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Have you ever snuck out of your parent's house?  Why?  Did you get away with it? 

 [ Before reflecting on this past summer..., reminded of current eventS passing by, I feel it's nescessary to reflect on key moments in my past relative to me even being aware of what Brave New Voices is. ]

    5 years ago, I was a youth artist @Street-Level Youth Media,    ( http://street-level.org/ ).

       Near the end of 04', I'd heard about a call for judges for this event <FESTIVAL called Louder Than A Bomb/LTAB ( http://louderthanabomb.org/ )

  Back then I knew of a few other youth organizations, barely (, why I state "knew of").  I lacked complete knowledge of and reason to create excitement for these co-exsisting communities, I was unintentionally asleep on.    Well...except for then realizing the parent organization of LTAB also creates the SayWhat magazines I had been recommending to my associates before that summer. ...["youth slam poetry festival...tournament?"] It sounded like it would be fun.

<Fast forward to FebuMarch-ish 2005<

    When LTAB 05' finals came around, free tickets were given to Street-Level. I remember we had our own lil' VIP section, in the balcony, to the left wing. I'd never been to the Metro Theatre before. Walking in I knew something was special about this...

   One of the first events I remember being among such a creative and diverse crowd of my peers. There was at least one or two small world moments. I met some good people, some I build with here and there to this day.                                 ["MyFace" isn't the place for friends. I've always told my siblings and students (distracted online) , "Why don't you go outside, and talk to< Communicate with Real people?".    

   -But those were easier times then. _ Man...,

2007,

 where did you go!?]

     Another situation I remember was being able to also do My thing, ...[Not perform... I wouldn't've dared to then. I don't even consider myself a writer nor poet now. ] I was asked, because I knew videography, to assist documenting the bouts,  [Sorry Seanile, my skills weren't as up to par (thinking back to 05'). {I would've sighed at the task of editing that} ].  

   LTAB was pretty different than a lot of events I had previously seen, Or documented. It was kind of funny (but definatly helpful) being told "here's your cam...tripod...and security (volunteer staff) so no one bumps you. (That would've been nice for a couple freelance gigs I did last year)

    I went home that night feeling so exclusive. Thinking, "I know so many people that are unaware of events like this..." I had just witnessed something so amazing. LTAB 05' was one of those events<experiences in 2005. Pivitol times that made me realize and want to share all the good things going on.

<Fast forward to 2009<

        Months before summer 09', I would see flyers at OpenMics and constantly hear through word from LTAB Vets & associates with Kuumba Lynx ( http://kuumbalynx.org/ ) about them hosting 2009's Brave New Voices/BNV ( http://www.bravenewvoices.org/core/ ). Sounded familiar, even before seeing pluggers with HBO logos. I realized this is the International festival that LTAB winners go on to, representing Chicago.

  One day I woke-up and b!-AM!, it was summer 09'... BNV 09' had finally arrived, and I wanted to know what all the hype was about.

   Last minute, I tried to put so many on to not missing this once-in-a-lifetime festival. A few understood better as I'd state, "...this is International!!!" "What are the chances of them being here, of all places, ...or even coming back" My best attempt at an advanced warning of how much they were deeply-sleepin' on. That was me 6yrs ago.

   During a long work week, I was able to catch a few public events, brung my djembe for the ciphers...and the fieldrecorder of course ( "No, it's not a tazer" ).

(>...To be continued...<)

**{<UPLOADS IN PROGRESS...SCROLL DOWN FOR MEDIA LINKS>}**

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Interviews:

_    ____Fri, 7 18-09_

   {Night before "March for The Restoration of Life". "LIFE is Livin: Celebration"... and (Grand Slam) Finals } ...heading to "Bringing the Noise" @ the Merle Reskin Theatre.

