Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 102, Issue 14

Hi everyone, I'll put on my guitar-player hat here for a minute ... I'm in a band that likes to see the cards, or at least get a quick summary of the dance, especially where the balances are. Something like, "There are balances at the A1 and B1 and the rest of it is smooth," or "There are lots of gypsies in this dance," is enough information, generally. The rest of it, we can figure out watching the walkthrough. I like to know if the caller is pro- or anti-jig. We are a Midwestern band in a strong old-time dance community and we've run into some anti-jig sentiment. :) I like callers to tell us if they have anything that's not a contra on their program - do they plan to call squares (and in that case, do they need a square tune or can we play a 3-part or otherwise crooked tune), do they plan to call mixers, how many waltzes do they want in the evening, etc. As far as ahead of time goes - if you have a specific dance that calls for a specific tune, I like to know that before I show up for the gig -- e.g. Chorus Jig, Levi Jackson Rag, etc. Admittedly, we're a little weird. Of the four of us, one is a caller (me), and the remaining three are dating/ married to callers (including my husband), so I like to think we're a little more caller-aware sometimes. If for no other reason than they've all heard the various affiliated callers grumble about the stuff bands do that we hate. :) Nice discussion - hope this is helpful, Meg (Chicago)