[Bards] notes and replys

[Cisco Cividanes]

Darius, I would never accuse you or the other peers on this list of ignorance about your influence, deliberate or perceived. However, many of us have been tapped on the shoulders at times and been told that we were yelling, and didn't realize it. This is much the case here. While I know few if any of you want to sound like you are laying out concrete decisions, I, removed from the situation as I both am and am not, read the posts such that decisions were being made. This was just a note, not a warning or threat. 

At to the e-mails, I have NOT read them all, and am not going to. I have to see after my toddler son, tend to my house and work, commute three hours a day, etc.... The list is a wonderful thing, but everyone keep in mind that the volume is getting extreme, and I don't think it is reasonable for any of us to be expected to read and retain all of the information we are seeing. 

Now, I asked about the function of a college: here are my thoughts.

I have heard nothing to tell me that a college is needed, or will work. 

If you want a community, than we need to make it from the ground up. That means changing the way individuals think, act, talk....it means chancing the culture of bardic so that it can prosper in the kingdom.
We've already said that communication stinks...enough said there.

I have actually met people up here who despise bards because someone ambushed them with a horribly preformed, ten-minute saga years ago, and it left a really bad taste in their mouths. This practice and its supportingattitude needs to stop, and I've seen it happen since. We ALL need to be reminded that we are performers, and are at the mercy of our audience. We perform FOR the people, not AT them. I have seen BARDS who have told other bards statements to the effect of "you do what you want, they HAVE to listen to you".  needless to say, I fell NO compulsion to stay and see a bardic circle through after one or two shows with that attitude. 

Honestly guys, will a few people and a formalized name/structure really fix whats wrong. 

I don't believe so. 

If we want a community, than we all need to come together and come up with lasting plans that will create venues like bi-monthly bardic meetings between groups, regular meetings where bards can perform and get reviewed, and a culture that encourages non-bards to take an interest in the bardic arts. 

You don't build that from the top down. 

You build that by going home and calling the next closet bard and saying "Hay, how about we have dinner and go over some new stuff I'm working on." 

And then the next day you call the bard in the next barony/shire/canton and say "Hay, what are you doing next Friday?..."


Ivo Blackhawk