28 Jul
2021
28 Jul
'21
2:59 p.m.
The only time I've called in person in the last year was an outdoor English dance a
week or so ago and I just chose dances I remembered well enough not to need notes.
I've found myself, when calling contras particularly (especially in areas where the
dance is, say, monthly and gets lots of new people, and where the bands are, perhaps,
primarily concert/jam bands, have limited repertoires and limited ability to adjust tempi)
not being able to predict audience needs and music affordances well enough to be able to
stick to a program I made at home. So I like having a large pile of dances available. (I
don't use cards because my handwriting is terrible, I sweat a lot when I'm dancing
and ruin paper when I try to write down some dance someone else called, and because I
really don't want to have a single copy of anything important to me.)
So: I keep my dance "cards" in individual text files in a private directory on a
web server. When I do make a program I use a text editor to make a single file with the
program and cards; when I make a bundle (like "50 easy dances") I use the same
thing.
I used to print out the programs on several sheets of paper and staple them together, but
when I saw video of myself using that it was really painful how distracting that paper
flapping around was, so I quit doing that.
Now, I have two Google Nexus 7 tablets with SD cards and WiFi. (These are just big enough
for text to be readable on them, and they were pretty cheap.) I've populated both of
them with the useful bulk files (50 easy dances, etc). Before I leave the house I make
sure both are fully charged, download the program I've made for the event or events,
and then turn both of them off. (If I'm going on a plane both of thee devices go in
my carry-on bag.) At the gig I turn on only one of them and turn on the other one only
if something bad happens to the first one (battery dying, drop it crack the screen, etc).
So far I haven't had to do that. As a side benefit I have all the programs I ever
downloaded to that device available (the ASCII text files I use mean a file is only a few
k so I can store all of them and have plenty of room.
That's so far been good enough to not usually require access at the dance to my whole
set of dance cards. I do also usually bring my iPad Pro which is on a cell phone network
so I'm free of any requirement to use hall wireless, but that's just bonus
connectivity - it's not on the critical path for me calling a dance.
-- Alan
________________________________________
From: Susan English via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 9:45 AM
To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Paperless Calling
As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material
virtually. I have 2 questions:
1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and
notes?
2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet?
Susan [🎶] [☺]
330-347-8155
woosterdance.com<http://woosterdance.com>