2009 Get Lit Player BLITZ!!! - day to day blog – A.Antoinette

This BLITZ was made possible by the Flourish Foundation!


Day 1 –
It’s really early, and my hope is that this “BLITZ” goes swiftly with some success. Let’s be honest, when you ask kids (high school kids at that) about their joy for reading, well, one should have little to no expectations.
None the less, it’s early and I am ready. This is year four with Get Lit-Words Ignite; this is “my life’s work” and I have been gone out of corporate America too long to pick up where I left off, so…you should meet our BLITZ crew before I go on…

Me, I am Azure Antoinette. Artistic Director/Coach/Poet – basic, I run around with the GLP’s and my Executive Director Diane.
Dario – resident beatboxer, 3 year GLP and SOUND for the crew. He is “that guy.”
Bri – newest GLP all the way from UTAH, talent is ILL, she makes me want to take a trip there someday, but not today.
Jazmine – she is tall, and happens to be 3rd year GLP too, this one can write, perform and bring the house down in a stanza.
Jordan – youngin’, baby gap, oh yeah and a POETRY PRODIGY, don’t sleep on this kid, he has Laureate written all over his palms.
Ryan – MC, resident hip hop of the GLP’s, 3 year vet, and lets just say we go to the end of the earth to pick him up to make sure he is at the show. Ryan never disappoints.
Diane – that is our fearless leader, she is the mastermind behind Get Lit, booked this BLITZ for us, the reds of my eyes, thank her…and now for the story.

Zane Grey High School
We (Dario, Briauna and myself) arrive at the office of Zane Grey, in the valley, normal looking continuation school, lots of grey, the blank looks from students, all the “emotion” we are used to.

Get in the class, and it is starting to feel a little warmer, I open up with commentary mixed with performance and you can start to see the expressions melt into interest, then here comes Dario, followed by Bri, and wouldn’t you know it, we got some laughs, some author names, and a grip of questions! Zane Grey was a great way to start the BLITZ but I never could have guessed what was waiting for us at John Wooden HS just down the block…

“They were all so fantastic. I wish we could find funding to have you guys come regularly!” - Mayda Yetenekian, teacher


John R Wooden High School
Now, in spoken word, there is “LIVE”, there is “FLY” and then there is just plain “BANANAS”! Wooden HS was one of the highlights of my year and a definite high point for the BLITZ. The students were alert, FULL of energy, never let the vibe drop and 11 students got up for the official “OPEN MIC” that we do at the end of each show. Ya’ll should know 11 is doing BIG things, MONUMENTAL.

There were so many performers in the audience that we let them perform throughout the show as opposed to waiting to the end, we had singers, writers, and MC’s. Dario on the vocal 1’s & 2’s (that’s beatboxing) and the MC’s calling the tempos and slinging the rhymes. The energy of the left side of the auditorium was so palpable it gave me chills.

If I could summarize the experience into one sentence it would be this – schools like Wooden is why Get Lit is necessary, the youth is hollering for someone to pay attention, to recognize that they are present and have a voice.

No sooner did the assembly finish, my blackberry was buzzing, it was our Executive Director, Diane Luby Lane, she says “hey honey, how did it go?”. I said “yo Di, it was sooooo FLY!”, I preceded to fill her in on the pandemonium that ensued.

Day 1, was a success, and that is putting it mildly.

“Whoa! My students got lit! … My students declared this the best assembly they have seen!” - Brenda Young, John Wooden teacher

"The poetry you guys come up with is epic and mind-blowing…” Marlon Galario, student


Day 2

Fairfax High School
I was 23, the whites of my eyes were less pink then they are now, this was my first HS show, Fairfax HS, nestled in that part of Hollywood where people aren’t really sure what trend to follow, so, they follow as many as they can.

Fairfax will always be special to Get Lit, this is the HS where we cast our first troupe of Get Lit Players, who have gone on to UCLA, SMCC, and universities out of state.
Get Lit has had avid support from Pat Abrams, facilitator of the “Poetry Club” and (recently retired) head of the English department. This year we were invited back for the 2009 BLITZ by Jaime O’Halloran. Interesting tidbit, Ms. O’Halloran is the SOLE reason that I got involved with Get Lit 4 years ago. I found the website through a blog thread that she posted, otherwise, I never would have known…thank God for technology.

