Today at Caldrithig's Practicum, I'm teaching a new class about songwriting in the style of the troubadours. In addition to basic cultural background, my course covers some musical and poetic features that make troubadour songs distinct, so that modern songwriters can more easily create original work in this classic medieval style. If you'd like a copy of the handout, download this here PDF.
It seems to me that many bards in the SCA shy away from writing period-style songs because of a persistent belief that medieval music sounds "weird" and "inaccessible to a modern audience." It is my firm belief that if people had a little more grounding in early music, they'd realize just how beautiful and universal it can be and would be quite a bit less intimidated by it. People write what they hear, and if our most prominent bards are writing music that sounds nothing like medieval music, new bards will follow suit. But when we take the plunge into more authentic sounding music, we make it easier for others to do so as well. I hope this class will help to demystify troubadour music for those willing to try.
February 26, 2011
February 22, 2011
Movin' Out! Also, a troubadour song revisited.
Oh God, it begins - the mad, downhill dash to moving away again. I've got movers coming on Thurs, I leave Atlantia for Ealdormere (again) on Fri and then on Sat I'm teaching two classes - one of which I need to, like, finish writing. And print out handouts. Fnerh.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME!!! I attended my last event in Atlantia for a while on Sat, and I'm glad I was able to before the stress hit. Performer's Revel, hosted by Their Excellencies Fevronia Murometsa (a kindred harper) and Igor Medvedev (a kindred foodie). Fantastic time - lots of music and stuffing my face. And counting Gertrude there were SEVEN HARPS of assorted sizes and makes. That was pretty sweet.
At the request of Mistress Linette...and some other people too, I think...I am posting here the melody to "Oh how I love the springtime gay." My translation, the documentation, etc are posted here, but I put all of that stuff up before I worked up Bertan de Born's melody. So here it is! (PDF format - if you don't read music, drop me a line, I can midify it for you). Follow the first link for the rest of the verses. Someday, I will post all of that on one page so it'll make sense. Not today.
Enjoy, you bloodthirsty maniacs, you! ;-)
BUT IN THE MEANTIME!!! I attended my last event in Atlantia for a while on Sat, and I'm glad I was able to before the stress hit. Performer's Revel, hosted by Their Excellencies Fevronia Murometsa (a kindred harper) and Igor Medvedev (a kindred foodie). Fantastic time - lots of music and stuffing my face. And counting Gertrude there were SEVEN HARPS of assorted sizes and makes. That was pretty sweet.
At the request of Mistress Linette...and some other people too, I think...I am posting here the melody to "Oh how I love the springtime gay." My translation, the documentation, etc are posted here, but I put all of that stuff up before I worked up Bertan de Born's melody. So here it is! (PDF format - if you don't read music, drop me a line, I can midify it for you). Follow the first link for the rest of the verses. Someday, I will post all of that on one page so it'll make sense. Not today.
Enjoy, you bloodthirsty maniacs, you! ;-)
February 10, 2011
Beer is for Girls is for Baroness Lucia!
At the request of my dread and illustrious baroness, who's had this song stuck in her head all day and needs help with that, here's a quick-and-dirty recording of "Beer is for Girls." Enjoy!
And for those of you who like geeking out over documentation, here's a link to the nerdy bits!
And for those of you who like geeking out over documentation, here's a link to the nerdy bits!
February 07, 2011
This weekend is a blur...
But I feel compelled to post because it was hella fun.
Woke up in the wee hours to go to Atlantia's Kingdom Arts and Sciences Fair. Saw a lot of really great displays (yarn....oh, there was pretty yarn). Met a lot of really great people. Heard a lot of really great poetry at the Duke Gyrth Memorial Smackdown - and also saw a lot of really great persona play!
Then the next day I woke up even earlier for a 9-hour shift at work. My brain is on strike today. Hence this weekend being a bit of a blur. I might post more when I come to - poems and impressions, etc. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed myself very much! The people and the displays were excellent! :-)
*passes out - wait no....goes to work*
Woke up in the wee hours to go to Atlantia's Kingdom Arts and Sciences Fair. Saw a lot of really great displays (yarn....oh, there was pretty yarn). Met a lot of really great people. Heard a lot of really great poetry at the Duke Gyrth Memorial Smackdown - and also saw a lot of really great persona play!
Then the next day I woke up even earlier for a 9-hour shift at work. My brain is on strike today. Hence this weekend being a bit of a blur. I might post more when I come to - poems and impressions, etc. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed myself very much! The people and the displays were excellent! :-)
*passes out - wait no....goes to work*
February 01, 2011
Crap I need to do:
Congratulations, blog! You're my online SCA to-do list! Woo!
By 2/5:
1)Write poems about Sugarawa no Michizane and Joan of Arc for the Duke Gyrth Memorial Smackdown at KASF this weekend.
2) Mebbe write documentation for them. Mebbe.
3)Write a 'lil extra documentation for KASF display.
4)Go to FedEx, print out stuff for display, put in pretty binder.
5)Buy picture frames, make display pretty.
6)Go to event, smack some bards down.
AND THEN (ie by 2/26):
7)Finish my new class for Practicum in a nice, leisurely manner. (Troubadours! Word!)
8)Hound teachers who have not yet submitted materials for the Proceedings.
9)And again.
10) And again.
11) Teach.
12) Maybe more hounding.
13) Publish Proceedings.
It'll all totally happen. *nods*
By 2/5:
1)
2) Mebbe write documentation for them. Mebbe.
3)
4)
5)
6)
AND THEN (ie by 2/26):
7)
8)
9)
10) And again.
11) Teach.
12) Maybe more hounding.
13) Publish Proceedings.
It'll all totally happen. *nods*
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