Don't want to spam this list but as a musician, you might be interested.
Last month I announced the Catapult Showcase in Atlanta over Memorial Day
Weekend 2012. The Band (and Caller) applications are due on 11/30 - that's
this Wednesday.
If you're in a band (or you're a caller) who'd be perfect for Catapult, get
your application at http://www.catapultshowcase.com/registration.html.
If you're not sure you'd be perfect, you should apply anyway. You never
know. If you're not quite right for this year, you'll be first on the list
to get applications for 2013.
Or if you've got a favorite up and coming band or caller you'd like to
recommend, please direct them to www.catapultshowcase.com.
Don't delay. Act now! Hope to see you in May in Atlanta.
ciao,
rah
Rob Harper
Catapult! The National Contra Showcase
info(a)catapultshowcase.com
404-307-3444
Think your band is ready to play dance weekends around the country? Here's
your chance to get noticed.
Announcing Catapult! The National Contra Showcase. A dance weekend like
you've never seen before. Six emerging bands. Six up and coming callers. 24
hours of contra dancing. One weekend. One place. And we need you.
Bands (and callers), see if you fit the bill and apply now.
Dancers and organizers, save the date and sign up for registration
notifications.
All, spread the word far and wide and recommend your favorite rising bands
and callers.
Atlanta. Memorial Day Weekend 2012 (May 25-28). Get all the details you need
at www.catapultshowcase.com.
Grab your pick, your bow, your sticks or your horn, and maybe we'll see you
on the Catapult stage in May.
ciao,
rah
Rob Harper
(404) 307-3444
rah(a)mindspring.com
7 years ago, I sent out the first invitation e-mails asking people to
join a new discussion group called SharedWeight. Since then, the site
has become about much more than helping new callers. We've added lists
dedicated to helping organizers and musicians. And yesterday we added
the WebContent list that already has 40 members in the last 26 hours.
Seth and I are beyond pleased that so many of you have found the lists
to be valuable resources and have built a supportive community dedicated
to sharing information. Thank you all for your participation (even if
it's just lurking!).
So, Happy Birthday to all of us! With many more to come.
Chris Weiler and Seth Seeger
SharedWeight admins
Hello everyone!
Your responses have been overwhelming! Chris and I have set up the new email list: webcontent(a)sharedweight.net. Head on over to this page to sign up:
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/webcontent
Here are our guidelines for this list:
> This mailing list is for developers of websites for traditional dance organizations. This is a place where developers and website maintainers can support each other by:
>
> • Sharing information
> • Discussing issues related to hosting and content
> • Discussing topics from utilizing social media to different software options
>
> Members are encouraged to send questions to the group and learn from those with more experience.
>
Please move the current WordPress/hosting discussion over to this new list.
Enjoy!
Seth & Chris
Apologies for any cross posting.
David Millstone will be in the Boston area on August 9th and has offered to
do a Chestnuts calling workshop that evening IF we can get enough interested
and available callers.
This isn't a dance but a callers-only workshop. The goal is to have a small
set of dancers so the callers can practice. We have a fiddler but would also
welcome a pianist who knows how to play Chestnuts.
Right now I'm just trying to determine if we can get enough callers so this
workshop isn't yet set in stone.
If you are a caller and have an interest in this workshop and are available
in the Boston area on Tuesday evening, August 9th, please let me know!
Thanks, everyone!
Sally Bown
BIDA board member
dancinlibrarian(a)gmail.com
cell: 502-550-5981
Hi,
On another list a caller mentioned in passing the band having an alternative for Haste to the Wedding that works for the claps in B. I really like the tune but not all our musicians know it (yet) (half are strong into southern old time), and I had been wondering if there were other tunes that work. I like the dance for new dancers.
Cheers, Sue
Hi,
Thanks much for the replies. It is helping me get a handle on the
finer points of playing for dances. We're not in the hot-bed of contra
up here (to put it mildly) and appreciate hearing from those who are
doing. We like doing the best we can even if it's not a big dance. But
sometimes it's hard to sort through all the "rules" to decide what to
focus on first.
Right now our tune list is too short (18) to do much other than
choose one and go, and the small dance we're playing for doesn't
require much else. But we're thinking ahead and beyond, and I like
considering how a particular tune works with a particular dance or type
of dance. I'm going to enjoy watching how the tune(s) affect the
dancers. As a guitarist and since we're playing single sets (medleys
will have to wait), I usually have ample opportunity for this :-)
However, it is a relief to hear one doesn't have to decipher each dance
and tune to have them work.
Of course, this is all for naught if we can't convince the
teacher/caller to call to the music and start the dancers when we start
the tune (she's coming from a southern squares? background I think).
But our melody musicians are working on really strong potatoes for this
coming dance to help it happen.
Northern Cheers,
Sue
Hi,
The recent discussion of programming, as with all else, helps much
as we wander through the morass of learning to become a dance band.
I've often seem the example of choosing this or that tune if a dance
has "Balances in B1". I certainly understand that as a dancer but could
you share a few examples of specific tunes you might play for that?
For "programming" our first dance I simply took our tune list,
called and danced sample dances with each tune and designated them as
"smooth" (good with circles, stars, heys) or "percussive" (good with
F&B, balances, quick hand turns). Something I could handle.
Thanks, Sue
Sue Robishaw ~ Upper Peninsula of Michigan
I have been calling dances for thirty years as of this month. I have
learned that programming a "hard" schedule never works for me. It's my A.D.D. I
always pull a bunch of dances that I feel appropriate for a dance, then adapt
the program to fit the mood and the level of dancing. If I expect to use
dances that require special tunes, I usually let the band know in advance,
unless the band and I are very familiar with each other. I usually prefer for
the band to :surprise" me with something wonderful.
John B. Freeman, SFTPOCTJ
[I'm responding to the question below and have changed the subject line to
match.]
> do you, as dance musicians, "program" an evening in the same way a caller
does?
I think this is driven by whether the caller programs the evening in advance.
When a caller plans a program and sends us their requests beforehand, the
extra time can be helpful in matching tunes to dances. We may get anything
from dance-card shorthand, to "marchy with a balance at the top of B1", to
"anything works, play your favorite medley" (my favorite).
Sometimes callers send us a program days ahead of time, and sometimes we get
it when they arrive for the sound check. Some callers never program in
advance and let the energy and abilities of the dancers guide their choice of
dances -- in that case we choose tunes during the walk-through. It all works
-- it just depends on what paradigm the caller prefers.
Rick
------ Original Message ------
Received: 07:03 PM PST, 02/04/2011
From: barb kirchner <barbkirchner(a)hotmail.com>
To: <sue(a)manytracks.com>, <musicians(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Musicians] activity (was waltz length)
>
> ok - i've got a topic.
>
> do you, as dance musicians, "program" an evening in the same way a caller
does?
>
> i'm asking because i DO program evenings as a caller, and i do the same as a
musician.
>
> so...what is your GOAL as a dance musician and how do you "program" that?
>
> cheers!
> barb
>
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