"That's So Miami"

Last night, I went to an Arsht Center event which called itself a "piano slam."  Apparently, it was related to the Dranoff 2 Pianos series of events held this time of year here, and it's the fifth year they've done the "piano slam."

I have no idea why they call it a piano slam, unless it's because it was slammin' good, but here's the set-up.  They had two pianists, playing the extended composition of one of them, a DJ, of the hip-hop, street ilk, a percussionist, and 17 middle school and high school kids reciting, or performing, poems they had written for a competition for this event.  The event organizer says that 1300 poems had been submitted by kids throughout the County, and these were the 17 best.  There were some other performers as well, most centrally including a middle aged woman who was a recurring poet.  Her name is Shamele Jenkins, and she was described in the program as "an internationally recognized touring poet, spoken word artist, storyteller, and author."  The pianists, Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann, were wonderful.  The DJ, Seth "Brimstone 127" Schere, "uses his skills and experience to motivate others by performing and lecturing on Hip Hop History, Hip Hop in the Classroom, Critical Media Literacy, Jewish Contributions to Hip Hop, and Sound Production & Engineering."  I'm quoting from the program.  There's no way I could make this stuff up.  You don't often see female percussionists, but Elizabeth Galvan is a U of Miami graduate who won a "Universal Marimba Competition" in Belgium in 2011, and she was excellent.

This was a well put together and well-choreographed production.  Some of the kids were shy, and some were not, but they had written sensitive, intelligent, and provocative poems.  Some performed their poems, and others simply recited them.  It was clearly the kids who were the focus of the production, with the music providing support and depth.

Carlene Sawyer, the Executive Director of Dranoff, wrote in the program as follows: "Piano Slam started with the idea to take Classical Music out of the conservatories and into Miami's neighborhoods from Homestead to Carol City and from Doral to the Beaches.  This happens by connecting teenagers' love of music to professional performance artists across creative boundaries-- all within their public schools."

Boy, did this program ever succeed.  You could not have asked for a more interesting evening, demonstrating precisely what Ms Sawyer intended.  And she thanked her important partners: the Arsht Center, the County Public Schools, her "creative partner, Teo Castellanos, for bringing his award-winning theater experience to Piano Slam and raising the project to the highest level of expectation for all involved, especially the students" (yup, yup, yup), the Miami Heat, and the Dranoff Foundation.

I kept the program, and it contains each of the 17 poems, including the names and schools of the authors.  If you want to read them, let me know.  None is more than a page, and some are considerably shorter.

Ms Sawyer wants us there next year, for Piano Slam 6.  My advice to you: Be There, or Be Square.  I imagine tickets cost something, but mine was complimentary.  My guess is the price could not have been more than $10-15.  The seating was general admission (open seating), and the place was packed, apparently significantly with friends and family members of the kids/performers.  So it was friendly and casual.

This was a terrific program.  It was expertly done, was a real community service, and served to raise the level of artistic appreciation for participants and audience.  It did exactly what Ms Sawyer hoped it would.  See ya next year.


Addendum: Chuck Ross alluded to this fact in his comment, though he didn't realize how deliberate it was, and Ms Sawyer was clear about it when I spoke to her: there is in fact no charge to anyone to attend "Piano Slam."  All tickets are complimentary.  I don't know how interested people can get them, though I'm sure you could call Dranoff or the Arsht.  They give out four times as many as the crowd they can accommodate, apparently knowing most people take tickets, but don't come.  So if you can snag tickets next year, do.  And come.  You will be very pleased.