Six years ago, Cedric Bolton traveled from Minnesota to join Syracuse University as the program coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Affairs. With him, he brought his love for “spoken word,” a form of artistic performance in which lyrics are spoken rather than sung and stories are shared through poetry. Since then, he’s been slowing growing Verbal Blend, a confident, energetic group of young poets that wants to be heard. Weekly, 20-25 students come together to hone their poetry and writing skills in a mentoring-style environment.

             This semester’s theme is “Discovering Your Voice” and asks members to consider their sources of inspiration. We are sitting in their Monday night workshop, and the energy is incredible as students get up to perform and then receive feedback from their peers. “I like your flow, and you know I love you. What you’re spitting is hot! It’s hot!” exclaims Rae Augrand, a part-time graduate student who’s been a member of Verbal Blend since its inception.

Tonight, they are auditioning in front of their peers for an opportunity to perform in the same arena as seven-time, Tony Award-winning Def Jam poet, Shihan van Clief. Shihan is one of the most dynamic spoken word artists today, and the students are eager to have an opportunity to share the stage. Tyler Rice, a sophomore at Syracuse, stands almost shyly among his peers and opens his heart:

The only lesson he learned from his father was how to be absent

And pops taught by action

And that’s why he doesn’t attend any of his classes

No history, no science, no English but he knows mathematics

‘Cause the teenage pregnancy rate just keeps adding.

When he’s finished, Augrand immediately “co-signs” (which equates to instant approval for a spot with Shihan), and Rice is in.

Clearly, the content that these students delve into isn’t always light. Some of the workshop ideas suggested for this year included cancer, domestic violence, youth killings and loss. Verbal Blend’s mission is to “bring awareness of these issues to the stage,” explains Bolton. In order for the spoken word element to seem real, it needs to be personal.

Verbal Blend members seek to share their experiences throughout Syracuse with poetry slams, open mic nights and other public performances. Their pulse will soon get stronger with “Poetry in Motion,” a new program on the Connective Corridor with a rather unique venue: the bus. At various times each week, members of Verbal Blend will be hopping on a bus that navigates the Connective Corridor to share their craft and give riders something to consider.

After experiencing Verbal Blend, Bolton hopes that both the young poets and the audience will be able to see the world through a different lens. We hope you’ll find a new reason to come out and explore your city!