20 Feb
2013
20 Feb
'13
2:15 p.m.
Well, I'll be the counter-weight here!
As another caller/musician, i love to see the card when I'm playing. I find it DOES
matter more than just a generic description, as I like to know precisely WHERE the
bounciness is, or WHERE the smooth part of the dance is. There are specific tunes that I
keep out for specific moves in dances - for example, if there are many balances in the A
parts, I'd choose a tune like Kitchen Girl that fits those balances perfectly. As a
musician, I like to see where the balances and heys are.
As a CALLER, i hardly ever request a specific tune because bands play tunes differently.
And though I do use words like slinky, playful, driving… I also let the band contact know
where the balances are, and where the smooth parts are.
Just another perspective!
Jeff
On Feb 20, 2013, at 8:12 AM, barb kirchner <barbkirchner(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
hey ron - some good points! i think what we're coming up with here is that it
doesn't exactly matter WHAT you ask the band, as long as you set up some good
communication with them. take the time to talk, to ask who is in charge of what, what
they reallly like to do most, etc., etc., etc. ron - i have a slightly different
approach if the caller doesn't give me good clues. i watch the walk-through.
seriously, i program the music like the caller programs dances (start out easy and
straightforward, kick up the energy, change the tempo, up the energy again, change the
tempo again, big ending number). i USUALLY know what i want to play next, or at least
have it narrowed down to two or three sets (ie, i have three different sets that i could
use to "change the tempo"). if the walk-through goes well, i play whatever my
first choice was. if not, i'll pick a more laid-back set :-)
_____
Jeffrey Spero
Web: www.syncopaths.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/syncopaths
CDBaby: www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Syncopaths
Contemporary California Celtic music
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:59:14 -0500
From: david.j.casserly(a)gmail.com
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] What to ask a band before the gig?
Hi Ron,
When I was first learning to call, Becky Hill suggested that, instead of
simply telling bands what kinds of tunes you want using the wide vocabulary
at your own disposal, ask bands what kinds of adjectives they'd find
useful. As a musician, hearing that the caller wants a "marchy" or
"slinky" or "driving" tune set is very helpful, but hearing that they
want
a "bubbly" tune is really not all that helpful. Ask what language they'd
like to communicate in, and it can go much smoother.
I agree with Barb that simply sharing the dance card isn't the best
approach. In dances where I play, apparently unlike Michael F.'s
experience, this is an extremely common practice. But, in my view, it's
the caller's responsibility to decide how the dance should be. Many dances
work well either with smooth, flowing reels, or bouncy jigs, and the mood
of the dance should be something the caller selects to fit in with the
evening's program. That said, if the caller isn't giving me helpful
adjectives, I'll ask to see the cards, just so I can at least make sure we
won't be playing the bounciest set ever when there's a hey into a gypsy
meltdown, etc.
Also, I would echo other people's suggestions to find out which band member
you should be communicating with, and at the very least, what style of
music the band plays. Getting a recording or two is even more helpful.
You should know ahead of time not to ask an old-time band to play a polka,
and you should also know not to ask a band with no strings in it to play an
old-time tune. It's a particular pet peeve of mine as a musician when a
caller asks for an old-time tune with every square dance, regardless of
who's in the band. It might require actually looking at the moves and
figuring out what other music would work best with that particular dance,
but it's always going to be a better experience for the dancers if the band
plays music that they're good at playing.
-Dave
On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 10:58 PM, Ron T Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:
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What sorts of questions do you ask bands prior to the dance, especially by
e-mail / phone?
A couple I like are:
- Do they have particular music sets they like to play at certain times,
like, to end the night, etc?
- Especially if I haven't heard them before in person, what overall types
of music do they enjoy playing the most?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Best,
Ron T Blechner
contradances.tumblr.com/ron
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David Casserly
(cell) 781 258-2761
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