Appropriate Tempos
by Dugan Murphy
Callers,
What is your experience working with bands to establish an appropriate
tempo? Do bands ever ask you what tempo you want? Do you ever request a
particular tempo to fit a dance? Do you communicate tempo requirements
numerically (beats per minute) or maybe by tapping your feet? When are
slower tempos appropriate and when are faster ones appropriate? What do
you consider to be the range in beats per minute that is appropriate for
contra? Some preliminary research told me that a range of 112-120 beats
per minute is appropriate. Do you agree?
I've called with maybe 20-25 bands in my young calling career and only 2
have asked me for guidance or confirmation concerning the tempo of their
music (both bands play primarily for non-contra audiences, I believe). I
told both bands to use their judgment, which produced satisfactory results
in all cases except one dance in which the band misunderstood my request
for a sultry/flirty tune to mean that they should play at about half the
tempo one would normally expect for contra, which proved terribly confusing
for the dancers. The lesson I learned is that I ought to know more about
the range of tempo that is expected for contra and what tempos are
appropriate when so that I can provide that information to bands when asked.
--
Dugan Murphy
Cincinnati, Ohio
http://caller.duganmurphy.com
<http://www.linkedin.com/in/duganmurphy>
7 years, 6 months
Re: [Callers] mentorship
by David.Millstone＠valley.net
Ron wrote, "One of the biggest challenges is learning dances. A library of shared
dances would be invaluable."
I'll call folks' attention to a resource that's been mentioned here before, the
detailed syllabi from the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend:
http://www.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/ralph-page-dance-legacy-weekend
The whole collection contains hundreds of dances-- mostly contras, as well as
squares, triplets, dances in odd formations, chestnuts, new compositions. Each
dance is carefully notated, and there is frequently backgroun information to round
out the interested caller's knowledge. Some dances are easier, suitable for mixed
crowds, and some are more complex. (Occasionally, the syllabus editor, David Smukler,
will add a cautionary note that clues in the reader that this particular dance
may be more complicated than it appears.)
All in all, this is a superb resource for callers both experienced and those newer
to the mic. I think it's the best collection available on the web.
> - I'd love a list of every dance everywhere, divided by region, with listings
>of address, organizers, contact info, links to websites, and their policies toward
>callers. (does this resource exist?)
Don't think you'll find the "policies toward callers" but there are several excellent
resources that do the rest:
* http://www.contradancelinks.com/
* http://www.neffa.org/Top/Folk_Dancing/Contras/Dances/index.shtml
* http://tedcrane.com/dancedb/
* http://www.thedancegypsy.com/
* http://www.contracorners.net/contra/links/dancemap.html
Hope this helps.
David Millstone
7 years, 6 months
Anyone Up late can you send me Bananna by Becky Hill!!
by Laur
Thanks - don't have my cards and need the dance.
Laurie
West Michigan
~
When I dance, I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole, that is why I dance. ~Hans Bos~
~
7 years, 7 months
Fwd: prison gig
by Amy Cann
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amy Cann <acann(a)putneyschool.org>
Date: Sun, Jun 17, 2012 at 11:33 PM
Subject: Re: prison gig
To: millstone(a)valley.net
David, somehow I knew it would be you that would know what I didn't.
Pourparler, not Sharedweight.
A ha.
Thank you, many times over.
Cheers,
Amy
On Sun, Jun 17, 2012 at 11:46 AM, David Millstone <
David.Millstone(a)valley.net> wrote:
> Here's a link to your original post to the Pourlarler list, and I've
> copied that to a PDF file, attached.
>
> David
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/**pourparler/message/956<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pourparler/message/956>
>
7 years, 8 months
Dancing in prison at Christmas: does anyone remember this? Did I post it here?
by Amy Cann
I'm currently sitting in an airport with balky wifi and my google-fu has
deserted me.
Many moons and several computers ago I went on a post-gig rant. The gig was
in the correctional facility up in St. J at Christmastime, and it
was...thoughtprovoking.
I'm in the midst of some work that relates to the for-profit prison
industry and wish I could put my hands on it, but I can't. Is it archived
somewhere? Why can't I get to it from the sharedweight homepage? Does
anyone remember if it was printed in the NEFFA newsletter or CDSS? (am I
just a moron?)
I would dearly appreciate any links you could pass on.
And thank you for not laughing at me (at least not audibly)
:)
Cheers,
Amy
7 years, 8 months
Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 94, Issue 5
by Dan Pearl
I can't remember it in the NEFFA news.
________________________________
From: "callers-request(a)sharedweight.net" <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net>
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 12:00 PM
Subject: Callers Digest, Vol 94, Issue 5
Send Callers mailing list submissions to
callers(a)sharedweight.net
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. Dancing in prison at Christmas: does anyone remember this?
Did I post it here? (Amy Cann)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:54:03 -0400
From: Amy Cann <acann(a)putneyschool.org>
To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Dancing in prison at Christmas: does anyone
remember this? Did I post it here?
