Actually, I do take my gurdy to a ren. Faire quite often and it's a lot of
fun. I play in the heat, in the dust and the humidity and I still enjoy it.
I draw the line though at rain. You ask - would you bring your expensive,
touchy HG to a ren faire. Well, gurdys on the expensive side are not so
touchy as their cheaper counterparts. That's part of what you are paying
for. Also the thing is tightly strapped to my waist - not stuck out in front
of me like a harp so I have pretty good control over who touches it. Yes,
it needs to be tuned more when conditions are particularly wet or dry but
people seemed to be equally entertained by watching me tune as watching me
play it - doesn't speak well for my playing but there you have it. When my
set is done, I do carry it around with me - I leave everything else -
violin, shawms, amp, assorted other crap in an out of the way pile, but the
gurdy goes with me everywhere. I'm not a professional musician so there are
very few temperature controlled concert halls that have asked me to play -
well, none actually and neither Loreena McKennit or Sting have ever needed
my services, so the ren. faire is it. It can be a lot of fun, really in
masochistic kind of way. Nan is right also - ask for more money.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nan Donald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <hg@hurdygurdy.com>
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 12:24 AM
Subject: [HG] Re: working at Renn Faires (was: The Hurdy Gurdy Kit Lady
Fanatic Responds)
Hi, Kathy--even though you haven't asked, I'll answer!
I worked at a Renn Fair for a number of years here in Massachusetts for
$100 a day plus hat privileges. (you should ask for more money!)
It was very, very dusty and the dust would settle on the wheel and just
chew up my cotton--I got REALLY good at changing cotton through dire
necessity, as well as in determining how much rosin to apply as weather
conditions changed. I drew the line at bringing it out in the rain,
though....all the musicians would carry tinwhistles along as a kind of
musical instrument insurance policy. It was um, shall we say, "memorable"
to hear droves of musicians with varying degrees of proficiency tootling
on the whistles in the drizzle for bedraggled fair-goers... One year a
heavy storm knocked all the bee hives out of the trees and there were
swarms of angry bees settling everywhere, including my keybox and I lived
in mortal fear of getting stung. Perhaps they were attracted by the buzz?
The final straw was when a vendor started selling dumbeks and inebriated
patrons would charge over to where I was playing to just jam along...
But I digress! Ultimately, what is important is the pleasure we derive
from the instruments and the music we play (in the absence of incompetent
dumbek neophytes, that is!) Keep us in the loop regarding the progress
you make, I'm crossing my fingers for you.
Oh--and if you do bring the gurdy to your Renn Fair, be prepared to endure
some really stupid questions asked many, many times! (Melissa on the list
has some very good come backs, if you're interested...)
Nan
And speaking of that -- I won't even ask if any of you have ever worked a
RenFaire. Have any of you ever been to one, and seen the conditions under
which the entertainers work? The weather can be anything from 45 to 105
degrees, Rain, wind, mud, dust. Little kids putting their sticky hands on
your stuff. Would any of you take your expensive, touchy instruments into
such an environment six weekends in a row, for fifty dollars a day and
tips from passing the hat? I won't take my best harp to a RenFaire,
that's why I've got two backups. (One of which my husband built. From a
kit.)
Kathy Hutchins
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
