[Callers] Thoughts on Off-Stage Microphones (Was: Headset microphone recommendations?)

Lindsay wrote: I would recommend you consider the option of *not *buying a headset mic. I'm not sure if I've posted my reservations about headset mics here before, but I think it is worth bringing it up again. As a caller, a talent booking coordinator, and as a dance manager at open public contra dances, I have worked for years on strategies and techniques for making the dance hall a place where everyone can feel safe and comfortable. I believe this sense of a "safe space" is essential for putting first-timers as well as regulars at ease in order to facilitate a comfortable, fun social event where there is little stress or tension. This is a subtle point but one that I have learned is critical for integrating newcomers and for making the event an exciting, fun, and relaxed social occasion. The primary issue for me is not wireless mics, but *off-stage* mics--of any kind. Michael Jackson--and many other performers--have used wireless mics professionally *on-stage* with great success. This technology is particularly useful when dancing or demonstrating. Note, however, that even when used on-stage, wireless mics are usually used in conjunction with a follow spot. The purpose of the follow spot is to help the audience follow the action in the absence of a mic stand that acts as an anchor. At contra dances, where stages are typically small, a headset mic used *on stage* will seldom confuse the dancers. (A caller using a headset mic to play bodhran while calling, for example.) An *off-stage* mike, however, can create unease in the dancers when they look for the caller--who may have moved during a demo, for example. That moment of confusion--as the dancer looks right and left--is likely to make many dancers feel a bit silly or clueless. These are feelings I work to avoid during a social dance. I want both the regulars and the first-timers to feel confident at all times. A live mic on the dance floor can be unnerving. (Callers who call from the dance floor using a headset mike often come across as confused about their own role at the event.) There are techniques to keep the dancers/audience oriented while using an off-stage mike, without a follow spot. Taking care to only change location after you have earned the attention of all of the dancers is one such technique. (That way dancers who look to the last place they saw the caller will always find them there.) Talking *off-mike* to make your position clear before switching on the wireless is another. These techniques, however, require experience and practice. I personally would not use an off-stage mike without a follow spot or a prepared plan. I find it interesting that the off-stage mike is often used in stagecraft to deliberately create tension in the room. A darkened room with a dis-embodied voice will always create drama. In my view the less drama at open public contra dances the better. There can be other issues such as mic clarity, volume, and feedback. It would seem to be a good idea to have a sound engineer at the mixer board whenever an off-stage mike is being used. Feedback is always a sure way to create stress in an otherwise relaxed social event. I know that I personally get a little uneasy whenever I see a caller or teacher lead an optional newcomer's orientation while wearing a headset mic. Yes, wireless mics can be useful, when in the hands of an experienced professional. But these devices are often used inappropriately. I would be cautious about purchasing one to make it available for general use, without some kind of practice or training. Just a thought, Greg McKenzie