Richard Brown, a retired professor of entomology at Mississippi State University, made his way up the stairs of the Omnova Theater stage Saturday at the Rosenzweig Arts Center.
He sidled up to the microphone with both hands in his pockets while a crowd of 20 at the All in the Same Breath Arts and Culture Exchange wondered what he would share.
Then Brown produced a small silver harmonica before sharing a story.
“I grew up playing harmonica as a child, (and) my mom played one,” Brown told the crowd. “When I was a graduate student (studying at the University of Arkansas), I heard this sound one night. … It was the custodian, and he was making a sound I’d never heard before. By using his tongue, he blocked notes (on the harmonica), so he could play on both sides.”
The auditorium resonated with the strong hums and wheezes of musical riffs during Brown’s set. Rather than simply exiting stage right when he finished, Brown fielded questions about his performance.
Those post-performance questions from audience members are part of what separates All in the Same Breath from other open mic-style events, said event co-founder Naomi Buck Palagi.
“Usually it’s sort of a question that gets … a little hint of who the person sitting next to you is,” Buck Palagi said.
All in the Same Breath Cultural Exchange is an open-mic style event held twice monthly through an in-person meeting at the Rosenzweig Arts Center and a virtual meeting over Zoom, where attendees discuss or perform their current works of art for five-minute sets.
Those works aren’t limited to the likes of poems and songs. Buck Palagi said the event has welcomed acts ranging from roller-skate dancing to landscape designs.
The event began in 2021 after Buck Palagi moved to Columbus, where she saw a void for spaces artists could present their works without the judgment or monetary barriers of other events like poetry workshops or open mics.
“I wanted to be able to be around people and talk about art and do art,” Buck Palagi said. “And an open mic is not really the place for that. … There’s no getting into the meat of it, and I think artists put a lot of thought into the meat of it and what it means to them.”
During its first three years, All in the Same Breath was held virtually before transitioning to in-person events at Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. In 2023, it landed at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, where it’s been ever since.
While it struggled with consistent attendance as locations changed, the group has finally found its footing within the last six months, and organizers hope to keep expanding.
Starting in March, the group expanded to 10:30 a.m. and noon event times on Saturdays, after three months of consistently going past its 2 p.m. end time, Buck Palagi said.
‘It’s supposed to be shared’
Tolu Chris Amuwa, a PhD candidate at MSU, said she joined the group in September while looking for a consistent space to share her poetry.
“Coming here and being compelled every month to share, there’s kind of this feeling that there are people here who want to hear (what) you (have to) say,” Chris Amuwa said.
In fact, Chris Awuma said she was surprised when she heard the event encourages performers to come with unfinished pieces or to improvise a performance.
“I’ve been working through that, … (being) like ‘I don’t know if I’m going to do it right, but I’m still going to do it,’” Chris Awuma said. “… And like watching some people … spur of the moment be like, ‘I’ve decided I’m gonna get on stage and hum.’ I think in some way it helps you (relate) to people.”
Christine Fortuin, assistant professor of nature and resource conservation at MSU, said she was nervous to present Saturday for her first time at All in the Same Breath. But she felt more comfortable sharing her poetry after seeing how curious and engaged attendees were during other performances.
“I’m definitely going to come back, because I feel like this is a wonderful space for … any artists to just express (themselves because) you often don’t get those opportunities,” Fortuin said. “I feel like art is often this thing that we just kind of do on our own and in isolation. And it’s really not how it’s supposed to be … It’s supposed to be shared.”
Earlie Grace Davis, a local musician in Columbus, said the group also helps to get at topics that may normally be difficult to discuss with others.
“We’ve had people sharing art that broaches all sorts of topics, like growing up, heartbreak, racism (and) hate crimes,” Grace Davis said. “There’s been a lot of things that are expressed, and every time it’s held with a reverence and a curiosity. … We’re eager, and we’re curious for whatever it is that’s being shared.”
Buck Palagi said getting to bridge those topics has been something that she believes is beneficial not just for attendees as artists but also as people.
“When you see somebody, when you hear a little bit of somebody’s life, then the next time you see them, you know them a little bit,” Buck Palagi said. “… To me, it’s a way of building connection and community. Because I do think that art can get at things that are important to you in a way that most of our daily life doesn’t let us do.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
