[Bards] Bards and Documentation, Apples and Oranges and non-dead subjects

[jerryn at houston.rr.com]

I spent a lot of time trying to hop back and forth along the documentation fence, and I ended up sounding like a loon.

The question that comes to mind is why is there all this hooplah about documentation?  Just for those of you who decided not to start reading things until this point; Pendaren is in favor of documentation, Eleanor isn't.  

Before we go any further, I think we have to make a distinction here.  At the kingdom level of competition, I want a bard that actually does know something about the work their performing.  Unlike some, I don't think that it requires a thesis paper.  But some solid information, whether written or given as a part of the performance, is a good thing.  At a baronial level, it's up to the landed nobles and their current titled bard.  For starting a bardic circle, you can use the documentation to light the fire.  

Do we really need documentation?  It depends upon whether you want bards, in general, to be considered a part of A&S.  I know that a lot of people have spent a lot of energy and time to get bardic arts in general riding in the same boat as static A&S.  The laurel's who have primary interests in bardic care, I'm sure.  I know I care.  In this case, for my purposes, the answer is "yes".

So the next set of arguments is whether we're losing the spontenaeity of bardcraft by requiring documentation.  Again, for a recap; Eleanor thinks we are, Pendaren thinks we're not.  If we were strictly going to only allow documented pieces to be judged, then I think we'd lose some spontaneity.  But in this last Eistedfod, even with the king of documentation running the show with a little remote control and his foot to the floor of his chariot, there was still some room for an undocumented piece.  In fact, due to the need for a 4th round, there were two instances where documentation wasn't needed at all.

I cheerfully wrote a seventeen page treatise (I call them emails.  I'm sure others call them "The Long Hard Road" (I also use a lot of parenthesis (and sometimes I just can't stop!))) on how I had, on the spur of the moment, decided to enter the competition and had to "throw together" some documentation for two pieces (I already had the 3rd documented).  Now, if I had won, it might have been a better argument (but then, (a) Antonia just looks so much better than I do, (b) all of her performances were spot on (c) mine weren't), but the caliber of competitors in this year's Eistedfod allowed no room for error, and of the critiques I've received so far (Eleanor, Garaeth, could you please privately e-mail me yours?  In fact, any of the judges who have their notes still please feel free to offer their critique), there just weren't any that said, "Your documentation sucked".  All for the sake of trying to prove that documentation doesn't have to be a lengthy process, nor does it h!
 ave to be

Master Ihon, in a conversation, once said that the easiest way to know if your documentation was enough was to compare it to the "questions" that are being asked on the A&S performance judging sheets.  The questions aren't hard, and if you're entering a kingdom competition, you should at least know most of these answers by the time the competition comes around.  

But it's important to note, that the kingdom level competitions, the baronial level competitions, and the bardic circles are all different beasts.  Some landed nobles and bards will agree that they want to judge the competition for the next bard in a bardic circle sponsored by the nobility and bards.  Others want a formal competition.  Having served as title bard for three baronies, most often the baron and baroness LIKE having someone who, as their titled bard, is knowledgable about the bardic arts, the pieces they perform, and other bards of the area.  

And I think that we all have to take these different levels of bardic performance and segregate them when it comes to trying to talk about things like documentation and it's need.  Otherwise we're comparing religions, which is rarely pretty and even more rarely productive.

And that's enough right now, though there's so much more I want to write about; giving good critique, TAKING critique, fear of judgement, preparation, practice, audience handling, when the song leaves your head just as you open your mouth to start it, Bardic Hell, keeping a period feel at the circle while doing Casey at the Crown", others.  But I've got to stop.  You've probably already fallen asleep.  Just click on the damned "next" arrow and get this over with will you?  Go on!  Git!

In service to the dream with a song in my heart, I am
HL Gerald of Leesville
Ravenskald of Ravensfort
A bard of Stargate
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Count me in, Snorri.

I've even got some ideas along that line.... :-D

Esther
  -----Original Message-----
  From: bards-bounces at ansteorra.org [mailto:bards-bounces at ansteorra.org]On
Behalf Of Snorri Hallsson
  Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 10:35 AM
  To: Ansteorran Bardic list
  Subject: Re: [Bards] Bardic Collegium


  OK, well, I'll go there ... but keep in mind, this is not yet a commitment
to bid and/or steward, just an inquiry.  This is also excluding the current
discussion on a kingdom level bardic event.

  If I were to put in for a late 2005 or 2006 calendar date, who'd be
willing to help me put together a Knowne World Bardic Congress and Cooks
Collegium in Ansteorra?

  Y'all discuss, I'm going for more coffee and a good, sound bonk on the
noggin.


  Snorri, who'll claim caffeine deprivation or temporary insanity later

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<DIV><SPAN class=3D428483519-13012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Count=20
me in, Snorri.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D428483519-13012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D428483519-13012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>I've=20
even got some ideas along that line.... :-D</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D428483519-13012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D428483519-13012004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2>Esther</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
  size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
bards-bounces at ansteorra.org=20
  [mailto:bards-bounces at ansteorra.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Snorri=20
  Hallsson<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 13, 2004 10:35 =
AM<BR><B>To:</B>=20
  Ansteorran Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bards] Bardic=20
  Collegium<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>OK, well, I'll go there ... but keep =
in mind,=20
  this is not yet a commitment to bid and/or steward, just an =
inquiry. =20
  This is also excluding the current discussion on a kingdom level =
bardic=20
  event.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If I were to put in for a late 2005 =
or 2006=20
  calendar date, who'd be willing to help me put together a Knowne World =
Bardic=20
  Congress and Cooks Collegium in Ansteorra?</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Y'all discuss, I'm going for =
more coffee and=20
  a good, sound bonk on the noggin.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Snorri, who'll claim caffeine =
deprivation or=20
  temporary insanity later</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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