____

• <-RAKIM COLLINS

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 { After last intermission before "Emcee Olympics" (in front of Merle Reskin Theatre) }

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• <- YVONNE SIMMONS
• <-AARON HOWARD
• <-PETER P
• <-LANA SIMPSON, LAMON MANUEL, GILEAD7, and JASPER

_    ___Sun, 7-19-09_

  > ( day after BNV 09' finals ) < > [Everyone is packing-up, saying their goodbyes & sending P.E.A.C.E) <]

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  Thinking of heading back towards the dorms. I knew I had some good ciphers and sound clips recorded, but it lacked the complete feel of what I experienced. ...so many questions unanswered...  I almost decided to just go home. I had to ask myself, "would I be adding-on, or taking away? By going home, am I BUILDING, or destroying?"...I left the bus-stop, and didn't look back.  

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____{{On my way to the dorms}}____

• <-NAME
• <-BLACK CRACKER
• <-MASADA & FEBO
• <-MIKE LANDIS
• <-JOHN D.ANGELO
• <-"T" & SIARRA FREEMAN

___({ Outside one of Columbia College's dorm residencies })____

• <-CHINAKA HODGE & QUEEN GODIS
• <-ASIA RAINEY (New Orleans)

>(1of2)<  http://vocalo.org/explore/content/61011

• <-BEN TURNER (Bay Area)
• <-KAVI MARQUE (Philly Team)
• <-MICHAEL MAIDEN -
• <-RAHIEMA (fron LEEDs)
• <-LA a.k.a. LANGUAGE ARTS
• <-HANNAH ADAMS (from Boston < representing the Philly Team )
• <-KIARA LANIER (Chicago Allstars)

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Soundbytes/clips:

___Tue, 7-14-09_

• ~Cipher- 1st day of BNV 09' (in front of SAIC/School of the Art Instittute Chicago) http://vocalo.org/explore/content/62226

___Fri, 7-17-09_

• ~Performance- QUEEN GODIS (@ Merle Reskin Theatre)  http://vocalo.org/explore/content/61099

___Sat, 7-18-09_

• ~Cipher(S)- after BNV 09' finals (in front of Chicago Theatre)

(clip 1) http://vocalo.org/explore/content/60945

(clip 2) http://vocalo.org/explore/content/60948

(clip 3) http://vocalo.org/explore/content/60951

(clip 4) http://vocalo.org/explore/content/60954

___Sun, 7-19-09_

• ~Cipher- featuring LA a.k.a. LANGUAGE ARTS  http://vocalo.org/explore/content/61237
• ~Performances- Philly Team

(clip 1) http://vocalo.org/explore/content/61240 

(clip 2)  http://vocalo.org/explore/content/61243

• ~Cipher/Performance- DIVERSE & TERSHA (Rochester, NY)

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Video clips:

• ~Cipher- after BNV 09' finals (in front of Chicago Theatre)

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Feedback &Reflections:

• Audio-
• Video-
• Text-
• Multi-

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Tips &Tutorials:

• Audio-
• Video-
• Text-
• Multi-

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  Shout-outs to everyone involved with BNV 09', And ESPECIALLY THANK YOU to my interviewees, CoOp Art Center/MobileMediaLab, Rakim Collins, ...

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Please leave your feedback,

 -questions and/or comments.

Thank you for viewing & listening.

PEACE-

In October 2009, a group of 20 HELLO youth activists headed to Springfield to ask legislators to raise more money for the state instead of cutting funding for programs that house, clothe, feed, and educated homeless folks.

*the No.Fixed.Abode audio project doesn't use peoples' real names.

Yollocalli Arts Reach was one of 15 groups nationwide that won the prestigious 2009 Coming Up Taller Award. Yollocalli (house of the heart in Nahuatl) is a youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art and serves as an arts education and career-training program for teens and young adults.

 This is an interview with Debbie Garcia (pictured above), an intern at Yollocalli that was chosen to receive the award from First Lady Michelle Obama. We also talked with Vanessa Sanchez, Youth Programs Project Manager, and a past intern of Yollocalli. For information on Yollocalli and their art programs, visit www.yollocalli.org.

Another Chicago group that received the 2009 award, is "Young Chicago Authors", regular contributors to Vocalo.org. Congratulations!

This audio originally aired on "1401", heard Fridays at 6pm on Radio Arte 90.5FM-WRTE.