20 Feb
2013
20 Feb
'13
2:28 p.m.
I should add that I, too, like to know where the balances are. But other
than that, I'm fine with a description.
-Dave
On Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 2:15 PM, Jeffrey Spero <jeff(a)syncopaths.com> wrote:
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:
especially
by
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CDBaby: www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Syncopaths
Contemporary California Celtic music
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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 :-)
> 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:
>
>>
>>
>> What sorts of questions do you ask bands prior to the dance, >> 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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