DA's September Open Mic Gives Students a Space to Share Their Voices
By: Luigi Avila
Edited by: Harper Bell-Kimbro
On September 3rd, Douglas Anderson’s Creative Writing Department hosted its first Open Mic of the 2026-2027 school year, bringing students together to share original writing, music, and other creative work. The event provided performers with an opportunity to step away from the classroom and present their work to a live audience.
Open Mic events are a recurring part of the Creative Writing Department in collaboration with Mr. Citrone, a songwriting teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, allowing students from different arts to perform original work in a supportive environment.
A Space for Creativity
Unlike submitting an assignment for a grade, performing at an Open Mic allows students to experience their work through the reactions of an audience in real time. The event creates a space where writers and performers can share pieces that may be personal, experimental, or still developing.
Grace Davis, a Junior Creative Writing major and Host of the Open Mic, played an important role in keeping the event organized and helping performers move comfortably through the program. When describing her role she said,
“My role as the host for the open mic was to create a safe space where my peers could share their pieces and try to get as many people as possible to step out of their comfort zone within reason abiding our time frame. My responsibilities were to urge people to sign up as well as just make casual conversation with people. I had to organize when certain pieces could go so like spacing out the songs and the poems as well as promoting Élan while trying to make the space casual and creative.”
Behind the Mic
Hosting an Open Mic requires more than simply introducing performers. The host helps establish the rhythm of the event, introduces each performer, keeps the program moving, and contributes to the atmosphere of the night. Grace describe steps for prepping before guests and performers arrive at the open mic.
“I said hi to some people that were already there and talked a bit with my mom because I was nervous but eventually, I sat down and Ms. Flores gave me a run-down of what I should expect. She had already had some names written down and so I made sure how to pronounce certain ones that I was unsure of and make an attempt to greet the performers as they were showing up.”
For performers, the microphone can represent both an opportunity and a challenge. Standing in front of classmates and teachers means allowing other people to experience work that was originally created privately.
The program included poetry, fiction, songs, nonfiction, and script writing, giving the audience a variety of creative voices throughout the event.
Kiel Pretlow, a Senior Cinematic Arts student was the first to read a script at the Open Mic. captivating the audience in a new genre of writing previously not displayed in the venue
Creating a Comfortable Environment
One of the most important parts of an Open Mic is creating an environment where performers feel comfortable taking risks. The audience’s reaction can determine whether a performer feels encouraged to continue sharing their work.
“I was definitely new at pushing people to sign up because I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable but as more and more time passed and we were getting closer to the start time, I did walk up to some of the freshman and ask one of them to perform something just so that the others could see it's not as scary as it seems. I also told them that whatever they performed could be something that's been through many drafts.”
Looking Forward
The September 3rd Open Mic marked the beginning of another year of performances for the Creative Writing Department. With each event, students have another opportunity to experiment with their work, build confidence, and connect with an audience. Grace hopes that the performs of the open mic receive a big take away.
“I think I definitely took notes for places where I could have done better and where I did good, I honestly was wanting to host an open mic ever since Ms. Flores said that when would post a form and I was super excited when I got the message from her on Teams. I hope I get to host another open mic, of course I understand there are other people who want to as well, but this opportunity was super fulfilling, and I would be super down to do it again.”
As the Creative Writing Department continues its Open Mic series throughout the school year, students will have more opportunities to step behind the microphone and share their voices. For performers, the event is more than a presentation—it is a chance to see how their work connects with other people. We hope to see you at our next open mic November 19, at No Bird.
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