Music is, by-and-large, one of the most accessible art forms out there. Even someone who isn’t particularly interested in the arts could be handed a ticket to a music festival and absorb it blissfully like we do with the radio every day.
It’s questionable whether the same might be said for poetry.
Though poetry is one of—if not the most—versatile forms of expression, the genre gets significantly less exposure than its musical counterparts. Literary events and poetry readings may pass entirely under the radar of a majority audience.
In light of Living Words, the poetry reading that the Living Roots music festival put on, poetry’s inclusion in a music festival scene is a topic I’ve been thinking about quite a bit over the last few days. I had the pleasure of attending the readings down at The Abbey Café on May 26th to help get the gears turning on that subject.
The sound system may not have even been necessary; it felt more like we were just telling stories in somebody’s dining room than attending a festival event. Inside of a cozy room no larger than my basement, I sat off to the side amongst some friendly, familiar faces. Of the eight other attendees, roughly half were performers. Rather than a sparse cellar, though, the atmosphere was one of a comfortable and colourful space.
This show represented the essence of art and the City of Fredericton in one of the most beautifully symbolic ways I’ve ever seen.
When it comes to performances that rely solely on words, such as poetry readings, the wiggle room for messages and emotion is at its peak. The sharing of such heartfelt and, at times, personal messages helps to fuel the togetherness of the small-but-mighty literary community. But with such events being, for the most part, not well advertised outside of this community, having a space for them in larger festivals such as Living Roots gives the community some exposure to outside audiences. This allows for more diversity in the celebration of art celebration while opening the door for potential new members of the writing community.
With the countless events that happen throughout the year, Fredericton’s art scene is nothing to sneeze at. Events like Living Roots and Harvest Jazz & Blues as well as programs like the Artist In Residence program hosted by the Fredericton Arts Alliance all do their part to contribute to Fredericton’s seemingly-endless celebration of all things artistic. The city loves it, the people love it.
And where does poetry fit in? Readings are certainly no stranger to the Fredericton community; odd Sundays at the Corked Wine Bar are a mainstay in the city, for instance. And even though it can be hard to take the spotlight away from the music for even a few seconds, what better way to break the barrier surrounding the literary world than pairing it with musical artists?