Coming to Fairfax is familiar and the performance and environment is always welcoming. We had 2 shows back-to-back, good crowd and even had a few students come through for the open mic. All and all, a “good look” for day 2.

“The performances were very worthwhile and communicated meaningfully with the audience. Thank you for identifying such talents and working so deeply with these students. The messages they convey are profound and important. I am certain that under your guidance they have grown immeasurably and will continue to do so.” - Pat Abrams, Fairfax High

“As the words flowed out of their mouths I couldn’t help but think, this is what I want to be about!” – Lily Varga, student

Day 3

Van Nuys High School
Can I just say – BEAUTY.
Yes, that is the only word to describe this theatre, and the tech guys (two amazing teens we want on our crew!) were a prayer that we had never prayed.
We travel a great deal, in state and out, and it is so rare to be treated with such compassion from the administration and the students.

Van Nuys was, intro music from Jay-Z, a sprawling stage that I ran side to side for the official Get Lit “audience sound check” and again, the LEFT side was SUPER LIVE! Van Nuys HS was FRESH, like new pair of Nike Dunks FRESH.
Van Nuys was a HUGE crowd but the thing that sticks out to me the most was the silence when I asked for the audience to “give it up” for literacy. It was staggering, and by no fault of the students. Books are not touch screen, they are not instant, nor bbm or app capable. So to the current generation, they are becoming obsolete, and for some, they simply don’t exist. I digress, to paraphrase, “how many of ya’ll are reading currently?!” (cricket, cricket) “okay okay, why don’t you shout out the names of the songs that on in rotation on your ipod?!” (verbal chaos from the crowd). I want the cheers to be equal, like screams and excitement dipped in sincerity, cause when I think of the poetry, the excerpts, the novels that have taken residence in my memory I get chills, if only we could recite classic and canonical literature and poetry through the form of spoken word…OOPS we DO!

We performed twice at Van Nuys, back-to-back and when we left we were sated. I believe the classic poems mixed with the original pieces gave the student body something to think about. Here is to progress, here is to the work of CHANGE.

“Teachers and students alike have been talking about you guys!! They LOVED the performance. I have overheard students talking about the fact that it really made them think about life more deeply… You and your storytellers were a fabulous hit!!! Thank you so much for sprinkling the magic of poetry into our lives.” - Suzanne Ozman, Head Librarian Van Nuys High

Day 5

Camino Nuevo

Former Get Lit Player, Gabriel Cortez said “ya’ll really pack em in”…he speaks only truth. Camino Nuevo looks more like a MOCA exhibit than a High School, there is concrete in an artistic way and metal mesh and steps, and and and. In other words, this is not the high schools I remember. There is a different vibe here, the teachers project a peace that I don’t normally encounter in LAUSD High Schools, Camino is a charter. The students are in uniform here and the smiles are free. We head to the auditorium after we were offered fresh coffee and fruit - yes this is the good life.

The students file in, teachers in tow, who by the way go in the ‘chillest staff EVER column’, before long the students line the walls eager to see what we are bringing. I have a full Get Lit crew today, Bri, Dario, Ryan, and Jordan. I open, per my usual, and you would have thought I gave all of them gifts, I must say there is no greater joy than the connection a performer feels to the audience when they are ‘feelin’ you. The GLP’s smashed the show, it was smiles abound and I had no critique. I was full of thanks and gratitude to see tax dollars at work, and so blown by the beauty of the students, teacher and that eloquent campus.

Camino, Get Lit wont forget you, and once more, we will be back.

“The GetLit Players were phenomenal in their capacity to connect with our students and to engage them in meaningful dialogue about the power of the spoken word. Our students were enraptured by the various voices and styles brought by the GetLit poets, and displayed a rarely seen focus and passion for the presentation. GetLit’s fine balance of approachability and highly refined skills encouraged our budding poets to apply some of the observed techniques in their own nascent poetry.”
–P.Tiller 10th Grade Humanities Teacher, Camino Nuevo High School

“… I enjoyed when two poets recited a poem at the same time. I also enjoyed the way all of the poets used different literary devices like, rhyme, rhythm, repetition that we had been learning in English.” Nestor F. Grade 10, Camino Nuevo High School

Day 6

LACES
This was great day, and not to mention 2 of Get Lit’s most notable players attend and graduated from this fine establishment.

