11 Oct
2016
11 Oct
'16
7:08 p.m.
yeah, well me too.. What I DON't like is something like: progress to new neighbors and
get half way through a balance and have the dance end at that point..
In B2 I will often say something like, "listen to the call,.. long lines forward and
back, swing your partner one last time".. Not always and some times getting the
partner swing at the end is pretty contrived so i just let it go and say "locate and
thank your partner"..
What I personally do is beside the point, though, I guess. I'm pretty sure Ted
Sannella called the whole last time thru..
bill
________________________________
From: trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> on
behalf of Ridge Kennedy srk3nn3dy(a)gmail.com [trad-dance-callers]
<trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 5:38 PM
To: Traditional American Dance Callers List
Subject: Re: [trad-dance-callers] Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out
Personal perspective. I like ending with partner swing. I don't like to call the
entire last change. I do call a fair number of becket dances (and even rejigger some that
were not originally becket) to end with partner swing. When I I do chime back in at the
end of a dance it's just for the last measure before the change will occur. And I try
to keep the calls in synchrony with the music -- so I don't blow up that special
ending. Ridge
12 Oct
12 Oct
3:26 a.m.
New subject: Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out
I’m curious about calling beforemicrophones became ubiquitous. Is there much information
about callers prior tosound amplification? Did they drop out quickly to save their voices?
Were thedances just known by enough dancers that they were danced without calling?
Wasthere an emphasis on remembering the figures (as in Scottish)? If the answers to these
questions are widely known, pardon my ignorance!
Lindsey(Tacoma, WA)#yiv0309781145 #yiv0309781145 -- #yiv0309781145ygrp-mkp {border:1px
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13 Oct
13 Oct
5:36 a.m.
New subject: Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out
Remember that Ralph Page started calling in the 1930s, and became a full
time caller in 1938. If he called dances all the way through, it's because
he was used to doing things that way from the days before sound
reinforcement at dances (and remember that he probably called three squares
between contra dances!)
Here are some quotes from Page's 1937 book:
A good caller's "voice ... must be clear and distinct (not necessarily deep
in tone) and must penetrate the farthest corners of the hall."
"The best prompters baby their throats as if they were opera singers.
Their greatest horror is laryngitis. They don't drink olive oil or wrap up
in pink cotton batting, though; strange as it may seem, the oftener they
call, the better their voice. They claim that six nights a week are better
than one or two, because their vocal cords are really exercised then and so
become stronger."
So it sounds like Ralph Page, and the other callers of his generation,
didn't believe in trying to "save" their voices.
Jacob Bloom
On Tue, Oct 11, 2016 at 11:26 PM, Lindsey Dono lynzimd(a)yahoo.com
[trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote:
I’m curious about calling before microphones became ubiquitous. Is there
much information about callers prior to sound amplification? Did they drop
out quickly to save their voices? Were the dances just known by enough
dancers that they were danced without calling? Was there an emphasis on
remembering the figures (as in Scottish)? If the answers to these questions
are widely known, pardon my ignorance!
Lindsey
(Tacoma, WA)
--
jandnbloom(a)gmail.com
http://jacobbloom.net/
10:10 p.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
I’m curious about calling before microphones
became ubiquitous. Is
there much information about callers prior to sound amplification?
Did they drop out quickly to save their voices? Were the dances just
known by enough dancers that they were danced without calling?
Lindsey
And Jacob replied: "Here are some quotes from Page's 1937 book:
"The best prompters baby their throats as if they were opera singers.
Their greatest horror is laryngitis. They don't drink olive oil or wrap
up in pink cotton batting, though; strange as it may seem, the oftener
they call, the better their voice. They claim that six nights a week
are better than one or two, because their vocal cords are really
exercised then and so become stronger."
So it sounds like Ralph Page, and the other callers of his generation,
didn't believe in trying to "save" their voices."
Which prompts me to ask what other callers do to take good care of their
voices. It's hard when you're partway through a heavy-duty event and
your voice starts to feel ragged.
Kent Gilbert, in Berea, gave me his recipe for a
disgusting-but-effective gargle that helped me hang on to my voice
during a long, intense week. It's equal parts Listerine, hydrogen
peroxide and warm salt water. Gaa-ACK! But it definitely cleared and
soothed my throat. Just warm salt water all by itself is supposed to be
great, too.
How about the rest of you? What do you do to take care of your voices,
especially during multi-day gigs, especially-especially if there's
flying involved?
