What To Do When Stage Fright Strikes

Melinda Palacio

I understand your stage fright, but not my own. This newfound rack of nerves is something I am owning up to in order to squash my fear. As a writer, reading my work in publish has always been a breeze. I write the stuff and reading it aloud to others is fairly easy, even when my middle-aged eyes fail me and I have trouble seeing the words when there is little light. I have a good idea of what the text should say and therefore can usually fill in if necessary. However, recently, I’ve dipped my toes into waters deeper than my comfort zone. I’ve started singing and playing the guitar, something I didn’t think I could ever do, let alone perform in public. I’ve blogged about my journey in learning the guitar and writing songs. The first song I wrote was an accompaniment to my poetry book, Bird Forgiveness. You can hear it on you tube. Although I said I would put up new songs on my channel, I have yet to do it. Part of it has to do with this shy stage fright business I need to nip. 

While I don’t get nervous speaking in public, singing in public sets on a whole set of nervous reactions. First, my voice becomes very thin and barely audible. I have difficulty summoning the outdoor voice I am sometimes famous for. Stage fright takes over and I start to make mistakes in my guitar playing, knowing I’m making mistakes me me even more frightened and nervous.

Although songwriting and poetry have something in common, ask Bob Dylan, performing those songs is not as easy as reading my own poetry. Two weeks ago, at the Core Winery in Orcutt, I decided to take a leap of faith and perform the Bird Forgiveness theme song. As a featured reader, along with Toni Wynn, I figured I would take advantage of the extra time I had and work in a song into my presentation. The Core Winery is an intimate  and relaxed tasting room and the proprietors, Becky and Dave Corey treat everyone like family. The tasting room serves as Orcutt’s community center and hosts all kinds of events in addition to poetry and music (they’ve even held discussions with a doula (a person that assists with the final hours of life). I knew that the comfortable space of the winery was where I wanted to debut the Bird Forgiveness song in public. 

At least I’ve learned some tricks over the years that have helped me become a better speaker, and hopefully, a better singer and guitarist. I can share three helpful tips with you. The first is something Becky Corey pointed: no one but you knows you’ve goofed. After performing my song and replaying all the mistakes I made, I mentioned the fact that I had made mistakes and she said that no one but me knew that I had made a mistake. This is something that’s important. When you are reading prose or poetry, if you stumble on a word or a line, it’s acceptable, and sometimes helpful, to repeat the line so the overall meaning will not be lost. This repetition is not necessary in a song. And never start all over, unless you are Patti Smith. Number two is volume. Saying it loud, singing it loud, can trick you and the audience into thinking you have all the confidence in the world. My last tip is to over prepare. Even if you are reading just one poem or singing one song, knowing the material backwards and forwards will help you make an adjustment, should you stumble or miss a beat. 

Article in the Santa Maria Sun on the Core Poetry Series

CSUCI Houses the Works and Archives of Michele Serros

Melinda Palacio

Michell Serros's first book

I still have a hard time believing Michele Serros didn't make it to see her 50th birthday. She had big plans to have a cinquentañera and she had more poems, articles, and books to write. The Oxnard native died at age 48 after a battle with cancer. Sunday, February 10, would be her 53rd birthday. Michele was one of the first, if not the first, author I had ever met. She was young and funny and years later, I had the pleasure of standing next to her at the Latino Book and Author Festival when my first book was published. She had friends all over the country and always managed to send a letter or call around Valentine's Day, her favorite holiday. It's appropriate that California State University Channel Islands will open the Michele Serros exhibit and archives in the John Spoor Broome Library Gallery. The reception will include readings of Serros' works and the screening of a short film called "Cielo or Bust: Honoring the Life and Works of Michele Serros and her Stories of Dead, Identity, and Oxnard" by director/producer Julio Alcala. The exhibit not only contains her papers, but also signature pieces, such as skateboards and the famous desk that Michele writes about in her 1993 book, Chicana Falsa. Coordinating her archives and the Michele Serros Multicultural Living-Learning Community, a dorm at CSUCI, is another amazing Chicana and friend, Dr. Jenny Luna who met Serros when the two were neighbors in New York.


Details: February 14: California State University Channel Islands, 1 University Dr., Camarillo, CA 93012, John Spoor Broom Library Gallery, reception from 5-8 pm.

Michele Serros and Melinda Palacio

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This Saturday, along with Toni Wynn, I have the pleasure of reading from my latest book, Bird Forgiveness at the Core Winery. If enough wine is had, I will also perform the Bird Forgiveness theme song and my latest song, working title "Time." Rebecca Rose at the Santa Maria Sun wrote up a nice article on me and the upcoming event. Read the full article here.

