hey ron - some good points! i think what we're coming up with here is that it
doesn't exactly matter WHAT you ask the band, as long as you set up some good
communication with them. take the time to talk, to ask who is in charge of
what, what they reallly like to do most, etc., etc., etc. ron - i have a
slightly different approach if the caller doesn't give me good clues. i watch
the walk-through. seriously, i program the music like the caller programs
dances (start out easy and straightforward, kick up the energy, change the
tempo, up the energy again, change the tempo again, big ending number). i
USUALLY know what i want to play next, or at least have it narrowed down to two
or three sets (ie, i have three different sets that i could use to "change the
tempo"). if the walk-through goes well, i play whatever my first choice was.
if not, i'll pick a more laid-back set :-)
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:59:14 -0500
> From: [email protected]
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Callers] What to ask a band before the gig?
>
> Hi Ron,
>
> When I was first learning to call, Becky Hill suggested that, instead of
> simply telling bands what kinds of tunes you want using the wide vocabulary
> at your own disposal, ask bands what kinds of adjectives they'd find
> useful. As a musician, hearing that the caller wants a "marchy" or
> "slinky" or "driving" tune set is very helpful, but hearing that they want
> a "bubbly" tune is really not all that helpful. Ask what language they'd
> like to communicate in, and it can go much smoother.
>
> I agree with Barb that simply sharing the dance card isn't the best
> approach. In dances where I play, apparently unlike Michael F.'s
> experience, this is an extremely common practice. But, in my view, it's
> the caller's responsibility to decide how the dance should be. Many dances
> work well either with smooth, flowing reels, or bouncy jigs, and the mood
> of the dance should be something the caller selects to fit in with the
> evening's program. That said, if the caller isn't giving me helpful
> adjectives, I'll ask to see the cards, just so I can at least make sure we
> won't be playing the bounciest set ever when there's a hey into a gypsy
> meltdown, etc.
>
> Also, I would echo other people's suggestions to find out which band member
> you should be communicating with, and at the very least, what style of
> music the band plays. Getting a recording or two is even more helpful.
> You should know ahead of time not to ask an old-time band to play a polka,
> and you should also know not to ask a band with no strings in it to play an
> old-time tune. It's a particular pet peeve of mine as a musician when a
> caller asks for an old-time tune with every square dance, regardless of
> who's in the band. It might require actually looking at the moves and
> figuring out what other music would work best with that particular dance,
> but it's always going to be a better experience for the dancers if the band
> plays music that they're good at playing.
>
> -Dave
>
> On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 10:58 PM, Ron T Blechner <[email protected]>wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > What sorts of questions do you ask bands prior to the dance, especially by
> > e-mail / phone?
> >
> > A couple I like are:
> > - Do they have particular music sets they like to play at certain times,
> > like, to end the night, etc?
> > - Especially if I haven't heard them before in person, what overall types
> > of music do they enjoy playing the most?
> >
> > I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> >
> > Best,
> > Ron T Blechner
> > contradances.tumblr.com/ron
> > _______________________________________________
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> > [email protected]
> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> >
>
>
>
> --
> David Casserly
> (cell) 781 258-2761
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