Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Expression.
Hi Frank, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
About a year after college in 2018, I was in search of something to do and that is when I noticed that a brother of mine, Tyce, was performing poetry at an open mic called Snaps and Laughs hosted by Sir Alex and where I met another old friend of mine, A Poet Named Nate. I attended the show and fell in Love with Poetry.
This was my first exposure to Spoken Word Poetry, from there I attended many poetry events for the duration of the year becoming inspired by DaTruthDaPoet’s Raw Poetry Production, Mellow Monday’s, Maui, and OrvilleThePoet. But it wasn’t until 2019 I chose to write for myself.
Through my inspiration I not only saw the theatrics and admiration in performance poetry but more importantly I saw purpose in the live healing on stage, I saw movement in the messages being presented, and I felt a oneness between a day job and a nightlife.
I first chose to learn the craft through DaTruthDaPoet’s Monthly Creative writing workshop where we were given prompts to open our minds to unconventional ways to tell stories i.e what is your day like from the perspective of your phone. Once I applied this type of writing to my own life I began looking to the stage to share my poetry.
Having grown a fear of the stage since having a few failed presentations in grad school, I knew the preparation that needed to be taken if I was to ever begin public speaking again. Practicing day and night, incorporating hand movements and voice fluctuation, I crafted a presentation I was proud of.
When it came time to perform for the first time I had my girlfriend (now fiancé, Kayla Pratt) with me, which was all the support I needed for the first time. And I delivered exactly as I practiced, barely looking at my phone, and only shaking a tiny bit. Being on stage I felt something to aspire to.
To be able to convey a message to a crowd and live to see it the next day was invigorating. So much so that I wanted more of it. So I began taking more classes and lessons from different poets in Baltimore who introduced me to more of the mechanics of writing poetry.
After performing for months it was suggested that I’d take on an alias to represent this side of me that was seemingly hidden before. I then took on the name Frank Expression stemming from my middle name and my expressive delivery of my spoken word. Shortly after it was announced the DaTruthDaPoet was holding auditions for her Black Excellence production.
I knew that this was a stage to strive for and by putting my best self forward. Knowing I had more to give my art I picked back up the trumpet for the first time since graduating from college 2 years prior. Practicing for months to get back the talent I had I also sought out extensive poetic training through, Poetry Grand Slam Champion, Black Chakra.
It is through his teaching that my skills and interpretation catapulted my writing to new heights. Incorporating all that I have learned in my, at this time, 9 months of writing and personal experiences, I crafted my Tin Man poem personifying a man’s inability to feel while incorporating my trumpet into my performance.
This is the piece that awarded me a slot into the Black Excellence production. It was through this production I was able to spawn a great number of new friendships and business partners. Being a part of that production allowed me to see the full extent of what poetry can offer a community on a larger scale.
The highs of how hard work can pay off were short-lived due to the COVID-19 world shut down. During this time I joined The Poetry Party team as we trailblazer through being one of the first online open mics of its time. Working alongside other creatives such as Host and visionary Kish The Lioness, rapper and graphic designer Nate Variety, Singer and Coordinator Katyrah Love, DJ Focus, MAVO production manager Marcus Glorick, Cydni “Bean Pie” Stewart CEO of The Vending Machine, and so many others.
I served as the operations manager to assist in giving artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs a platform to strive towards during a time when all hope seemed lost. Since I have continued expanding my brand through Philadelphia, Houston, Delaware, and now where I currently reside Charlotte, North Carolina. I still continue to grow my artistry and now my business through classes with Poetry University and The Poet Life.
Becoming a Spoken Word Artist has opened my life to amazing opportunities and experiences I didn’t know were possible. It is my hope that through my poems and my experiences that I will be able to provide a figure to strive towards in a capacity that is real and relatable.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first major obstacle I was faced with was developing Bell’s Palsy about 3 months into performing in March 2019. I had only been performing for a short period of time before this as well as just starting my modeling career. My doctor had no confirmed cause but I personally think it was stress.
One snow day I noticed that the left side of my face had gone numb. I could not feel myself blink and my face looked as if I had a stroke. I stopped performing for about a month because I could hardly be understood with a limp lip but Luckily through antibiotics and facial exercises I was able to regain movement.
Unfortunately, this was around the time I tried to pick the trumpet back up. Trying to play again felt like starting completely over from when I first began playing in 2005. So, I tried, every day for months. By the time I incorporated the trumpet into my performance I still wasn’t even near my college playing level.
Now today no one notices the effects of the Bells Palsy I still see in my facial movements. Sometimes I live in fear that it will come back again without being provoked. But that doesn’t stop me from performing.
The pandemic is a common obstacle for everyone. From losing family members during this time, to opportunities being canceled, to going months without writing. I’ve changed over the past couple of years and when I can I do write and share this same relatable experience with others that may not have the words for how they feel.
So, through that obstacle came one of the best blessings.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
By day, I am a mechanical manufacturing engineer for a medical device company.
By night, I’m a Professional Spoken Word Artist and Trumpet Player. I specialize in the combination of the two for a unique, well-rounded experience. I am most proud of the friendships I’ve fostered being an artist.
The personal stories that people have shared with me. Besides displaying two art forms at once, what sets me apart is telling my story. My experiences are relatable but my delivery is different, my metaphors are uncommon but understandable.
My portrayal of my life lived through being a black man gives my art a perspective not often seen in the capacity of my performance for an audience. No one else can tell that story. Not like me.
What was you like growing up?
Growing up, I wanted to be a robotics engineer.
In a way, I’ve done that, now I just want to be me. lol, I was a quiet kid, Used to build imaginary worlds out of Legos, and I kept to myself. As time went on I became more outgoing. I remember wanting more for myself so Joined clubs and organizations (Fraternities, Becoming an Eagle Scout, and marching band.
I pursued a lot of leadership positions, I enjoyed being out front. These are the experiences that influence my art. Growing up I always had places to put my creativity into. But without the shelter of school, I almost lost that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.frankexpression.
co - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/frank_ expression/?hl=en - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/frankexpression/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/UCiXNM_ nr5yp9SN451UQ7iog/featured
Image Credits
Tenacious Developments and GarciasProductions