Kalia (getting ready for an English dance weekend near Santa Cruz)
11:14 p.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
I’m new to calling but I’ve been an actor/singer all my life. A friend of mine, an opera
singer and Cantor, developed some products that work really well - I especially love the
throat spray and might use it often between dances if I were feeling ‘ragged', as well
as drinking water of course! I am in no way getting any benefit from sharing this info -
it’s just a natural product that works for me! http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/
<http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/>
On Oct 13, 2016, at 3:10 PM, Kalia Kliban
kalia.kliban(a)gmail.com [trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
wrote:
...it sounds like Ralph Page, and the other callers of his generation,
didn't believe in trying to "save" their voices."
Which prompts me to ask what other callers do to take good care of their
voices. It's hard when you're partway through a heavy-duty event and
your voice starts to feel ragged.
11:22 p.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
On 10/13/2016 4:14 PM, sms suzer22(a)earthlink.net [trad-dance-callers] wrote:
I’m new to calling but I’ve been an actor/singer all my life. A friend
of mine, an opera singer and Cantor, developed some products that work
really well - I especially love the throat spray and might use it often
between dances if I were feeling ‘ragged', as well as drinking water of
course! I am in no way getting any benefit from sharing this info -
it’s just a natural product that works for
me! http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/
Are these homeopathic or is there actual stuff in the bottle?
Kalia
14 Oct
14 Oct
12:06 a.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
It’s a ‘supplement’ not a medication. Contains Propolis, Slippery Elm bark, ginger root,
, nettle leaf, thyme, hysop, echinacea, aloe vera, peppermint oil, xylitol. So I believe
the answer is both, homeopathic and stuff.
On Oct 13, 2016, at 4:22 PM, Kalia Kliban
kalia.kliban(a)gmail.com [trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
wrote:
On 10/13/2016 4:14 PM, sms suzer22(a)earthlink.net <mailto:suzer22@earthlink.net>
[trad-dance-callers] wrote:
I’m new to calling but I’ve been an actor/singer all my life. A friend
of mine, an opera singer and Cantor, developed some products that work
really well - I especially love the throat spray and might use it often
between dances if I were feeling ‘ragged', as well as drinking water of
course! I am in no way getting any benefit from sharing this info -
it’s just a natural product that works for
me! http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/ <http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/>
Are these homeopathic or is there actual stuff in the bottle?
Kalia
12:06 a.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
Kalia,
I often put a couple of herbal cough drops in my water bottle and let them
dissolve. There is also an Herbal Tea from Celestial Seasonings that was
designed to help your throat.
Sometimes in the autumn season, I have to use a little Benadryl to help
with allergies. I buy a 25 mg tablet and cut it in half. (I suspect that
is from raking and blowing leaves.)
Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT
On Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 7:22 PM, Kalia Kliban kalia.kliban(a)gmail.com
[trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote:
On 10/13/2016 4:14 PM, sms suzer22(a)earthlink.net [trad-dance-callers]
wrote:
I’m new to calling but I’ve been an actor/singer all my life. A friend
of mine, an opera singer and Cantor, developed some products that work
really well - I especially love the throat spray and might use it often
between dances if I were feeling ‘ragged', as well as drinking water of
course! I am in no way getting any benefit from sharing this info -
it’s just a natural product that works for
me! http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/
Are these homeopathic or is there actual stuff in the bottle?
Kalia
1:52 a.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
I have used a couple of different homeopathic remedies for my voice, but usually after I
have vocal fatigue. Water, water, water, and efficient use of voice is the best voice
care.
Another voice helper for me is a wireless mic — so I can be on the floor and both
consciously and unconsciously monitor my own vocal levels. Being on stage without a vocal
monitor (and with the regular monitors blasting the band’s music at them) is a sure bet I
have vocal fatigue, if not hoarseness, at the end of a night.
sue
On Oct 13, 2016, at 7:06 PM, Rich Sbardella
richsbardella(a)gmail.com [trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
wrote:
Kalia,
I often put a couple of herbal cough drops in my water bottle and let them dissolve.
There is also an Herbal Tea from Celestial Seasonings that was designed to help your
throat.
Sometimes in the autumn season, I have to use a little Benadryl to help with allergies.
I buy a 25 mg tablet and cut it in half. (I suspect that is from raking and blowing
leaves.)
Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT
On Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 7:22 PM, Kalia Kliban kalia.kliban(a)gmail.com
<mailto:kalia.kliban@gmail.com> [trad-dance-callers]
<trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com
<mailto:trad-dance-callers@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
On 10/13/2016 4:14 PM, sms suzer22(a)earthlink.net <mailto:suzer22@earthlink.net>
[trad-dance-callers] wrote:
I’m new to calling but I’ve been an actor/singer all my life. A friend
of mine, an opera singer and Cantor, developed some products that work
really well - I especially love the throat spray and might use it often
between dances if I were feeling ‘ragged', as well as drinking water of
course! I am in no way getting any benefit from sharing this info -
it’s just a natural product that works for
me! http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/ <http://store.superiorvocalhealth.com/>
Are these homeopathic or is there actual stuff in the bottle?
