Oakland students’ original poems featured at the Oakland Symphony

As part of the Oakland Symphony’s powerful event Forgiveness: Pictures at an Exhibition, members of Sticky Thing Music — including Dame Drummer and Mike Blankenship — joined forces with Grammy-nominated poet Prentice Powell and nonprofit partner Yeah, Art! to lead a spoken word poetry program for Oakland middle schoolers. The initiative invited students to explore the theme of forgiveness through their own lived experiences.

Inspired by Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s original text and the music of composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), the students dove deep — crafting poems that reflected on bullying, suicide, family tension, self-love, and healing. With guidance from seasoned artists and educators, these young poets were given the tools — and permission — to speak truthfully.

“Some of these students had never written a poem before,” said Dame Drummer. “By the end, they were performing with conviction, heart, and depth beyond their years.”

Their original poetry was showcased alongside the Oakland Symphony’s live performance at the Paramount Theatre, bridging generations of expression on one powerful stage. The moment wasn’t just a performance — it was proof that young people, when trusted with hard questions, will always rise.

This collaboration represents Sticky Thing’s ongoing commitment to using music and storytelling as tools for reflection, resilience, and transformation.

Learn more about the symphony and the event here.