ANST - A Question for the Performers

maddie teller-kook meadhbh at io.com
Thu Feb 18 03:37:40 PST 1999


OK, since I will be at Gulf War.... IF my camp has the usual party saturday
night,,, i welcome the bards to come and entertain us and also enjoy food
and drink at camp...
and hey.... since i am irish... any tales and stories from home would be
most welcome...
and gio... try and find some funny stuff...(hint, hint...grin)

Meadhbh
----- Original Message -----
From: Nathan W. Jones <njones at ix.netcom.com>
To: <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 1999 10:52 PM
Subject: Re: ANST - A Question for the Performers


>
>Greetings Friends!
>
>--Warning!  I'm going to rant a bit...may even foam at
>the mouth and spit...just stand back and beware.  ;)
>
>Perhaps it is just me, but in the years that I have
>been performing in the SCA I have never, repeat, never
>been treated badly, or with anything less than
>appreciation.
>
>I think it has a great deal to do with how I view what
>I do.  When I perform, it is not as a "star attraction"
>who must be listened to or else.  I do it on the invitation
>of the host at the campsite.  Period.  I also try very
>hard to sing a piece that is appropriate for the mood
>the the camp.  If it is war they want, then that is what
>they get.  If it is time for somethign slow and depressing
>then that's what I do.  It it's happy songs they want, I
>encourage others to perform them.*  (not my gig, haven't
>found suitable ones yet.)
>
>The idea of "forcing" someone to listen to me is abhorrent!
>
>If I start a song and no one is paying attention, then
>I have obviously picked the wrong moment, the wrong
>audience or the wrong piece, and I quietly slink away.
>
>One of my biggest pet peeves is the gentle soul who
>angrily shouts, "Attend!" in order to quiet a crowd for
>a performance.  I am a poor performer indeed, if I cannot
>gain the attention of the audience without someone to
>shout them into silence.**
>
>If they don't want to listen, then they shouldn't have to.
>I will not force them.
>
>I was recently told by someone "If you come to our camp
>at Gulf War, expect to get thrown out, we don't like
>bards."  Okiedoke.  I can take a hint.  Thanks for sharing
>and no hard feelings.  I don't feel animosity towards
>them because they don't give me "the respect I deserve".
>Please.  It's their camp, it's their rules.  If I didn't
>respect their rules, what reason do I have to expect them
>to respect me?
>
>I think this attitude of "I'm a bard*** so you must listen
>to me!" is one of the major factors in the decline of
>campside performance that we talked about a couple of weeks
>ago.  People are tired of that attitude and have been
>burned by it.
>
>[pant, pant]  Okay, end of rant.
>
>
>HL Giovanni di Cellini.
>Northkeep
>Ansteorra.
>
>
>*  Rule number one, be part of the audience before you
>perform.  Unless you have listened to what everyone else
>is doing, you can not know what would be appropriate for
>you to perform when it is your turn.
>
>**  I know the person means well, but ... it annoys me
>none the less.
>
>*** Yeah, I know, I know...I use the term "bard" here in
>the SCA-slang context.  Notice I don't call myself one.
>I am a singer.
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