The open mic event was a pleasant and receptive forum for aspiring writers (and some musicians) to share their work. One of my favorite performances was the spoken word poetry “Robo-Cop” piece. Until the poet started his routine, he seemed perfectly casual and about to calmly recite his chosen work like the rest of the performers. But then suddenly his arms jerked and froze and glided in robotic movements, and his face changed as he took the roles of several voices in his story. He was lost in another reality, and for the few minutes that his performance lasted, the audience was lost with him.

Another performance that I really enjoyed was a duet sung to the accompaniment of a strumming guitar. What astonished me was the smoothness and professionalism that the performers demonstrated in their singing and guitar playing. They sounded as if they had trained their voices for a long time. It was also pleasant to watch them because they genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves. As they sat together perched on a piano bench singing, they looked relaxed and happy and pleased to be doing what they were doing.