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Say it Out Loud

April 13, 2016

Who doesn’t love a good story? With the rise in popularity of podcasts like “Serial,” a masterfully told story might be more valued than ever.

But telling a story well takes preparation; it’s a skillset developed through trial and error, and lots of practice. Refining a narrative to make it edge-of-your-seat compelling, delivering key moments with just the right timing, changing tone of voice to convey a feeling or mood...these are skills a good storyteller might use to make a story stick with a listener, to make us remember.

Middle and high schoolers across the Valley are learning these skills and developing stories that hold the attention of their families, rooms full of strangers and audiences filled with hundreds of people. Through educational programs delivered by spoken word artists of Phonetic Spit, young people are developing and using their own voice, telling stories that are meaningful to them, and speaking with confidence and authenticity.

On April 16, the public is invited to be there as future leaders find the courage to speak their truth and tell the stories they’ve carefully prepared and practiced. In the face of the emotionally gripping content that will fill their stories, the event will be a love-fest—a celebration of the hard work and determination the students have put into telling for the night.

The All-City Slam Championship at Mesa Arts Center is the culmination of months of preparation on the part of the students. Be there for this free event as youth from across the Valley compete and support each other in finding their voice. Or, hear professional spoken word artists Matthew “Cuban” Hernandez and Alyesha Wise in Friday night’s Spoken World event, where dynamic performance and explosive content promises to engage the audience with unforgettable stories.