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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>In Northkeep, we have a Youth Bardic Champion chosen at our
Castellan event. We've even had some youth compete in adult bardic comps
up here as well. It's a great thing to see, a child with enough
strength of person to stand up before a hall of adults and belt out his best
piece. I've never seen them not receive the utmost respect and praise for
their attempts. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I do agree that more could be done to encourage youth
bardic. It's not just the High Schoolers that have a hard time staying
occupied. My experience has been that pretty much any youth that is "too
old" for children's activities, but too young for "adult" activities has a
difficult time finding safe, "society-involved" activities.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Quill, thank you so much for bringing this up. I'm
definitely going to put some thought into this and see if I can get my household
involved to see if there's something we can do about this.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>YIS,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=788131113-18042007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Lady Nyx</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Alden
Drake<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 17, 2007 9:38 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Ansteorran
Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bards] Youth Bardic?<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">I
have a bardic student, who is still a minor, and I encourage her to learn
pieces that are appropriate for her age and maturity. If I ever question
if a piece is appropriate for her, I will consult her mother. She (my
student) also happens to currently be the Youth Bardic Champion of
Bordermarch. </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"> </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">At
least around the Stargate area, the circles I attend are generally mindful of
young ears in the audience, and will reserve the more colorful pieces until
they have gone to bed. I'm pretty well known for some bawdy songs, and
reserve said songs for my "Alden After Dark" set. I usually reserve
these until pretty late (10p-12a), depending on who is in the audience.
I've found that most of the parents who stay at circles late with their kids
have no objection to colorful pieces. The same generally holds true for
parents, who know me, who let their kids stay late at circles without their
supervision. If I see kids at a circle I don't know, or whose parents I
don't know, I'll hold off on singing the bawdy stuff. A bard should
always be mindful of their audience. We are after all in the business of
entertaining them, not just ourselves. In the early hours of the
circles, when kids are present, we are usually pretty good to encourage the
kids to participate as well. You want to talk about appropriate
songs...you should hear 2-3 little boys sing "Beer Beer Beer (Charlie
Mopps)". I believe my response was, "Alrighty then!" heh</DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"> </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">As
far as other youth bardic venues goes, I've seen bardic classes taught in the
past. Hey! Anyone want to teach some at Westgate Winter Collegium
on August 4? (shameless plug and appeal to teachers) I've also seen MoCs
ask bards to come do bardic stuff for childrens' activities at events - those
usually go over very well.</DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"> </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Alden<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">-----
Original Message ----<BR>From: Quill <darkphoenixbc@gmail.com><BR>To:
bards@lists.ansteorra.org<BR>Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 8:09:08
PM<BR>Subject: [Bards] Youth Bardic?<BR><BR>
<DIV>I was fortunate to have just reached the age of majority by the time I
really started getting into SCA; however, being thus young I'm acutely aware
of the difficulties in being an older youth (high school jr/sr) and trying to
participate in events. </DIV>
<P>Acquaintances just a few months younger than me have a hard time staying
interested in SCA when they aren't allowed to really participate in half of
what goes on; because of this I've taken an interest in the various "youth"
activities available. </P>
<P>Furthermore, my brothers, even at elementary and preschool ages, show a
great deal of bardic spirit (of "awen", if you will) which I regularly
nurture.</P>
<P>But I wonder now, is there an avenue for these talents to be expressed?
I'll admit I haven't been at this long, and attended few Bardic anything,
still from what I've seen I wouldn't want either babe present, personally.
</P>
<P>On the one hand, there IS a difference in appropriate entertainment for
children and for adults. I mean, fun as it is to have two little voices scream
MACINTYRE! from the back of the car on long journeys, neither I nor my parents
are exactly thrilled that they can belt out drinking songs better than they
know their ABC's... And there's a lot of subject matter in even our most
common stories and songs which mightn't be deemed entirely suitable. On the
other hand, there are different levels of tolerance in parents. Still, one
should err on the side of caution... </P>
<P>Propriety aside, kids just don't really care about sex and drinking. BUT,
give them The Unicorn Song, or even Ring 'round The Rosy (black death = fun?)
and they can go on for hours. and they haven't the stamina to sing the sun out
of the sky and back again. </P>
<P>I think I'm starting to digress. My point is, I want to know if there's any
consideration for youth in Bardic? (And by youth I mean everyone from toddlers
in T-tunics to guys like me who are standing on the edge of that sudden
[voice] drop.) </P>
<P>While we grownups have our fun drinking and crowing late into the night,
what of the wee ones who start to drop before sunset? While the Bards are busy
with their epic poems and randy rounds, have we no four-minute fairy tales and
clever teaching rhymes for the bardlings? Isn't this an art we ought to
encourage from early ages? </P>
<P>Just curious.</P>
<DIV>/Quill<BR>(the apparently alliterative)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"On the outside Trelac blue,</DIV>
<DIV>but to kingdom I am true;</DIV>
<DIV>Azure is but armor for</DIV>
<DIV>the Sable soul and heart of Or!"</DIV>
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