Open Mics

Doing the open mic was a fantastic idea. I used to view the open mic as a pathetic attempt to chorale Hunter students together and to buy the Undergraduate Student Government more votes or curry favor them to higher status. Of course those were my cynical thoughts scurrying around my mind. After all I know many students and one endearing member in USG. Gwenn is simply a budding woman full of humility and grace. And how could I ever condemn USG for being fake and pathetic? If anything, USG gave me the opportunity to serve Hunter College and make the college a part of my four years experience. If anything, USG allowed me an opportunity to meet other students as well, and to recruit other friends and possibly relationships. USG opened me up to a lot of fresh insights and perspectives that surpass the stereotypical college fraternities and sororities. I used to think that the open mic events were strangely nepotistic and bland because the only people who show up are non-talented people and people who are too "soft." These were my petty assumptions a few years ago when the room would bustle with no more than ten students. When the room was unfilled I felt like I did not belong because no one would hear me or listen to me. I felt as if I was better than everyone else and that I should not be performing for ten students, but rather to a crowd of hundreds of fans. My perception is obviously keyed to my ego and obviously selective in terms of choice audience. It also illustrates my engorged sense of pride that hampers my ability to see reality from fantasy.

Being at open mics are interesting because they really display the range of talent that is present in our school and at other neighborhoods as well. Open mics in general allow for strangers to mingle and to listen to each other perform songs, rhymes, rap, etc. It allows for a freedom of voice and the ability to share one's art work and to inspire each other. An open mic works because it allows for a multiplicity of talent that is never before merged together. It also allows for unpredictability and complete uncensorship. It is unpredictable because the open mic does not adhere to any specific rules and it does not feature performers who have been prescreened or went through a certain round/competition. Foremost, it is not a competition at all so performers do not face that stress of competing with each other, and they do not face the harsh criticism of judges, etc. An open mic is liberal because it nourishes a range of talents.

Let me explain what range of talents mean. It means that talent can range from slightly talented to incredibly talented. There are students who certainly have talent and gifts. They are able to perform a piece and captivate the audience and move the audience to bellowing tweets and applause. This ability alludes to the presence of talent. However the argument is that it may not be talent per se, or objectively. The word talent inspires so many different associations or pointing-out of what talent exactly or necessarily is. Talent, to me, is some kind of gift either bestowed from a creator or is nourished not necessarily from an early age but is burgeoning and ever so present when I hear the talent or see it. Or even feel it. Clearly talent is subjective in terms of what talent is and who we judge to have talent. Talent is also difficult to quantify as well unless we go by a stereotypical 1 to 10 scale. This is still strange because using a Likert Scale system is employing so many different faculties when we judge a certain talent. Sometimes we don't understand dance or opera, then how can we place this talent on a scale if we cannot judge it by its content? Perhaps the content does not matter and it's simply the form that elicits our attention and we find it ever so enchanting and amazing that we adore it as a talent. This is possible--I can enjoy opera for some reason even though I don't understand any of the words. Perhaps it sounds mellifluous to me. But how can I tell that this is amazing operatic piece if I have never heard what opera is or know what in opera makes this operatic piece good or the best? Perhaps we don't need to judge by its concept; we can simply listen to it and see if it makes it pleasant.

My homegirl Linda was incredibly nervous when she performed her song once again after taking a break from performing in five, six months. She was able to deliver a half-way solid performance because she forgot her lyrics in the first attempt. I was nerve wracked because I could not help her figure out the lyrics. Even I had forgotten the first verse. I felt like I had let her down because I could not jog her memory and we had sung this song together a few times in the near past. I could not understand why I did not remember and clearly I felt like I didn't care enough to memorize the song lyrics. I felt guilty for not being able to jog her memory and be the one who has her back when it comes to lyrics. I felt like if there was anyone she could sing her songs to, it would be and it would only be me. This meant something special to me. Her ability to share her craft with no one else but me makes me special and this in turn, makes our friendship special (it already is) because it adds so much content. But perhaps this adds what secrets add; it's almost as if when I hear her singing songs to me, I get a part of her life that she wouldn't necessarily share with non-friends or acquaintances. Therefore the songs have such meaning that cannot be divorced from them, and I know that these songs are personal to Linda because she wrote them. Because she gets to show me her talent, I feel really special and even more close to her. But I don't think she recognizes how special I feel. Or could it be that she wants me to be the special best friend who not just is her friend but also listens to her songs and tailors them for her. Does she trust me in terms of knowing her style and knowing how to trim her songs? Or does she simply approve of me being her song editor because she knows I write songs as well? Either way I should not gripe about our status because we are best friends, and that's mainly enough.