[Bards] Discussion question

[Cathy Polakoff]

Speaking of lines that beg to be used in a piece, would you mind if I used 
the "Do Fighters Dream of More than War" line? It struck a chord with me 
(no pun intended) regarding a piece I'm trying to write about Triple A.

Also, thank you for the advice, as I consider myself to be a beginner and 
what you said was very helpful.

Anna bat Chaim

At 06:11 AM 7/30/2004 -0500, you wrote:

>My method of becoming a better bard began with an attempt to increase my 
>repertoire (sic).  I was tired of singing and hearing the same songs at 
>every event we went to.  So, I began seeking out pieces from bards in 
>other regions of our great Kingdom as well as a few from bards in other 
>Kingdoms.  I sought permission to perform those pieces, then set about 
>learning them.  From there, I found a bit of inspiration and (on the 
>occasion that the muses smile down on me), I can write my own.  Another 
>source of inspiration for my own pieces is listening to the stories people 
>tell (outside of the bardic circle).  Many people are passionate about 
>their pursuits in the SCA and when they are around their friends and 
>families, they will sometime ramble on and on about something they ve seen 
>or done that touched them in some way.  Usually (for me at least), those 
>stories have at least one line that will stick with me and BEG to have a 
>piece written about them.  I have a notebook that I keep those single 
>lines in and when the hankering to write hits me and I can t decide what 
>to write about, I pull out that book and flip through it looking for 
>inspiration.  (Some examples of lines in the book are:  Real Men Don t 
>Wear Lace and Do Fighters Dream of More than War)  Now, I am not condoning 
>the act of eavesdropping on private conversations&I m merely talking about 
>taking in your surroundings and listening to the people who share this 
>dream with us.
>
>
>
>As far as performances&Some of the things I ve learned to be a better 
>performing bard&If you start a piece and it s not reaching the audience, 
>don t be afraid to stop the song and start a different one.  NEVER 
>apologize for your performance (i.e.  I know I don t sing this song as 
>well as So-and-So, the Titled Bard of Everywhere, but here s my 
>rendition).  Instead, introduce the piece (especially if it s not one of 
>your own), list the author if you know who it is (and if you don t find 
>out).  People have favorites that they ll want to hear from you every time 
>you walk through (or near) their camp THIS IS A COMPLIMENT, treat it as 
>such.  If you ve just walked up on a circle, and someone says Sing 
>Something , and you haven t had a chance to read the circle to know what 
>the mood is, pull a couple of old stand-bys (songs you know forwards, 
>backwards, and upside down), put the songs into categories (goofy, happy, 
>war marches, love songs, etc) and ask the group to pick a category&don t 
>list the songs as many will not know them&
>
>
>
>Before I wrap up, one last thing.  If possible, find another bard you 
>trust&when you ve got a new piece to perform ask them to listen to it and 
>ask them to give honest, constructive criticism&be willing to accept the 
>critique and learn from it (remember, you don t have to agree with them or 
>incorporate all of their suggestions into the piece)&Polish the piece if 
>necessary and then ask them to listen again.  I ve never met a bard who 
>isn t willing to listen to another bard and offer pointers .  I may be a 
>bit naïve here too, but I ve never met a malicious bard who will give 
>negative pointers to worsen the piece.
>
>
>
>Here s where I break one of my own rules&I know I m not the greatest bard 
>in the Kingdom& I know that I still have a lot to learn and lot to write 
>(sometimes I wish the songs would come out as a solid unit though)&But I m 
>willing to gather whatever knowledge I can from whichever bard is willing 
>to share (that seems to be most of them I ve found) and run with it&I ve 
>come a long way (from knowing two songs not worth singing in my own 
>encampment to being one of the Titled Bards of Namron), but I know the 
>journey is just beginning.
>
>
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>In Service to the Dream,
>
>Lady Adalia Nyx VonDerBerg
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>----------
>From: bards-bounces+emily.minier=dtag.com at ansteorra.org 
>[mailto:bards-bounces+emily.minier=dtag.com at ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of 
>Dawn Rummel
>Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004 4:14 PM
>To: Bardic
>Subject: [Bards] Discussion question
>
>
>
>Question: How do you, personally, work to become a better bard?
>
>
>
>Antonia/Dawn
>
>It's the little things in life...
>
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