Every Monday night starting at 5:00, Lehigh Valley locals come together at the Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) to share their creative work at an open mic. Typically, the weekly event is hosted by Bill Medei in the Cohen Room and runs for approximately two and a half hours. BAPL’s open mic night provides space for the community to come together and share their talents in a space devoid of judgment and full of curiosity and support. Importantly, the event welcomes those of all skill levels and encourages people to get out of their comfort zone. Whether attendees choose to perform or solely to listen, they will experience excellent neighborly entertainment and opportunities to make connections.
Each week Medei has a signup sheet at the front of the room and encourages everyone that wants to perform to do so. The sheet has 15 available slots for musicians, writers, comedians, and other talent. On August 19th, the sign up sheet was completely filled, yet Medei promised everyone that he would do everything in his power to make it possible for everyone and anyone to perform if they wanted to. In making this promise, Medei emphasized how important it is that the stage be open and available to all, and enthusiastically reminded those that signed up to be conscientious of their allotted time. After Medei’s announcement, more people continued to sign up, ensuring that the night would be happily crammed with performers.
Throughout the evening, attendees in the Cohen Room were captivated by a wide variety of performances. Some locals read emotional poetry that received immense applause and support, others played a mixture of original songs and song covers, and others introduced wholly unique skills, such as playing the hand pan or singing in Sanskrit. Some of the most popular performances of the night were those that sparked curiosity in the audience. For example, towards the beginning of the event one woman shared a few of her original poems, which ended with a surprising twist. The shocking lines at the end of each poem sparked laughter throughout the room. Another woman stepped on stage with her handpan, which is a percussion instrument that emits bell-like sounds when tapped with the musician’s fingers. As the performer set up her instrument, questions could be heard floating from the crowd. Attendees asked “Is that a turtle shell? A flying saucer?” The moment sparked a lively discussion about the handpan, and served to increase the excitement in the room during the performance of the little-known instrument.
Even the performances that did not include original creative work were met with immense support. Many of the musicians on Monday night decided to cover famous songs, including “Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel and “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool. Most open mic events specify that performances must showcase original creative work; however, BAPL avoids this restriction. In doing so, BAPL provides attendees the choice to share what they’re comfortable with, emphasizing the library’s commitment to supporting the Lehigh Valley community. Of all the performances throughout the night, the covers were met with the most active crowd participation as the audience would quietly sing along and often dance in a show of excitement.
What really makes the BAPL open mic such a special event is its focus on acceptance and collaboration. As most of the performances on August 19th were musicians, there were many opportunities for performers to collaborate with one another. Most of the musicians signed up to perform alone, but often ended up performing with at least one other person. These collaborations elevated the community feeling in the room, and made both the performers and attendees feel united. For example, guitar players, singers, and keyboard players continuously invited a man in the audience who knew how to play the drums to join them on stage. While the drummer did not sign up to perform on his own, the community recognized his talent and excitement and openly welcomed him to their individual performances. Ultimately, while the BAPL open mic showcased the talents of individual Lehigh Valley locals, the event became much more than that. With the combined effort of the audience, the performance, and Medei, the open mic truly prioritized community collaboration and shared joy.
The BAPL open mic occurs weekly every Monday night from 5:30 to 7:00. To learn more about the open mic and to discover other events hosted at the library, visit Bethlehem Area Public Library.
