‘Speak Your Mind’ event allows performers to express feelings

Photo By Joseph Schmitt | IT2 Tramaine Cox reads his thoughts about society at an open mic “Speak Your Mind” event sponsored by the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) at Club Alliance on Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, July 31. Cox has been at many of the open mic events since the event was a small venue with only a few people in the crowd.  

YOKOHAMA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

07.31.2013

Story by Joseph Schmitt 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

YOKOSUKA, Japan - The Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) sponsored an open mic “Speak Your Mind” event at Club Alliance on Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, June 31.

The event was a catharsis allowing community members to express their thoughts and emotions through song, prose and poetry.

“We started this last year with some really small events, I think at the first open mic there were only four or five people,” said Legalman 2nd Class Theresa Patterson, event coordinator. “When the people that started it started to leave the area, they turned it over to CSADD to keep it going. It’s grown from there and now we have about twenty people that signed up and the audience filled up the room.”

Performers are from the local community and chose their own acts.
Some people sang, some read their poetry and others read their prose.

There was no common theme or mood for the pieces. Each person focused on whatever was important to them.

“Sailors can have issues or frustrations and they can feel like they are not being heard or that they don’t have the avenue to be heard,” said Patterson. “The open mic is a place where they can come and vent. There is no judgment. We just want them to come out and have a good time.”

No ranks or commands are mentioned during the show. Each performer is introduced by only their first and last name. Patterson explains that this allows performers to feel more open with what they are sharing. A few of the people performing for their first time said they felt welcome.

“I had a few friends in the crowd but I was still a little nervous,” said Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Isaac Coleman, at the event for the first time. “When everyone was clapping at the end that felt good, it was good to get that feed back. When you’re not constantly working, worrying about military issues and you get something to take your mind off that stuff, it’s just a real positive experience.”
Returning performers and crowd favorites came back for this event.

“I’m always nervous going out there, you get over it, once you’re going you just keep going” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Tramaine Cox. “This is good for me too because I’m trying to write a book about all the things I’m thinking and this lets me test out parts of the book on the audience. If they like it then I keep it but if not then I’m like maybe I need to go look at that part again. But, it’s always fun to get out there.”

Patterson said the CSADD plans to continue supporting the open mic events. They will announce when the next one is as soon as they have a date set.

• Date Taken: 07.31.2013
• Date Posted: 08.23.2013 03:39
• Story ID: 112463
• Location: YOKOHAMA, KANAGAWA, JP