28 Apr
2009
28 Apr
'09
11:54 p.m.
can you identify the mic, Martha? thx
I agree, if I could find a comfortable good quality headset I prefer hands free.
Laurie~
--- On Fri, 4/24/09, Martha Wild <mawild(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote:
From: Martha Wild <mawild(a)sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Headset mikes
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Date: Friday, April 24, 2009, 3:07 AM
Well, I have an entirely different and positive perspective on headset mikes.
We have a nice headset mike here in San Diego. I love using it, and our sound
engineers set it up nicely so that I have no trouble with feedback. I have to
remember to keep it a little ways from my mouth so that it won't pop on
Partner and Promenade and any other P sounds, but as long as I do that, it's
great.
I call up on some steps here because I'm short and like to see the whole
hall while I'm calling - and they can see me. I don't usually run around
the hall while calling. During the beginner sessions, a handheld mike that is
attached to a cable is a nightmare - my voice is not big, and I have a hard time
teaching a large group without a mike. Trying to demo a ladies chain with a
cable following you around is a recipe for disaster, and I hate having to use
one when I'm calling elsewhere. During walkthroughs here I am no longer
tethered to the stage, and can hop down to demonstrate a move, though I often
just ask regulars to do it. I can move down once a dance gets going and briefly
consult with the musicians without worry (I usually just move the mike away a
little and then back, and don't worry about the mute). I can keep calling
even if I need to quickly flip through my cards as I realize that the next dance
might be too difficult or too easy and another would be better.
I find that a handheld mike hurts my hand if I hold it all night. It's just
too darned heavy and a real inconvenience. When I call in places that set up a
mike in a stand, I find that I often stand in such a way in front of it that
I'll end up with a backache or my feet or legs aching by the end of the
night. Not fun.
As far as connecting with the dancers, I really don't see how juggling a
stupid mike in one hand or being constrained by a mike in a stand in front of
you, inhibiting your ability to look around you at the dancers or at the
musicians while calling, is in any way helpful. Those of you who enjoy having
your hands cramp up and tripping over cords can keep doing it, but for anyone
who hasn't been thrilled with the experience, I recommend you get a good
"Madonna mike", as we call it, and free yourself from the tyranny of a
tether.
Enjoy!
Martha Wild
On Apr 23, 2009, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Earset microphone recommendations (gregmck(a)earthlink.net)
2. First Dance Weekend (David Millstone)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:30:15 -0700
From: gregmck(a)earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] Earset microphone recommendations
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.0.20090422091957.01dc13f8(a)earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Will wrote:
> I am in the process of buying a Shure PGX1/PGX4 transmitter/receiver
system
> with the intention of using it with an earset
microphone, the small,
nearly
invisible
'rice grain' style.
Well, now that you mention it, here is another perspective on this
technology. Before making the investment you might want to consider
all of the implications.
Regards,
Greg McKenzie
************
Un-tethered from Reality: Some Thoughts on Wireless Microphones
I have tried using a wireless headset microphone and found the
experience wanting. I owned one for several years and used it
regularly. I abandoned it for several reasons. Not primarily
because of the increased instances of feedback--something I find
devastating to the sense of safety and community spirit in the
hall. And not because of the monetary and environmental cost of
batteries, the extra trouble of setting up the mike and receiver, the
complications of switching the mike off and on again to make "off
mike" comments, or the feeling of being wired and walking around with
an electronic device attached to my head. My decision was also not
primarily based on concerns about exposing myself and others to
high-frequency electromagnetic radiation--though I recognize that
some people are very sensitive to the idea of such exposure.
My primary reason for giving up on the wireless headset was because I
saw that it was interfering with my ability to connect with the
dancers, musicians, and others in the hall.
Any speaker at a public event needs to be in a position where the
entire audience can see them. This is a very basic
principle. People naturally prefer to watch someone who is speaking
to them. When someone hears a voice hailing them the most natural
reaction is to turn one's head toward the source of the sound. It
can be disconcerting to look toward the sound source and see an empty
stage. The natural reaction is to feel a little bit silly, and to
look around to try to find the source of the voice. This is a
relative small matter but keep in mind that there are probably dozens
of people going through this reaction whenever a speaker is not in
the spot where the audience is accustomed to seeing them. That means
that for at least a few seconds a big part of your audience is
feeling silly and disconnected. Those people are not feeling
confident or relaxed. They cannot listen carefully to what the
speaker is saying.
