Poetry Open Mic at Sugar Pearl

The Sugar Pearl is a funky little place on Burnet and Crouse Ave. If you have never been there I encourage you to check it out online www.sugarpearl.org and in person. They have a diverse menu that includes a wide number of yummy options for vegetarians and vegans. If you are a meat eater, don't despair, there are plenty of yummy items for you too!

This past Wednesday night was my first visit for their open mic for spoken word. I decided to check this out because I have started to become friends with Robin, the author of the blog The Errant Pen and Escaping Words (http://theerrantpenandescapingwords.blogspot.com) She often comes to the Woodshed at Sparky's Town (another place with yummy food, down the street, on the corner of Burnet and Catherine) and blogs about us. The Woodshed is typically the first Tuesday of the month and a variety of local songwriters get together, bring one of the songs that they are developing and get feedback on their songs.

Since Robin has been so supportive of our music, since she seems to be a genuinely nice person, since Mark Zane presented one of her poems in song form at the last Woodshed, for all these reasons and more, I was curious to check out her poetry. So I went to the open mic this past Wednesday and I was not disappointed.

The group that presented their work was relatively small. Robin, Phyllis (the owner), and one more woman (whose name escapse me) read or recited. Phyllis presented the words to a few songs she had written. As a person interested in music I would love to hear the words put to music but the words did well enough on their own.

Robin read a number of her poems for the audience. She read the poem that Mark Zane had put to music, The Urge. (Read Robin's blog about the song here: http://theerrantpenandescapingwords.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-songscontinued-from-previous.html) I am interested in hearing him play the song one more time now that I have heard the words separate from the music.

While many of the poems Robin read made me and Mark's wife Alice teary eyed, the poem about her father made me remember the love I felt for my father who has passed away. I remembered how often he made me feel safe and taken care of during times where I felt abandoned by others I had trusted. Robin read two versions of this poem, one followed the typical song patterned rhyme, one did not. The two poems told the same story with almost the same words could set such different tones for the listener. I could see that both versions could be put to music but the music would add to the difference in tone. I want to try it.

I thought it would be an interesting exercise for all of the writers of the Woodshed to pick one of Robin's poems and set it to their music. If two people picked the same song it would be interesting to see the similarities and the differences, to hear why they picked that poem, to hear the difference between the poem being read and the poem being sang accompanied by a guitar or other instrument.

The last poem Robin read was called "A Simple Woman." The poem begins with:
"I've become a simple woman, born of complicated times,
whose life remains a mystery, but whose poems sometimes rhyme" If I ever taught a songwriting class I would love to have the students compare this poem to Jeffrey Pepper Rodger's song "My Life Doesn't Rhyme." (www.myspace.com/jeffreypepperrodgers) here is another poem that begs to be put to music, although the words on there own create a certain cadence, a certain music on their own.

Counterpoint - My introduction

So I am going to try my hand at this whole blogging thang, although with facebook, twitter, etc. it seems like it could be somewhat past its time.

Briefly introducing myself, if you don't already know me, I am a 42 year old woman that lives in the Syracuse area with my dog Molly.

I named my blog "Counterpoint" because it seems to hit on a few different aspects of my personality or what I would actually write about in a blog. One of my main interests is music. In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent. In its most general aspect, counterpoint involves the writing of musical lines that sound very different and move independently from each other but sound harmonious when played simultaneously. (Yes I stole this from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint)

Counterpoint also communicates that there are other points of view and with the musical connection that even different opposing view points work together can give you a better idea of the big picture. That being said, if I offer my opinion in any of these future blogs, I welcome hearing other people's ideas as long as they are respectful in their language!

Well, that's it for now. I am about to post my first real blog. This was just an introduction. Nice to meet you.