One of the hardest things for anyone to do is find their voice, the one thing that makes them unique and sets them apart as an individual. The task is difficult and daunting for those who do not know where to start but for Catawba College student, Julia McRae, may just have the answer. On Friday, March 18, McRae led the seminar entitled, “Developing Your Voice in Spoken Word” to provide students with the tools to express themselves through the power of word – spoken word to be exact. The lesson was both informative and inspirational leaving students with a greater sense of self (as well as a greater need for Kleenex). Julia is a wonderful example of how bringing the power of human expression can be both enjoyable and liberating.

Miss McRae gave a brief overview of the history of spoken word including its origins in African oral traditions passed down by griots or historians from West Africa. In its modern day incarnation, spoken word encompasses elements of politics, society, spirituality, and personal stories. She describes the structure of these poems as the blending of subjects, feelings, and traditional poetic elements such as repetition, rhyming, and wordplay. She states that one of her favorite things about spoken word is the fact that it is not “clean” and that it actually encourages the usage of common language and slang terms. The performance of spoken word poetry as a whole is a marriage between raw emotion and the physicality to emphasize particular emotions to the audience members.

Members in attendance wrote and developed their own pieces of spoken word to share with the class and let me tell you, there was hardly a dry eye in the building. Students one after the other shared their inner struggles and perspectives on life to which McRae seemed quite pleased. The seminar was a total success and for this senior English major, the sky is the limit! Julia is the embodiment of what it means to truly find your voice and let it soar. Good going Julia, keep it up!