a timer and gently let you know if you are going over your time)
If they wish, each participant will have the option of a 5-minute feedback period for the piece they read. We will use the raise hand option to call on those who would like to offer feedback. Feedback will be limited to one minute per person. A note for those providing feedback, focus on what you liked and what’s working. Our goal is to make this a positive experience for all.
If you don’t want to participate, but you’d still like to watch – that’s completely okay! All are welcome. All genres of work are welcome: poetry, prose, short stories, excerpts from longer pieces of writing, musical instrument, song etc. Please share content warnings for anything that could be triggering, so that folks can prepare themselves however they need to. We ask that your content remain family friendly.
Tips:
Come prepared
Either have your poem/song/spoken word printed out or very well memorized. We recommend that you rehearse it out loud once a day for two or three days prior to the event. As you read, pay attention to the overall tone of the piece so you can convey its emotions, and to points that require a pause or change in pitch. If it helps, underline words or mark up the piece so you can remember these inflections and use a timer to check whether the reading/song/performance fits the allocated time slot.
Pro tip: Practice reading a poem like you would practice performing a song. If you plan on reading from a phone or tablet, know your zoom/scroll functions so you don’t accidently lose your place while you are reading.
Speak into the Mic
Don’t be timid about moving the mic around if you need to. Glance down at what you are reading from, rather than staring at it, so you can look up at the audience and speak into the microphone.
The introduction
There will be a host present to MC the event. Acknowledge them when they introduce you. Then briefly introduce yourself, elaborate on what you are performing, if necessary, then get down to it.
Pro tip: Take a few sentences to describe and give context to your piece. And always state the title.
Maintain a slow, steady pace
It’s understandable if you’re so nervous about your performance that you’ll want to rush through it. But the faster you read/perform, the more likely your audience will have difficulty following what you say. So once your turn comes, make every effort to pace yourself. Focus on one sentence or line at a time, and read each one slowly, carefully, and with just enough projection so you can hear each word. This will ensure your voice is loud and clear enough for your audience to understand you and to enjoy not just your reading, but also the quality of your writing.
Don’t judge yourself or your performance too harshly .
Nobody will think poorly of you if your performance isn’t perfect. It’s human to feel embarrassed if you stutter, mispronounce a word, or briefly lose your place. But it’s also human to make mistakes, period. Ask a group of performers if they’ve flubbed up during a performance, and all of them will likely say “yes” (I know I have!). So, if you stumble during yours, don’t dwell on it. Just smile and keep going.
Commend yourself for your bravery
One of the most frequent comments performers hear about open mic performances is, “You’re so brave!” And it’s true—it takes a LOT of courage to stand up and share your work. But as I said in Tip #4, no one in the audience will criticize you for your performance. They’re going to be there to enjoy the evening, support one another, and share their own work. So, turn your focus to your growth. Think of this event as an opportunity to try something new (and a teeny bit scary) and connect with other members of your community. Once your performance is over, congratulate yourself on a job well done—because you deserve it!