As an aside here I would point out that an "off-stage mike" is
commonly used in theatre and stagecraft. Please note, however, that
the purpose of the "off-stage mike" is always to build suspense tension. Something that I, personally, try to avoid
when calling
because I want people to feel relaxed and sociable. The off-stage
mike is, therefore, usually accompanied with a visual cue (such as a
spotlight at the edge of the stage during an introduction) to direct
the audience's attention in the absence of a physical speaker they can
see.
I have attended dances where the caller has used a wireless headset
mike off-stage freely during the evening. I always found it
disconcerting to have to look for the caller in the room. It also
seemed a bit creepy to think of a live microphone moving around the
hall without warning. Callers sometimes use these mikes while
speaking to individuals or small groups of dancers who are
confused. This is unprofessional because it draws the entire hall's
attention to the confused dancers and exacerbates the situation by
creating even more tension.
I quickly learned that when using a wireless headset it is the
speaker's duty to alert the audience whenever they change
locations--particularly if they move off stage. I would say
something like: "Ladies and gentlemen. Please direct your attention
to the center of the hall," before stepping off the stage. This is
the courteous thing for a speaker to do. This helped a lot, but it
also complicated the process of moving away from my regular
location. Ultimately I found that the headset mike was more trouble
than it was worth.
I can see that these headset or "earset" mikes are very
appropriate
for entertainers who dance or move while singing or
speaking and, in
particular, when they have a spotlight to keep the audience cued as
to their location. They also work well for instructors who must
gesture or handle props while talking, such as in demonstrations. I
think such mikes are of particular use to exercise instructors such
as Jazzercise leaders who generally remain in the same location while
teaching.
At calling gigs the sound engineer will often offer me a wireless
mike to use. My response is that I am happy to use any mike that
delivers a good range of high-frequency sounds so that my voice can
be clearly understood. Wireless mikes are acceptable, as long as
they are securely fastened to a mike stand where I will leave them
during the entire dance.
########
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: 23 Apr 2009 09:59:59 -0400
From: David.Millstone(a)VALLEY.NET (David Millstone)
Subject: [Callers] First Dance Weekend
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Message-ID: <117429638(a)retriever.VALLEY.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain
Jack Mitchell wrote: "I've gotten to the point in my calling that
calling
for a
weekend in the next few years is something that
I'd like to set as a
goal for
myself, but don't have a good idea of how to go
about it."
Lynn Ackerson followed with many excellent suggestions. I'd like to
add one
other: Diversify.
Many years ago, I was in the position that Jack is in. I looked around at
folks
being hired for prestigious dance camps and wondered,
"Why not
me?" I took a
harder look-- I remember sitting down and drawing up a
list of every
caller I
could see listed at a camp advertised in the CDSS
news. I soon realized
that
just about everybody on that list could offer more
than simply calling
contra
dances. Some taught tango, or waltz, or swing. Some
had honed their
ability to
teach a special dance that would appeal to avid
dancers; "Dutch
Crossing" is one
popular example. Some were crackerjack square dance
callers. Some had lots
of
experience leading caller workshops, or had written
many themselves and
had led
sessions on how to write dances. Some had lots of
experience teaching
children
or novice dancers. Virtually everyone had something to
offer a programmer
in
addition to their ability to call contras.
I already had lots of experience with kids-- decades as an elementary
school
teacher, including teaching longsword, morris, and
country dance, and I
had lots
of family dances on my resume. But I decided that I
would hone my skills
as an
English country dance caller; I already enjoyed
dancing ECD and was eager
to
share that dance form with others. Looking around,
these seemed to be
relatively
few callers who taught both American and English.
(That's still the
case, though
the numbers have grown in the past 15 years.)
Today, my gigs are pretty evenly split, with about one third of my jobs
being
English country dance, one third contras and squares
for the hard-core
dance
crowd, and one third family dances. I've also
developed presentations
on dance
history, something that relatively few others offer.
Each of these items
have
been helpful at special dance events, whether weekends
or weeklong camps.
Good luck!
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
------------------------------
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