the shit i get into

[solarbird]

So, apparently, I'm the Emergency Backup Hologrammatic Filk Track Lead for Norwescon this year. ELF NEEDS CLUES BADLY. I have no idea what I'm doing. Srsly liek woah etc.

I'm expecting a big data dump tomorrow, which will be helpful. I'm going to be talking to a few people tomorrow. IF I HAVE SOME IDEA THAT YOU ARE A FILKER I WILL BE HITTING YOU UP FOR DATA. Maybe more than once when I forget I already asked you. Please deal with it. I've been asked to step in and get this fixed up, and I want to do it as correctly as I can.

Things I need to know include but are not limited to:

• Wait, what?
• No, seriously, what?
• What do you expect to happen in filk programming?
• Who do you expect to see get concerts and how do you determine this sort of thing anyway?
• What has Norwescon done right and should do it again?
• What has Norwescon done wrong and should not do again?
• What do you not see in music/filk programming at conventions but want to?
• What other questions should I be asking?
• What things do I need to look out for in general?
• What do filkers need?
• Who are good filk panelists who might come?

Things I already know:

• Oh Hopping Christ On A Pogo Stick, Not Next To The Drum Circle/Dance/Fannish Fetish Fashion Show Again
• Don't schedule big concerts against the masquerade
• Don't schedule big concerts Thursday or 16:00 on Friday. (I'll do what I can. See below.)
• No tiny-squishy Cascade rooms for open filk (ibid)
• Jam panels are always good
• So are "mechanics of harmony" panels
• We sure did like that Joss Whedon Sing-Along Panel Last Year

I'm coming in late and a bunch of decisions I already know I'm not real thrilled about have already been made without anybody representing this track in programming, so I'm working from behind here and need to get up to speed now. So if you are interested in any of this, please provide data. Lots and lots of data. Thanks!

Comments

[sutures1.livejournal.com]

Here: *****nice tasty elf specific chill pill*****

As a filker, my take is that filk is what it is largely due to the participants, not the track lead. The good news for you is, it'll be fun regardless. The bad news for you is, of course you'll catch it for various things that aren't your fault. Make like a duck's back and let it roll off ya.

When I've enjoyed filk, it's been because of great participatory singing -- Cecilia Eng used to make this happen before she got famous; now people waste their turns asking her to sing "Heart of the Appaloosa." Sheesh, if I wanna hear "Heart of the Appaloosa," I'll put on a recording by the guy who wrote it*; I hate how she always gets asked to sing it at SF cons! Leslie Fish used to do this too, I haven't seen her at a circle recently. When people use their turns to pick good songs that everyone knows, the circle rings out. When people use their turns to sing stuff that no one knows, or which is obviously a solo (and usually does NOT sound better sans instruments), I get really bored really fast. So that part, you have little control over. People will sing what they will sing, and it either works or it doesn't. I wonder, just off the cuff, what would happen if you split off some time *just* for "sing stuff everyone knows" filking versus "sing stuff that you're longing to sing for an audience" filking. Probably people would murder you for being Big Government.

I did notice last year that several of the filkers are on scooters, and perhaps would appreciate extra wide aisles or a separate marked off section kept free, a la Wiscon.

In terms of concerts/programming, how about round singing? If you think that would be fun, I might be persuaded to lead it O.o

LOLs on the "not next to the drum circle" bullet point. Personally I think it would be hilarious to merge filking with the drum circle, but then I'm a sadist at heart. Filk dancing? Yeah! Yeah! FILK DANCING, GET IT?!?!?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! OH YEAH!!!

Okay. I'll stop now.

You'll do fine.

<3

*I don't actually have that recording by Fred Small. I'm not that fond of the song O.o

[mathochist.livejournal.com]

Well, the fact that people *do* use their turns to request songs they like to hear that aren't necessarily singalongs shows that some of the audience, at least, is into that. But then, that's the point of giving everyone turns; that way everyone gets a chance to pick, and it's a blend of everyone's tastes.

Singalongs do go over well, though. I think it's been a mistake in the past to have too many separate themed singalongs scheduled, though... and then to have each of those be composed of a pre-determined set of songs. A Joss Whedon one, yes; maybe a Joss Whedon general singalong AND a Dr Horrible watch and singalong (that one overcrowded the room last year, it was great!). Beyond that, maybe it would be good to have, say, the first couple hours of open filk on Friday night be singalong themed? With no pre-chosen set list, just ask people to stick to songs that a lot of people know and like to sing along with.

Also, having 3 nights of filk circles gives a chance to have each one run a little differently. Some people love chaos, some strongly prefer bardic, and then there are different types of bardic (poker chip bardic, the usual round-the-circle in turns type, etc.). Also, if you can find a moderator for all three nights, moderated chaos (with someone designated to make sure no one monopolizes time, and that people who are less assertive about jumping in get invited to particpate) works better than unmoderated.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

Emergency
Lead of
Filk track

Sorry, couldn't resist. Good luck.

[carmiel.livejournal.com]

Thank you for taking the filk track and THANK YOU for asking the filkers what we wanted. I responded to your post on Emeraldforestfilk.org but wanted to tell you to take a deep breath, you'll do fine.

My suggestion...

[bobmage.livejournal.com]

is to have a "filk dance" for people who don't want to lose their hearing, and play exclusively filk or other SF music, at a volume of somewhat less than 130 dB.