Ryan Jafar graduated in 2008 with honors. (We met him as a Junior at LACES and now he is a freshman at UC Riverside.) He’s made his mark on the teen poetry world as well as the hip-hop globe at large (no joke).

Jordan Jace is known to us as “the prodigy” - joined Get Lit back in April and is 13. He gives ALL (I do mean to include myself) a run for the money we don’t have.

I arrive with one of our interns and Ryan - we are greeted by his “fan club” with conversation like, ‘we miss you’ and ‘how is your life?’. Ryan is what we call “low key” and a ladies man so he just shrugs, smiles, says ‘im good, and I miss you too’. Oh man, it is funny runnin’ round with these guys. They keep me grounded and laughing. Swear this campus looks just like Bayside High.

We met several LACES students who were very excited to see Ryan and Get Lit do their thing, as such the library filled up. Briana, Ryan, Jordan and myself did a 50 minute set, talked with the audience and had 4 open mic performers. This audience was astute, however still quiet on the “does anyone know what literacy means?” tip. They knew, but no one wanted to hip me (smile).


“It opened the world of poetry to me!” Mariele Saunders-Schultz, student

FRANKLIN HS
So you got your Starbucks and cafeteria, but have you ever seen a coffee lounge in a public high school. We did, it was here at Franklin, one word. DOPE.

We performed at Franklin last year, it was just Dario and myself, our thought about it, “okay, let’s do this, one more show”…right.

It blew the 2 of us away completely, we walked into a low light space full of bistro tables, facing a stage with red lights, chalk full of students, it was an in-school café/open mic. To say the least, we were excited. Oh right, the show, well that was a success this year and the last, our favorite part about this school is the energy of the students and the man behind it all, David Levine.

If you are ever going to talk of love for what one does or going the extra mile, make sure you include Mr. Levine.


“Get Lit players blended modern and classic poetry seamlessly and allowed my students to see connections between hip hop and Herman Hesse… I can't say enough about what you have created here… Once again Getlit players knocked it out of the park…” - David Levine, Lead Teacher, MEGA Academy, Franklin HS




Day 7

Paramount HS
We were invited here by Nancy Himmel - a teacher who completely embraces the arts. She booked the Get Lit Players for a teacher’s conference earlier in the year which was a huge success - however, teachers versus students, well that is a Grand Canyon of difference.

I couldn’t have expected that Paramount would have turned out to be the show that it was. The auditorium was full, the students LIVE for back to back shows, and we had SEVERAL students come up perform for the open mic session. Not to mention the heart felt letters we received, we will let you read excerpts for yourselves… We have one school left to go.

“The Get Lit Players send out such an aura of delight and confidence as they perform their poems that students and teachers alike cannot help but be drawn in. What an amazing inspiration they are!” - Nancy Himel, Lead Teacher, Paramount High

“Your performance at PHS was the bomb… All those poems seemed like they were knocking on the door of my heart.” Kerry Nelson, student

Day 8

Hamilton HS
Much like Fairfax, Hamilton is like 2nd skin, Jazmine Williams who is a "seasoned" GLP hails from these halls, as does Daniela (an original GLP) who has gone onto college, but her dad still resides as President of the Get Lit Board.

Hamilton holds a special place for Jazmine and me - I performed at this very drama classroom 3 years ago where Jazmine in the audience decided to audition for the GLP's based on my performance. This was the last show for Get Lit in 2009 and the best way to end the Blitz.

Dario, Briauna, Jazmine and Jordan ushered out the year with a moving performance, a eager handful of open mic'ers. I must say that overall, this is the best work, the kind of work that really isn't.

Thank you for reading, this is Azure Antoinette, peace poet, saying “write now, or forever hold your PEACE.

Look for us in twenty10, it is going to be the YEAR, we can feel it.