[Bards] Re:Bardic and Performing Arts

Mike C. Baker kihebard at hotmail.com
Wed Apr 12 10:13:08 PDT 2006


> Well... there went an hour of my life.
> ~Finnacan

Rest assured, Finnacan, that it was an hour well-spent.  At least as far
as *I* am concerned.

I've followed much of what has been said on this, but not all (yet).
Other, far more mundane, matters are consuming the substantial majority
of my time these days.  As will surprise very few who know me, I have
some strong opinions about the general topic.  I intend to offer them
later, but for the moment I give these early reactions:

1) Competition is fine and wonderful, performance to an appreciative and
enthusiastic audience is far better.  Regular performances in areas
other than the grand hall.  (Candlemas some years back, the bards in
competition were required / strongly encouraged to perform in a general
area [more-or-less impromptu], in the kitchen, and in formal setting.  I
loved it!)

2) I will venture to guess that not all who might have competed were
able to travel, either to the selection venue or later to Gulf War
itself.  Priorities and all that...

3) I personally continue to see a number of strong reasons to separate
performing and static arts AND a few good reasons to merge them in
*interesting* ways.  (The performer's equivalent of a textile arts
"sheep to shawl", perhaps?  A "show your work" mixed-mode presentation,
with research paper, composition notes, non-performance presentation,
and performance all judged as a unitary entry.  [Go, Rhiannon!])

I'll strive to offer more later, here and elsewhere.  It's what a bard
does, after all.

Adieu, Amra / ttfn - Mike / Pax ... Kihe (Mike C. Baker)
SCA: al-Sayyid Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra, F.O.B, OSCA
"Other": Reverend Kihe Blackeagle PULC (the DreamSinger Bard)
Opinions? I'm FULL of 'em | alt. e-mail: KiheBard at hotmail.com OR
MCBaker216 at cs.com
Buy my writings!: http://www.lulu.com/WizardsDen |
http://www.livejournal.com/users/kihebard/ 



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