Finding Your Performance Poetry Voice

When I used to read poems in college coffeehouses, I thought they should be read like a Shakespearian actor, with intense drama that demanded attention. “Foul wretched soul... BE GONE!”… Haha… I’ve come a long way (I hope)! Although this CAN give your words wings, overdoing it can work AGAINST you. This blog is about finding your performance poetry VOICE. 

Your voice as a performance poet carries just as much weight as the poem itself. It’s all that’s between you and the audience, providing the surface on which to drive your message. Your job is to keep it a smooth one. Here are a few important things to remember:

1.) Volume is important first of all. If they can’t hear you, distraction sets in. In public speaking this is known as projection… speaking to the back row and into the peanut gallery above. Let them know you are THERE… going with a soft tone for subtle poems or lines, getting loud for exclamation where it counts.

2.) Inflection follows… it sets the scene for words or phrases. The proper pronunciation is part of this… always being aware of the next word and the next emotion you intend to convey. Inflection, or emphasizing particular passages or words, packs the punch when you need it… or whispers vulnerability or sentiment.

3.) If you use accents, use them sparingly. You can instantly ruin a great reading by donning a fake accent! If properly used, they can be incorporated with great effect in conjunction with the message of the poem. Otherwise, try to avoid them. Be yourself! DO NOT GO OVER THE TOP… it’s a long fall over the edge of over-exuberance! Audiences sense inauthenticity.

4.) Breath is everything. Silence speaks following profound statements that you want to resound within the minds of those listening. A touch of quiet also allows you, as the performer,  to catch your breath and maintain a focus. Breaks are found in music. They are just as effective in poetry.

Volume. Inflection. Proper pronunciation. Tone. Accents. Breath. Breaks. Maintaining focus. These are all effective means to a successful end in taking your poetry on another level to an audience.

Did you enjoy this article? Can you add anything to it? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Thank you for reading and should you get out there performing… shake a leg! Hey… it worked for Elvis…

Matt Elmore

Image from: Unsplash 

Beware the vanity press!

Many of my recent poetry initiatives have been focused on helping unheard poets to gain a voice, a platform, an audience...

Wheelsong Books for example, was founded on the principle that evry poet has a voice and that voice demands an audience. I deliberately set up the company to be not for profit. When authors come to me asking how much it costs to publish a book, I reply that there is no fee. 

I am both amazed and appalled at the number of publishers 'out there' that cynically exploit the heartfelt desire of a poet to be published. They charge large sums of cash to provide 'editing and publishing services' that are little short of a scam. The poor poet ends up splashing out their hard earned cash for very little. What do they receive in return? Often a poorly edited and shoddily designed book that sells just a few copies. They are left with boxes of books they have paid for, but no-one wants to buy.

Popularly, this is known as a vanity press. The people behind many of these schemes are often unfair and unprincipled. They exercise little or no quality control, and all and sundry can get to publish their work no matter how good or bad it may be. Facebook and the web are full of poets desperately advertising and plugging books that no-one is interested in buying. You should be wary of any publisher who asks you for money to publish your book!

Wheelsong Books is different. We will never charge a poet to have their work published. Instead, Wheelsong offers editing, design and copyrighting services for no cost to the poet. We even agree to give ten percent of the sales return on every copy sold to the poet as royalty payments as a standard publishing agreement. If the book does well, and sells many copies, then everyone is a winner. 

Everyone who is directly associated with Wheelsong Books works on a purely voluntary basis. Our small, but growing group of ambassadors helps to promote and market the efforts and publications of our poet family worldwide through social media, events and promotions. Each is chosen for their commitment and drive to helping make the enterprise a success for all. For example, our USA ambassador is Matt Elmore, and our UK ambassador is Charlene Phare.

If you are interested in publishing with Wheelsong Books, be assured that we will treat you with the respect you deserve. We will assess your poetry on its merits, and we will be totally honest with you about its quality, its viability as a commercial work, and any future efforts you might need to take to improve it. Any questions you may have about publishing with Wheelsong can be posted to the comments box below! The Wheelsong Books team looks forward to hearing from you.

All live Wheelsong publications can be found on the Wheelsong Books website.

Image from Pexels used under a Creative Commons licence