Let them know it's all about the rhythm.  Rock steady & relentless.  Subtle
emphasis on the upbeat can lift people up for dancing. Musicality is
luscious, as long as no one's taking liberties with the beat.
Also to be prepared to take cues from the caller to gradually(!) slow down
or speed up, just in case.  And keep a third eye on the caller for when to
stop.
Individual notes not as important as beat.

Well phrased straight ahead tunes with short (4 bar) phrases tend to be
easy for new dancers to latch onto.  Easily recognizable tunes such as
Irish Washerwoman, Turkey in the Straw, & Arkansas Traveller are good
choices.

I generally prefer major keys for ONS.

Sounds like a fun challenge!  You gotta corral the orchestra as well as the
dancers.  😵‍💫
Amy



On Wed, Sep 4, 2024, 11:36 AM Tep fer, Seth via Contra Callers <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Hello hive mind
>
> I have an upcoming ONS gig with a group of people who are all professional
> musicians, but have never played together nor played for a dance. What
> resources are out there to help give these musicians an understanding of
> what is coming for them? Any web videos or PDFs of hints so they know what
> to expect? They are asking for sheet music and videos, which will help but
> I know there is much more to it than that.
>
> Seth
>
> Seth Tepfer, MBA, CSM, PMP (he, him, his)
> Senior IT Manager, Emory Primate Center
>
> <https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/[email protected]?anonymous&ep=signature>
>  Book
> time to meet with me
> <https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/[email protected]/bookings/>
>
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