Re: [Callers] Slow down? - Contra Callers

30 May 2007

I consider it part of my job as a fiddler to be ready when the caller is 
ready to start the dance.  Though there can be something to recommend 
giving people time to talk to each other between dances, there are some 
fast paced urban dances where folks seem to prefer launching right in to 
the next dance.  They do their talking during the walk-through, or 
during the dance.  (I like those kinds of dances evenings myself!)  
That's why we use amplification!  More music and dancing, people can 
talk anytime.
Though I was recently on stage with another fiddler who told the caller 
to slow down because we weren't used to working together, and it was 
challenging to pick tunes in time.  Always useful to have the odd joke 
in your pocket..." the frog who says:  "if you kiss me I'll turn into a 
handsome contradance caller" and the fiddler who says:  "you're worth 
more to me as a talking frog!"  well, you get the idea...
Enjoying the list,
Amy Larkin

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 Today's Topics:

    1. slow down... (Chris Weiler)
    2. Re: slow down... (Peter Amidon)
    3. Re: slow down... (Dan Black)

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 Message: 1
 Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 06:57:01 -0400
 From: Chris Weiler &lt;chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org&gt;
 Subject: [Callers] slow down...
 To: Shared Weight &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Message-ID: &lt;465C06FD.5090907(a)weirdtable.org&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

 Had an interesting gig this weekend (a good one, just interesting). 
 Things were going along smoothly, I thought. The fiddler had made a 
 comment earlier that I had a high ratio of playing time to down time, 
 but I didn't think much of it. Before we started the 2nd to last dance 
 of the first half, and I was waiting for the band to be ready to start 
 the music, the fiddler snaps at me that I'm teaching too fast and it's 
 much to stressful for choosing tunes! I looked him straight in the eye, 
 apologized, and then promised to slow down. I spent the next bit of time 
 trying to figure out how to slow down. Couldn't think of too many ways. 
 I slowed my pace of teaching down. I made sure to take a minute and talk 
 to the band before even requesting that people line up. I introduced the 
 band before the next dance (although this probably didn't add any time 
 for the fiddler to think about tune selection).

 We made nice at the break and he explained that he was under stress in 
 other areas of his life. I had done my homework (so I thought) and done 
 my pre-dance interview - turns out with the wrong musician! The fiddler 
 was the real leader and he had shown up at the last minute and was too 
 busy setting up to talk.

 Some other fun points: I announced in the 2nd half that we were going to 
 dance Chorus Jig and the crowd ohhhed and ahhhed and scrambled to line 
 up!! For the 2nd dance of the evening, we had about 15-20 kids show up. 
 Some had danced before and they did fine! I had to adjust my language 
 because I would call a ladies chain and a bunch of the dancers would go 
 over and back. 8^)

 All in all a fun dance! I'd love to hear your thoughts about slowing 
 down the teaching for musicians who need more time for tune selection. 
 Any techniques? Since I really try to match my dances to the level of 
 the dancers, I rarely need a 2nd walkthrough. And since I time my 
 teaching off of the dancer's speed of doing the moves (calling the next 
 while they're finishing the previous move), not much time to add there.

 Happy Dancing!

 Chris Weiler
 Goffstown, NH
 www.chrisweiler.ws

 ------------------------------

 Message: 2
 Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 07:31:09 -0400
 From: Peter Amidon &lt;peter(a)amidonmusic.com&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] slow down...
 To: "Caller's discussion list" &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Message-ID: &lt;p06230925c281be4decef(a)[192.168.1.100]&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

 When I first called in Greenfield I was filling in for David Kaynor,
 and Mary Cay, wanting to keep it a David Kaynor-styled dance, said
 that David always let the folks chat for a bit after they have lined
 up.  Now I do that at all my dances.  I just stand there and do
 nothing for a while.  A touch of Zen.

 This makes the evening more relaxed and social, helps keep the
 dancers from getting exhausted, gives the musicians more time
 to figure out their music, and allows me to do a mental rehearsal
 of the teaching and calling of the dance before I do a walk through.

 I think walk throughs should always be efficient.  I only slow
 them down when that benefits the dancers.

 Thanks for the interesting question.

 -Peter Amidon

  Had an interesting gig this weekend (a good one,
just interesting).
 Things were going along smoothly, I thought. The fiddler had made a
 comment earlier that I had a high ratio of playing time to down time,
 but I didn't think much of it. Before we started the 2nd to last dance
 of the first half, and I was waiting for the band to be ready to start
 the music, the fiddler snaps at me that I'm teaching too fast and it's
 much to stressful for choosing tunes! I looked him straight in the eye,
 apologized, and then promised to slow down. I spent the next bit of time
 trying to figure out how to slow down. Couldn't think of too many ways.
 I slowed my pace of teaching down. I made sure to take a minute and talk
 to the band before even requesting that people line up. I introduced the
 band before the next dance (although this probably didn't add any time
 for the fiddler to think about tune selection).

