The spoken word can be extremely powerful. It can impact heavily on the emotions because it's a sensory mode we use constantly, and the human voice can convey a rich variation of inflexions, tones and nuances of emphases. Furthermore, the current generation is a listening generation. You just need to sit on an underground train, or stand in any public place to see how many people are using headphones or ear buds connected to their devices.
Have you tried to record yourself reading your poetry? Have you ever used music or sonic effects to enhance your poems? It has never been easier to embellish an audio track with additional content such as a rythmic beat or soundscape. Be careful if you want to use someone else's music. Most music is copyrighted, so you'd need to obtain permission.
If you'd rather streamline things, you have two options. 1) create your own music (this is the topic for another blog post) or 2) find copyright free music you can use for free without any legal hassle. Always check the terms of use for free music.
If you choose the music first, listen to it as you write your poem. As you do so you may find that you begin to adapt your lines and phrasing to the tempo of the track. This takes some practice but the aim is to fuse your words with the music so they become one entity, one piece of art. In good sonic poetry, the words and the sounds complement each other.
The most effective and unique sonic poems feature sounds and utterances rather than recognisable words or phrases. Try writing while avoiding the use of words.
Steve Wheeler
No comments:
Post a Comment