Hi all,

One of the things that we started doing during the virtual/Zoom dances that happened throughout the pandemic was having the band themselves announce the tune name. 

Dancers loved it, and it helped them feel more connected with the band (which was particularly important in that setting, as dancers donated directly to the band.)

It was one of the things I've attempted to carry back over to the live setting, and I've had very positive feedback on doing so. 

The key is to still keep that transition tight, from the end of the walk through to starting the dance. I announce the dance name and choreographer as a fluid transition into the start of the dance, so it's not "eating up time." And the bands I've worked with usually only say a few words, unless the tune is particularly special. 

When I can, I note down the tune name so I can repeat it at the end of the dance as the applause subsides, along the lines of "That was DANCE NAME by CHOREOGRAPHER, and that (beautiful/fun/energetic) tune was TUNE NAME." 

Often people are more interested in names of things after they've heard it or experienced it - especially other callers - so it's valuable to share names of things when finished, as well.

Cheers!
Drew
 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mac Mckeever <macmck@ymail.com>
To: Shared Weight Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Cc: 
Bcc: 
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2023 03:06:05 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: [Callers] tune names
We had a conversation at our dance tonight how many of our local callers get tune names from the bands and pass that along to the dancers right before starting.

Many visiting callers do not do this - is this just a local tradition or am I missing something?

Most of our local bands are old time but a few are more contemporary.  We do this with visiting bands and they seem to appreciate it.

We feel the music is a major part of the tradition and deserves to be acknowledged along with the musicians and callers. Often we find a band is about to play a tune they wrote.  Dancers also give a little cheer when we announce a tune they especially enjoy

Where are the rest of you on this?

Mac McKeever
St Louis