 We made nice at the break and he explained that he was under stress in
 other areas of his life. I had done my homework (so I thought) and done
 my pre-dance interview - turns out with the wrong musician! The fiddler
 was the real leader and he had shown up at the last minute and was too
 busy setting up to talk.

 Some other fun points: I announced in the 2nd half that we were going to
 dance Chorus Jig and the crowd ohhhed and ahhhed and scrambled to line
 up!! For the 2nd dance of the evening, we had about 15-20 kids show up.
 Some had danced before and they did fine! I had to adjust my language
 because I would call a ladies chain and a bunch of the dancers would go
 over and back. 8^)

 All in all a fun dance! I'd love to hear your thoughts about slowing
 down the teaching for musicians who need more time for tune selection.
 Any techniques? Since I really try to match my dances to the level of
 the dancers, I rarely need a 2nd walkthrough. And since I time my
 teaching off of the dancer's speed of doing the moves (calling the next
 while they're finishing the previous move), not much time to add there.

 Happy Dancing!

 Chris Weiler
 Goffstown, NH
 www.chrisweiler.ws

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 Callers mailing list
 Callers(a)sharedweight.net
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 ------------------------------

 Message: 3
 Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 05:08:52 -0700 (PDT)
 From: Dan Black &lt;blackjunier(a)yahoo.com&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] slow down...
 To: Caller's discussion list &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Message-ID: &lt;645212.36567.qm(a)web52206.mail.re2.yahoo.com&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ascii

 Chris,

 I have had the band comment time to play again so soon.  Since we have similiar
professions, efficiency is so important.  Just standing there is a challenge for me.  When
it is hot like it was this Sat in Bethlehem Pa, I have to force myself to let the dancers
talks for a minute or two.  Also, I forget the band may want to talk to each other.  The
band was the Contrapolitans with Rich Mohr sitting in, they were incredible and had alot
of fun on stage.  There was a few times I just had to watch the clock and not say anything
until the digital clock on stage changed to the next minute.  It was reassuring noticing
the dancers talking all along the line and letting them talk for a minute or so felt good
to me.  It may benefit me to reread the section of Give & Take regarding time
management.  For a numbers guy like me, this information was so helpful.  Thanks for the
reminder Chris

 ----- Original Message ----
 From: Chris Weiler &lt;chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org&gt;
 To: Shared Weight &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 6:57:01 AM
 Subject: [Callers] slow down...

 Had an interesting gig this weekend (a good one, just interesting). 
 Things were going along smoothly, I thought. The fiddler had made a 
 comment earlier that I had a high ratio of playing time to down time, 
 but I didn't think much of it. Before we started the 2nd to last dance 
 of the first half, and I was waiting for the band to be ready to start 
 the music, the fiddler snaps at me that I'm teaching too fast and it's 
 much to stressful for choosing tunes! I looked him straight in the eye, 
 apologized, and then promised to slow down. I spent the next bit of time 
 trying to figure out how to slow down. Couldn't think of too many ways. 
 I slowed my pace of teaching down. I made sure to take a minute and talk 
 to the band before even requesting that people line up. I introduced the 
 band before the next dance (although this probably didn't add any time 
 for the fiddler to think about tune selection).

 We made nice at the break and he explained that he was under stress in 
 other areas of his life. I had done my homework (so I thought) and done 
 my pre-dance interview - turns out with the wrong musician! The fiddler 
 was the real leader and he had shown up at the last minute and was too 
 busy setting up to talk.

 Some other fun points: I announced in the 2nd half that we were going to 
 dance Chorus Jig and the crowd ohhhed and ahhhed and scrambled to line 
 up!! For the 2nd dance of the evening, we had about 15-20 kids show up. 
 Some had danced before and they did fine! I had to adjust my language 
 because I would call a ladies chain and a bunch of the dancers would go 
 over and back. 8^)

 All in all a fun dance! I'd love to hear your thoughts about slowing 
 down the teaching for musicians who need more time for tune selection. 
 Any techniques? Since I really try to match my dances to the level of 
 the dancers, I rarely need a 2nd walkthrough. And since I time my 
 teaching off of the dancer's speed of doing the moves (calling the next 
 while they're finishing the previous move), not much time to add there.

 Happy Dancing!

 Chris Weiler
 Goffstown, NH
 www.chrisweiler.ws

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