Message-ID:
<CALZWU+uBpzOkduLBQ8gncwWxmJVeuf_0+D+qv5bTUg5cX1F_0w(a)mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'm currently sitting in an airport with balky wifi and my google-fu has
deserted me.
Many moons and several computers ago I went on a post-gig rant. The gig was
in the correctional facility up in St. J at Christmastime, and it
was...thoughtprovoking.
I'm in the midst of some work that relates to the for-profit prison
industry and wish I could put my hands on it, but I can't. Is it archived
somewhere? Why can't I get to it from the sharedweight homepage? Does
anyone remember if it was printed in the NEFFA newsletter or CDSS? (am I
just a moron?)
I would dearly appreciate any links you could pass on.
And thank you for not laughing at me (at least not audibly)
:)
Cheers,
Amy
------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
End of Callers Digest, Vol 94, Issue 5
**************************************
7 years, 8 months
caller's insurance?
by Amy Larkin
There's a dance instructor here who's planning to start a weekly
Argentine Tango class. Any advice about insurance? The studio he wants
to rent from requires him to have his own liability insurance.
Thanks,
Amy Larkin
7 years, 8 months
Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 94, Issue 3
by Joyce Isen
Thanks, Jacob. Some of my leads are starting to come together today. I
hope to have the full story by the end of the week and will certainly
update you.
Best,
Joyce
On Mon, Jun 11, 2012 at 12:00 PM, <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Rich Castner (Jacob & Nancy Bloom)
> 2. Re: Looking for Rich Castner -- can you help? (John C. McIntire)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2012 20:57:41 -0400
> From: Jacob & Nancy Bloom <bloom(a)gis.net>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Rich Castner
> Message-ID: <133938771401(a)mx04.gis.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> Hi Joyce,
>
> Here's what I could find as contact info for Richer. He was
> advertising himself five years ago as being available for calling,
> and as far as I can tell without calling it, the 832-0888 number
> seems to still be valid.
>
> Phone numbers: 207-832-0888
> 207-832-0889
> Email: richercastner(a)netscape.net
>
> Jacob Bloom
>
> At 12:00 PM 6/10/2012, you wrote:
>
>
> >Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2012 14:46:27 -0400
> >From: Joyce Isen <joyceisen(a)gmail.com>
> >To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> >Cc: Joyce Isen <joyceisen(a)gmail.com>
> >Subject: [Callers] Looking for Rich Castner -- can you help?
> >Message-ID:
> > <
> CALr5BzkgG0nLHxmTZvNn2J8ZF_ZV0gHFX777jqDeCvn3ohFbBg(a)mail.gmail.com>
> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
> >
> >Dear friends in the traditional dance community,
> >
> >I am looking for information that can help me locate Richard Castner,
> >former head of the dance department at the State University of New York at
> >Brockport, and accomplished square and contra dance caller. Rich authored
> >some contra dances that are classics today, including ?The Road to
> Boston,?
> >and ?All the Way to Galway.?
> >
> >I am a musician (hammered dulcimer and percussion) who was often hired by
> >Rich for dances in Rochester, NY, and it was through his mentoring that I
> >attended my first Ralph Page dance camp at East Hill Farm and my first
> >local contra dance in Nelson, NH. I moved to the Boston area in 1976
> >because this kind of music and dance was a living tradition in the
> >northeast and I wanted to be part of it.
> >
> >I?ve been living in Concord lately and playing snare drum with a local
> fife
> >and drum company. I?m struck, as Rich must have been a long time ago, by
> >the common ground in repertoire between the fiddle and fife in the
> >18thcentury, and I finally bonded with ?The Downfall of Paris,? a tune
> >Rich had
> >asked me to play for him and that I never liked. The very first drum part
> >I memorized was ?The Road to Boston,? so of course Rich was on my mind.
> It
> >would be wonderful to sit down with him and talk about old times, and to
> >tell him about the ways in which my musical and personal life evolved as a
> >result of his influence.
> >
> >I heard that he?d moved to Maine and was last seen at a festival in 2005.
> The
> >last information I got is that he was living in Waldoboro and had restored
> >the old family homestead to its 18th century appearance. Unfortunately,
> >the contact information is out of date and all my leads so far have been
> >dead ends.
> >
> >I would be most grateful for any information anyone could provide about
> >Rich recently or in the form of a story from the past. There are other
> >friends here in Boston who would like to be in touch with him, too. We
> >agree that even sad news would at least bring closure.
> >
> >With thanks,
> >
> >Joyce Desmarais Isen, Concord, MA
> >
> >978-369-2671
> >
> >joyceisen(a)gmail.com
> >
> >
> >------------------------------
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Callers mailing list
> >Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> >http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> >
> >
> >End of Callers Digest, Vol 94, Issue 2
> >**************************************
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:30:11 -0400
> From: "John C. McIntire" <circleleft(a)uninets.net>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Cc: Joyce Isen <joyceisen(a)gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for Rich Castner -- can you help?
