Ms. Candice Horne - English/German TeacherChestermere High School
Ms. Candice Horne
English/German Teacher
Chestermere High School
Rural Route #7
Chestermere, Alberta
T2P 2G7
Canada
403-272-8868
RE:
Wakefield Brewster,
aka: da lyrical pitbull
Poet, Spoken Word Artist,
Inspirational Speaker
Wakefield Brewster,aka da lyrical pitbull at Chestermere High School, November 27, 2008;
The following are excerpts from student reflections on Wakefield’s presentation on Slam Poetry. The students range from 14-18 years old;
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“Brewster’s style is like no other when he speaks, something comes to my soul, it makes me feel that I can excel as a writer and a speaker.”
“At first I was caught off guard by Wakefield’s form of ‘poetry’. To me, it just sounded like all the rap on the radio and I’m not too fond of rap. When I started to truly listen to his lyrics, it became obvious to me that it was not rap. His poems were full of meaningful concepts and ideas that make you stop and think. The rhythms and beats complemented his words in an odd way but it seemed right….When he was finished, I decided I like slam poetry. It makes sense, because it isn’t a riddle, it’s the truth.”
“I have never respected an artist CHS has brought in until now. From Biblical references to the lunar landing, Wakefield brought something my subconscious has been screaming for; intelligence. His own story of ADHD showed me that we can apply ourselves in unconventional ways, to use our own strengths in ways I never thought possible. I saw students involved with his actions that would normally not care.”
“I think a lot of students were surprises to see such a ‘boring’ subject like poetry and literature made into such an inventive and exciting form.”
“I love how he captivates the audience with tempo, different volumes of his voice and his use of accents. After watching him today, I found him very candid. He doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not. ‘If you want the world to listen to you, you have to listen to the world first.’ “
“I thought his presentation was pretty dope with lyrics, because it’s not a lot that you see a lyricist with substance in his rhyming…it’s surprising though that he has ADHD/OCD and he’s able to do what he does best. I love you.”
“I have always loved poetry, but to see someone recite with such passion was inspiring. Also, it was clear that he inspired everyone else who watched him, I heard my peers saying that he made poetry ‘rock’ “.
“It was nice to hear modern poetry that was gritty and inspiring….I love how he talked to us as a bunch of friends rather than hiding himself for the sake of our age and that we’re students”.
“Usually the poetry unit is boring, but seeing a slam poet sparked my interest in poetry… the messages of good attitudes towards women and respecting the earth that were put into “hip” words (for lack of a better word) were great. I also like how he had such great answers for every question. The beard is epic.”
“That was amazing. This stuff could change the world for the better. It’s hard to describe…Real art speaks to anyone who’s willing to listen and this is for real man. …it’s deep messages like that, that fuel change.”
“Wakefield Brewster is a light in the darkness of hip-hop.”
“His energy and physical use of the floor drew everyone in.”
“It gave me a new perspective on poetry because before in classes all we would do is just read but by hearing him say his own poems gives you a better idea of what the poem is about.”
“The poetry sends messages that will make schools and students change. He was BRILLIANT!”
“It’s obvious that he goes somewhere else when he performs, his eyes become closed, and the words just flow out of his mouth.”
“The ideas that came out of his poems really got a person thinking I also felt that the answers he gave to questions were very descriptive. They weren’t typical one-word answers that most presenters give the audience….that kind of talent should not be put to waste.
“He expresses the way he sees life through his poetry. The way he says the poetry with so much compassion is just incredible.”
“Sometimes you had to really listen because they were so deep but others just kind of slapped you across the face.” (the poems). He actually had things that are worthwhile to listen to.
“He showed how fulfilling it is to pursue your interests….he was good at motivating students to use their talents towards something they enjoy.”
“We need more slam poetry around because it has good moral meaning and could really help improve society on its treatment of women and globalization.”
“I think that Wakefield should go to other schools to give them the great opportunity that we were very lucky to get here.”
“He has such a crazy vocabulary and uses such deep words. He can make an incredible hard rhyme with something so easy.”
“He opened the eyes of many students at our school to slam poetry, something which me personally had never heard of until yesterday.”
“His beard was awesome, it made his presentation that much better.”
“Wakefield himself is a very unique and intelligent individual. Just speaking to him was very interesting and inspirational.”
“The overall way that he carries himself exudes confidence. His abilities can be appreciated by anyone. He comes off as a genuinely good person who wants to help people get into the slam poetry scene.”