Kalia
8:22 p.m.
New subject: Voice care (was Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out)
One thing to bear in mind about gargles: They don’t come into contact with your vocal
cords (unless you’re drowning).
The vocal cords are located in the larynx/trachea that goes down to the lungs, not the
esophagus, which goes down to the stomach.
When you gargle or swallow, the epiglottis closes off the larynx so that fluid doesn’t go
down into your lungs.
Consequently, anything you gargle or swallow does not come into contact with your vocal
cords, so there is no *direct* way to soothe your vocal cords.
Anything you consume must get into the blood stream first to help the vocal cords, which
among other things means around 20 minutes lead time for anything you swallow.
Thus hydrating *in advance* of wearing your voice out is one of the best preventatives for
vocal fatigue.
Hope this helps!
Jimmy Akin
San Diego
On Oct 13, 2016, at 3:10 PM, Kalia Kliban
kalia.kliban(a)gmail.com [trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
wrote:
Kent Gilbert, in Berea, gave me his recipe for a
disgusting-but-effective gargle that helped me hang on to my voice
during a long, intense week. It's equal parts Listerine, hydrogen
peroxide and warm salt water. Gaa-ACK! But it definitely cleared and
soothed my throat. Just warm salt water all by itself is supposed to be
great, too.
How about the rest of you? What do you do to take care of your voices,
especially during multi-day gigs, especially-especially if there's
flying involved?
13 Oct
13 Oct
2:41 p.m.
New subject: Page & Sannella -- Dropping Out
Hey Lindsey from Tacoma: Way back in the day there was no calling or even prompting of
the dances. Dances were “taught” by dancing masters. Dancers memorized the figgers. It
was considered rude to yell out the changes and it was considered a mark of esteem if you
could have the figgers down pat. (Some folks wrote the direction on their cuffs or on a
napkin which got stuffed in their cleavage. If there were no dancing master lurking
about, then the poor folk did what they knew...knees up mother brown, three hand reels and
the such.
Later, when calling (prompting) became acceptable, the task fell in the laps of the
fiddler. I have an old book of fiddle chunes and instruction how to play them and also
instruction on how to call the changes while sawing away.
Brits say that they started the ball rolling. Servants would have their dances Downstairs,
do the same dances folks Upstairs did, but, without the benefit of dancing school. Someone
needed to call out the changes. Lord knows why it took them all so long, but look how long
it took to invent the wheel.
But listen to this. Plantation party going full tilt. in North Carolina, black musicians,
fiddles, tambourine. Black fiddler would nod to couples when they reached the top, but
knew his place of silence. Next night the blacks have their own frolic. Fiddler shouts out
Git yer sets together. Make a ring now, up and back you go. Gentlemen turn your partners.
And there you have it.
Calling became necessary when the halls got bigger. Folks from other nationalities –
Poles, Germans, Swedes, needed assistance. Microphones were invented and calling became an
art unto its own. I never heard Ralph Page call without using a mic. Even in a small
room. He had a light voice. He sang and chanted his calls. He was inspired by the
calling of one Happy Hale. Happy could sing his calls without using a mic. He would even
go outside and call through the open window on a summer’s night. But he and Ralph never
stopped calling. They were part of the show. Part of the music. They liked the sound of
their voice. Reminds me of the preacher who said “We will now have a moment of silence
like in Quaker meeting.” It would last ten seconds and then he would launch into the next
prayer or whatever.
Most of the dances I do are whole set longways and circle dances, unphrased. I call
anyway. Seldom “drop out”. If I do, it is to share a joke with one of the other
musicians or quip with a dancer waiting at the top of the set.
Dudley from Canterbury where we have yet to have a killing frost.
Dudley & Jacqueline Laufman
PO Box 61, 322 Shaker Rd
Canterbury, NH 03224
www.laufman.org
603-783-4719
jdlaufman(a)comcast.net
Education book & CD at www.humankinetics.com
Performance Calendar at www.laufman.org
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days inactive
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trad-callers@lists.sharedweight.net
10 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
Bill Olson -
Jacob or Nancy Bloom -
jdlaufman＠comcast.net -
Jimmy Akin -
Kalia Kliban -
Lindsey Dono -
Rich Sbardella -
sms -
Sue C. Hulsether