<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">That was a really great story, Kat. Thanks for sharing it!</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">My entry to the bardic world is (I think) pretty funny. I got into it by trying to stay out of it. At GW-12, there was a bardic circle in the Coastal Encampment, and I went to listen and enjoy the performances. Pretty soon after sitting down, Gerald called me out to sing something. Scarhart and Baroness Neassa are quick to rally to his side and begin goading me into it as well. The exchange between Gerald and I went something like this:</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Gerald: Alden! Why don't you sing something for us?</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Alden: Well, I don't really know any songs.</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Gerald: Sure you do! Everybody knows some songs!</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Alden: Well, I don't know any *period* songs.</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Gerald: Do you think any of the songs we've been singing are period?!?</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Alden: (thought: how can I possibly get out of this...ah, I know) Ok....you asked for it... (this will get them to never ask me to sing again...)</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">First I opened with Dolphin Boy, and from there on to the most depraved songs I could muster. It definitely got a lot of shock value, but the crowd ate it up. My cunning plan completely backfired. I ended up jumping straight into the deep end. But, it was all good, as it put me immediately on the radar of some bards I greatly enjoy and admire to begin learning more about bardic. Once I got my feet wet, I started to learn some tunes and hang around more bards. I joined in on sing-alongs and went to a few circles with some more appropriate songs....and Dolphin Boy, which was always requested of me.</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Then, at one event, I was sitting under Gerald's pavilion when the bet was made between Gerald, Eleanor Fairchild, and Michael Silverhands (was there anyone else Gerald?) to see who could come up with a piece using the phrase "...where do we get em and why?" Not long after, Eleanor posted her song on the bards list, winning the bet. At the next event, Eleanor sang the song at the bardic circle. It was fantastic. I generally had the tune in my head by the time she was done, and I had the lyrics from her post on the list.....so I took it and wrote "The Husbands' Retort" and sent it to Eleanor - I think the Monday after the event. She loved it and helped me tweak it in a few places, and from that our friendship and teacher/student relationship quickly cemented. From there, I hit the path of bardcraft and am loving every step of the journey.</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">So yeah...I'm a bard...and it's all Gerald's fault. :P</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Alden</DIV>
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