February 9, Core Family Winery, 7:30 pm to 10: 30 pm, 105 W Clark Avenue, Santa Maria, CA 93455.

I'm holding up the Santa Maria Sun article by Rebecca Rose. 

Live from the Core: Poetry and Wine tasting in Orcutt

Melinda Palacio

Library Wines before the reading.

In a strange twists of hits and misses, I ended up reading at CORE Winery in Orcutt.

When my poetry pal, Gina Ferrara, asked me to read for her, I did not hesitate to say yes. I have to admit I was a little disappointment she wouldn't be traveling from New Orleans to California to read from her new book, Fitting the Sixth Finger,  poems inspired by the paintings of Marc Chagall. Gina has promised to return next year.

Gina first met Michael McLaughlin, the poet and coordinator of the Live from the CORE Poetry Series in California. He was so taken by Ferarra's reading at the Mission Poetry Series that he asked her to read in Orcutt. I was more than happy to host my good friend. McLaughlin also read at the Maple Leaf Bar on the day when I was in New Orleans, but reading in a different part of town. Most people had assumed we knew each other because he is based in Santa Maria, a town forty minutes from Santa Barbara; we had never met. However, contrary to popular belief, I do not know every poet in California, although I'm working on it.

Reading at CORE Winery was fun.

While Los Angeles is filled with more poetry events than an eager fan can attend, the little town of Orcutt, holds one poetry reading at the CORE Winery once a month. The series is now in its second year and has a strong following and includes an impressive core group who sign up for its open mike. The reading series featured several La Bloga friends, including Luivette Resto, and Emma Trelles, who will read next Saturday, June 10, along with San Luis Obispo poets Jim Cushing and Celeste Goyer at CORE Winery Tasting Room, 105 W. Clark Ave, Old Orcutt, CA 93455. If you're still scratching your head about where Orcutt might be, it's 75 miles north of Santa Barbara. The drive is gorgeous. Orcutt is one of those one street towns. There's a main drag with everything from a hardware store to a winery to an Italian restaurant that serves handmade pasta.

Signing books after the reading

I was most impressed with the CORE Family, Becky and Dave Corey, who open up their tasting room to poetry once a month and the generous audience who listened attentively, bought copies of my book, and shared their own excellent poems during the open mike. What more could a poet desire? Many thanks to Michael McLaughlin for the reading opportunity. I had the pleasure of testing out some new work from my upcoming poetry book, Bird Forgiveness (forthcoming from 3: a Taos Press), and reading with Bay Area poet Mark Fabionar, who recited his first poem at the age of five at a Filipino community center in Stockton.

Mark Fabionar 

I'm looking forward to hearing more poetry at CORE next week. Come and join me and listen to Emma Trelles and new poet friends from San Luis Obispo  June 10.

The Beat Continues

Melinda Palacio

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Welcomes Cuba

My post for today will be short and sweet. This week I am traveling back to California in our recovered Honda Element. (In case you missed the story on La Bloga, read all about it). Considering our car insurance company was only going to give us at most four thousand dollars for our old car, we feel fortunate that our stolen car was recovered. This means we don't have to think about spending forty thousand for a new car. I always forget how challenging it is to write a post while traveling from coast to coast. Don't get me wrong, I have much to report on, such as the first week of Jazz Fest in New Orleans and the crazy people guarding the monuments. The confederate statues in New Orleans are coming down, but there are some who feel the need to leave candles and confederate flags because they don't want their history of slavery erased. Also, this year, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrates Cuba with non-stop cuban music and yummy cuban food. If you go, make sure you try the ropa vieja. At jazz fest, the food is almost as important as the music. Today, you can get your Cinco de Mayo on with Mariachi Jalisco at 1pm at the Jazz and Heritage Stage or Earth, Wind, and Fire at 5pm at Congo Square, or salsa and rumba all day at the Cultural Exchange Pavilion Celebrates Cuba. Here's the complete line-up for today. Tomorrow, the day belongs to Stevie Wonder and the lucky ticket holders. I, unfortunately, will not be there for the closing weekend. I'm already setting my sights on next weekend, when I will be reading poetry with Mark Fabionar (Back Home: A Clean Purple Haze and Radical Spaces of Possibility) in Orcutt at the Core Winery, May 13, Saturday at 7:30 pm in Old Town Orcutt.