LTAB-Tacoma 2020 is back! We had to cancel our festival in March, but we are moving to an online, indy slam format on August 7, 2020! We are stoked to be partnering with the Tacoma Public Library to bring you this event!


There are 24 slots for poets ages 12-19 in the South Sound. (Priority will be given to poets who were signed up for LTAB-Tacoma 2020. We'll hold 19 spots for one poet from each team who signed up and the four indy poets who had signed up. Repeats from teams and others not signed up for the original LTAB-Tacoma 2020 will be wait-listed.)


Here are the rules:


  • LTAB-Tacoma has two rounds, so you are required to submit two poems
  • ROUND ONE: All 24 poems will air [Video #1 (FIRST NAME_LAST NAME1)]
  • ROUND TWO: Top six scoring poems will air [Video #2 (FIRST NAME_LAST NAME2)]


  •  Video Submission Instructions 
  1. Videos CANNOT be edited
  2. Videos can only be one take
  3. No zooming in or out or panning left/right/up down (keep your camera still)
  4. No filters
  5. Language must be PG-13 (no hardcore cursing...ask if you are unsure)
  6. No props or accompaniment
  7. Camera CANNOT move, MUST stay in one spot (yes, we mentioned it again :) )
  8. All videos should be 3:10 or less as to not receive a time penalty
  9. VIDEOS MUST BE SAVED AS:  FIRST NAME_LAST NAME1 and FIRST NAME_LAST NAME2
  10. Videos MUST be submitted by July 20, 2020 at 11:59pm. 



LTAB-Tacoma 2020 Indy Virtual Slam will broadcast on August 7, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.



To sign up and upload your videos, please click here


**You can also PRE-REGISTER. What that means is, you can sign up for a slot before submitting your videos. Your full registration, videos, and media release are still due by July 20, but this will hold a slot for you. If you don't submit the full registration information by the July 120 you will likely lose your spot. Preregister below.


To download the MEDIA RELEASE form, please click here.


Here are some recording tips from the amazing John Hargis down at Tacoma Public Library:


Reduce Echos


Probably the most important is to eliminate unwanted room reverberations. Any kind of echo off smooth or reflective walls in your space will interfere with sound quality. You can achieve this by building a tent all around you with blankets or towels. If your poem is printed on paper be sure to secure it in such a way where you can read without rustling the paper itself.   

 

Be aware of external noises


Lawn mowers, loud pets, airplanes and traffic noises should be avoided.

 

Hydrate


Drink plenty of fluids on the day you plan to read your poem but avoid consuming dairy products, especially milk. Water or unsweetened tea (not ice cold but warm or room temperature) is the best thing to have within reach during your reading.

 

Warm Up


You can start by reciting several tongue twisters and practice pushing air out of your diaphragm with a long, high-to-low sweeping sigh (a technique used frequently before choir rehearsals).  Even for a poem that’s intended to be read quietly and gently, some preliminary oral calisthenics will smooth out your delivery and sharpen your diction.


Tag Your Video


Before you read the poem, you can say the following things before the timer begins:


  • Name
  • Age/grade
  • Title
  • School
  • A short dedication


Your recording device should be close to your mouth


But not so close that your breath creates plosives, which are distortions caused by too much air moving across the surface of the microphone.


PRE-REGISTRATION

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