Synthesizer/Computer/MIDI workshop at a filk con?

[poltr1]

I know I'm in the minority here, since most filkers are guitarists and often play solo.

I'm a woodwind and keyboard player, and play more often in ensembles than solo. (As the button on my bass clarinet strap says, "Plays Well With Others".) I rarely get to jam at filk cons anymore because R (and M) are ready to go home around Sunday at around 2 pm. (It's M's naptime.)

I've been kicking around the idea of doing a session at an upcoming filk con (most likely OVFF) where I'd give a workshop or lead a roundtable/birds-of-a-feather discussion about electronic music in filk, demo my Minimoog, or cover the basics of composing with computer-based music tools (e.g. Cakewalk).

I know that filkertom and peteralway use computers to compose all or part of their music.

Before I go ahead and indicate my intention to the OVFF committee member in charge of programming.....Who'd be interested in attending such a session?

And I'll also ask: Who's ever heard me play and/or sing?

Comments

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

I think it's a fab idea, and I'd find it interesting!

I've heard you play, though I don't recall having heard you sing.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

We've done it a couple of times at Consonance with much success.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm pretty sure most filkers don't play anything at all. Neat idea, though - if I did play an instrument, I'd be interested.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

I would love to see more wind instruments and synths supporting live performance at filk, so even though I wouldn't actually be part of the workshop, I'd like to know it was happening.

I've heard you play some, and I'd like to have the chance to actually work with you, but I'm not experienced enough at playing with others to be able to do it easily, and we'd most likely need to find some chance to practice first. The catch-22 is that if you're smooth enough to fit in behind people who aren't used to you, so you can support without throwing them off, you'll be welcome, but without practice doing it you can't develop that smoothness.

I can't really recall hearing you sing.

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

Well, I doubt we'll make OVFF for a few years yet but edstauff would be great on that panel. He certainly is not strictly a midi person since he plays guitar, hammered dulcimer, pipe organ, recorder, banjo... and a bunch o other stuff - but he uses synth and mid a lot. We have the Yamaha pro midi wind controller, we have a Roland synth, the yamaha pwhatsit 88 key keyboard, and just generally too darned many computer related music thingies (cakewalk, finale, gods I dunno - I let him deal with that stuff mostly)
:)

[poltr1]

Sounds like a plan. Scheduling the practice time together is the big challenge.

That's what I did with Peter at last year's OVFF. He was looking for a deep grumbly double-bass sound for "Polystrene Shipwright". We had a sound that was close, but in the end, he decided to go it alone for the one-shot. And I was okay with that.

[poltr1]

You're probably right -- many in the filk community aren't players, but listeners.

I've not felt comfortable being just a listener. I believe I have enough musical knowledge and (dare I say) talent that I should be playing, instead of being in the audience, and feeling like a wallflower.

Remind me the next time I see you to tell you about the downside of having perfect pitch.

[poltr1]

Yes, the more the merrier!

Joe Ellis (YA NOLJ-filker) would also be a wonderful person to have on the panel. I'm sure Ed's already met him, or knows of him.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

*sigh* It's not your fault, but that's a sore spot with me. Why do people assume someone without an instrument is a listener? What's wrong with being a *singer*, dammit?

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's been quite a while since we've been to a con that Joe was at but I seem to recall Ed and Joe geeking out over keyboard stuff. :)

[poltr1]

Sorry, I didn't know you sang because I never heard you sing.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Fair enough, you probably haven't. It's a pretty general attitude though, seems like. *sigh*

[quadrivium.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested. :-)