[Bards] Wow! I'm voting for the bar!

[Gerald Norris]

42 messages in 12 hours.

Where to begin.

I think that something that was said earlier has to be taken into account;
that we should not build from the steeple down, but from the foundation up.
Talk about changing Eistedfodd, when we're still bemoaning that the event
is, of it's own, not getting the attention that "we" want, is part of what
I'm talking about.

I am happy to see the passion here, and the throwing out of ideas, and even
Cisco's candid (if somewhat lean) view of what is happening in bardic.

College of bards; still waiting on the charters, if they should show up (not
pushing, I know how hard it is to find old data some times).  If we need to
set up a college of bards so that people will feel compelled to help other
bards, to work together, and to keep a list of classes concerning bardic,
then I'm for it.  We have the ansteorran bards web page that can be a
central information source, and this list for discussion of basic ideas (I
find that discussion of detail is always better done in person).  Robin and
Willow both have experience on their side (I just have scotch), but even if
we, as a group, would like to create such an institution, there is still
much to debate about, and that's just on that subject.

Are there bad performers out there?  You betcha!  Are we, as performers,
getting the chance to perform as often as we like?  The vote so far is that
most aren't (As I stated earlier, I create my venues, and I get to play a
goodly bit (last event, three hours at the list, a song or three at feast,
and two to three hours of attending a bardic circle, where I did something
besides drink Maddog's mead, surely!).

Why?  That's the question we're asking a lot.  Why is Eistedfodd stuck in a
hole in the wall.  I remember, maybe three years ago, we tried to have
Eistedfodd up on the stage; I can't remember why, but between the 1st and
2nd rounds we were moved from the stage to the upstairs room.  And that's
where we've been since.  Was it the judges?  The Performers?  The Steward?  

Why aren't we used more often in events?  We're getting an answer, but I
think we're seeing a part of the issue (visibility) and missing another part
of the issue (communication).  

Why don't we, as performers, try to find venues that we can perform in?  Why
not talk to the steward of a local event and offer to host a bardic circle;
see if you can get a nearby brewers guild to help with refreshments.  Why
not question whether performances of comedia or madrigal between rounds in a
fight might help to pass the time and entertain the populace.  Perhaps a
group of musicians or singers during the nobles' luncheon?  Why not offer to
line up entertainment for the feast, then ask your friends and fellow
performers to do this piece, or that?  

What are the answers?  I've got my opinions.  I think that we, as a group,
have to rethink, or possibly even LEARN what our roles as bards/performers
are, or need to be.  I'm not talking about Can't-hold-a-tune-in-a-bucket
Nodwik who just likes to sing along with the crowd, I'm talking about we
few, we happy few.  The college, Eistedfodd, and our general ability to add
to the ambience, the experience, and the joy of others, may require us to
actually figure out what we want to get out of this whole performance thing.


For those of you who have madeit this far, my thanks for your patience.  For
those of you sloven few who gave out after the second paragraph, you weren't
going to get to this protion anyway, so bugger off!

In service to the dream with a song in my heart, I am,
HL Gerald of Leesville
A bard of Stargate