[Callers] Musical styles for a Barn Dance question

[John Rogers via Callers]

With the right cooperation from the band it could work out just fine.  I've called contras to all sorts of music, including Romanian folksongs.  But, you do need to talk with them about the fact that every tune needs to be 32 bars and of uniform tempo.  (And the tempo should be an appropriate one.)  The AABB structure that we are used to is nice, but you can probably cope with ABCD if that is what they will play.   It will help if you can get a recording of them playing, so you can get used to timing your calls.  

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 17, 2015, at 8:02 PM, Leslie Gotfrit via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> 
> I’ve been asked to call a one hour set in a rural heritage hall for a party for about 130 folks. There will be two sets at the end of the evening with a Blues Band. Yep, its a bit odd, but the organizer wants to bring all his various friends together and thought, rightly, that having someone organize some dancing would help that along. Has anyone ever called a community dance (circle mixers, scatter sets, longways, maybe a square) to a blues band? The band seems willing to work with me. Any suggestions about what to say to them so that I could call La Bastringue or Galopede, for example, and it would work?  
> 
> Any suggestions for youtube links for a caller calling to something other than the usual trad tune? I could bring in a fiddler and ask the band to back the fiddler up. Any advice on doing it that way? 
> 
> Is this so ridiculous that you’re all doubled over laughing? People will be there not because they are blues lovers so much as their buddy is throwing a party.
> 
> In any case, I’d be grateful for advice
> Leslie Gotfrit
> 
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