> Message-ID: <4FD5D6C3.13076.6CA440D5(a)circleleft.uninets.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hi Joyce & all,
>
> A quick phone call to the Waldoboro Town office revealed that his tax
> bills are
> being sent to his wife in Rochester NY at the following address:
>
> Janis Rickerman
> 25 Lida Lane
> Rochester NY 14616
>
> The town office did not think he had passed on but the last time I spoke
> with
> him, several years ago, his health was not good. The phone # provided by
> Jacob is out of service.
>
> best of luck,
>
> John, Unity ME
> Date sent: Sat, 9 Jun 2012 14:46:27 -0400
> From: Joyce Isen <joyceisen(a)gmail.com>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Copies to: Joyce Isen <joyceisen(a)gmail.com>
> Subject: [Callers] Looking for Rich Castner -- can you
> help?
> Send reply to: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net
> >
> <mailto:callers-
> request(a)sharedweight.net?subject=unsubscribe>
> <mailto:callers-
> request(a)sharedweight.net?subject=subscribe>
>
> [ Double-click this line for list subscription options ]
>
> Dear friends in the traditional dance community,
>
> I am looking for information that can help me locate Richard Castner,
> former head of the dance department at the State University of New York at
> Brockport, and accomplished square and contra dance caller. Rich authored
> some contra dances that are classics today, including "The Road to Boston,"
> and "All the Way to Galway."
>
> I am a musician (hammered dulcimer and percussion) who was often hired by
> Rich for dances in Rochester, NY, and it was through his mentoring that I
> attended my first Ralph Page dance camp at East Hill Farm and my first
> local contra dance in Nelson, NH. I moved to the Boston area in 1976
> because this kind of music and dance was a living tradition in the
> northeast and I wanted to be part of it.
>
> I?ve been living in Concord lately and playing snare drum with a local fife
> and drum company. I?m struck, as Rich must have been a long time ago, by
> the common ground in repertoire between the fiddle and fife in the
> 18thcentury, and I finally bonded with "The Downfall of Paris," a tune
> Rich had
> asked me to play for him and that I never liked. The very first drum part
> I memorized was "The Road to Boston," so of course Rich was on my mind. It
> would be wonderful to sit down with him and talk about old times, and to
> tell him about the ways in which my musical and personal life evolved as a
> result of his influence.
>
> I heard that he?d moved to Maine and was last seen at a festival in 2005.
> The
> last information I got is that he was living in Waldoboro and had restored
> the old family homestead to its 18th century appearance. Unfortunately,
> the contact information is out of date and all my leads so far have been
> dead ends.
>
> I would be most grateful for any information anyone could provide about
> Rich recently or in the form of a story from the past. There are other
> friends here in Boston who would like to be in touch with him, too. We
> agree that even sad news would at least bring closure.
>
> With thanks,
>
> Joyce Desmarais Isen, Concord, MA
>
> 978-369-2671
>
> joyceisen(a)gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 94, Issue 3
> **************************************
>
7 years, 8 months
Looking for Rich Castner -- can you help?
by Joyce Isen
Dear friends in the traditional dance community,
I am looking for information that can help me locate Richard Castner,
former head of the dance department at the State University of New York at
Brockport, and accomplished square and contra dance caller. Rich authored
some contra dances that are classics today, including “The Road to Boston,”
and “All the Way to Galway.”
I am a musician (hammered dulcimer and percussion) who was often hired by
Rich for dances in Rochester, NY, and it was through his mentoring that I
attended my first Ralph Page dance camp at East Hill Farm and my first
local contra dance in Nelson, NH. I moved to the Boston area in 1976
because this kind of music and dance was a living tradition in the
northeast and I wanted to be part of it.
I’ve been living in Concord lately and playing snare drum with a local fife
and drum company. I’m struck, as Rich must have been a long time ago, by
the common ground in repertoire between the fiddle and fife in the
18thcentury, and I finally bonded with “The Downfall of Paris,” a tune
Rich had
asked me to play for him and that I never liked. The very first drum part
I memorized was “The Road to Boston,” so of course Rich was on my mind. It
would be wonderful to sit down with him and talk about old times, and to
tell him about the ways in which my musical and personal life evolved as a
result of his influence.
I heard that he’d moved to Maine and was last seen at a festival in 2005. The
last information I got is that he was living in Waldoboro and had restored
the old family homestead to its 18th century appearance. Unfortunately,
the contact information is out of date and all my leads so far have been
dead ends.
I would be most grateful for any information anyone could provide about
Rich recently or in the form of a story from the past. There are other
friends here in Boston who would like to be in touch with him, too. We
agree that even sad news would at least bring closure.
With thanks,
Joyce Desmarais Isen, Concord, MA
978-369-2671
joyceisen(a)gmail.com
7 years, 8 months
