MUSIC Forum at canaaninstitute.org

Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Scroll to the end of this thread for the latest news

If you are looking for the waltz thread from summer 2006 where we choose the waltz in advance for the Mon night Contras -- it is here http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?t=63

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Waltz JAMS: Scroll to the end of this thread for the latest news on Dancing Waltz Jams in public places!

We have had 3 so far: all well attended! The idea of dancing at the same time is not working well during the holidays ... maybe we can try it at another venue someday? Scroll to end for latest news on this idea ...

First ever Canaan Rd "waltz jam" 7:30 - 9:30 pm Monday Nov. 13th directions on our web site or email Mike. Yes, we will play only waltzes. Short notice I know, but this is sort of in the planning stages and will give me and a couple other musicians I know something musical to do on Monday nights since the Monday nights on the commons is long over and Phil's guitar class just ended last week. Ideally I would love to do it every Monday, but realistically this won't work especially during the holidays - we have other projects going at Canaan Rd ... so I will announce it spontaneously as permitted. The hope is to focus more on reels, jigs and the occasional song on wednesdays and save up the waltzes for the Mondays that are available. Also in the planning stage is the idea that folks might come and hang out and listen and waltz a little (but we won't have room for that aspect until after the holidays). Monday the 20th there is a YFN rehearsal (for Dec. 2nd "gig") at Jennifer and Gail's so for sure no waltz jam that night see the forum thread http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewforum.php?f=6

There will be also still be regular jams on every Wednesday night (and yes to those asking about thanksgiving eve!)

-m

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

another .....

Sat Dec 23rd 7:30 pm at Mike's!

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Another Emergency Waltz Jam! Smile

This is NOT at my place it will be in a dance hall: Ted Crane has graciously allowed us to use the Bethel Grove Dance Hall for another emergency waltz jam! Friday night before the regular contra dance. This time we will have lots of room for dancers. Meet at 7 pm sharp at Bethel Grove Community Center Friday January 5th 2007. Musicians: bring your portable music stands and your Waltz books and your instruments. Dancers: bring yourselves! RSVPs would be really really helpful ... [ RSVP ] if I get lot's that excellent if I get none I know this was a bad idea ... next time maybe more notice, but the spontaneity of these waltz jams is beginning to be part of the fun. The plan is for the musicians to set up in the center of the dance floor and dancers may waltz around us. This way we will be out of the way of the stage as they set up for the contra dance.

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

I also had a couple questions come up:

Q: "Where do I get those waltz books?"
A: I have some extra copies available, so email me if interested. I can bring some extra copies tonight if you like.

Q: "Are there too many females at [Bethel Grove]?"
A: In most cities this is true I hear, but in Ithaca there are often too many guys! Go figure.

Q: "I can't come tonight, will you do this again?"
A: If this works tonight, yes. We need musicians and dancers for it to work though ......

More questions??? email me! Smile

And to further clarify: this waltz event was organized for fun - the musicians are random volunteers who play for the fun of it and there is no charge for the waltzing (although donations are accepted to cover cost of renting the building). This is brand new -- we have never done this; this waltz jam is preceding a regular dance event that happens every Friday at Bethel Grove Community Center. There is a $5- fee for the regular dance which starts at 8:00 ... very reasonable fee and contra dancing is a ton of fun. There are some really excellent professional musicians playing tonight Kathy Selby on fiddle and Tom Hodgson on guitar with Ted Crane teaching the dances .. so come dance. Come early and jam or dance, then just dance!

So ... musicians: who's coming early at 7 pm tonight

-m
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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Next Dancing Waltz Jam is January 26th at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Bethel Grove -- Musicians: 6:45 please! Smile

Thanks to Ted Crane for giving this a try. Thanks to all the musicans and dancers who came on such short notice and made our first public open waltz jam a success. See you on the 26th!

This is an open jam, anyone can join in - bring your instrument!

-Mike Smile

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Wow! As a musician, it is really an incredible musical experience to sit in a jam circle with your friends in the middle of a dance hall and be surrounded by your group's pure acoustic sound and simultaneously have dozens of dancers swirling around you. I've never experience anything quite like it. I hope the dancers had as much fun as the musicians! I really thought it was a successful experiment! Smile

Many thanks to Ted Crane for letting us try this idea and equal thanks to the musicians and dancers who made our first public waltz jam a success! The spontaneity made it really fun ... but I bet a few more folks would venture out with a little more advance notice ... so keep your eye on this forum thread where I just posted the date and time for the next one (January 26th) same place.

I've discovered that many of the dancers are NOT on any of these list-serves, so please pass the word to your dance friends. If anyone wants to join my email list, please send me a hello and I'll set you up: I send out a lot of emails about music and jams and dances (about one per day, sometimes more, sometimes less) and there is a digest mode available.

Next Dancing Waltz Jam is January 26th at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Bethel Grove -- Musicians: 6:45 please!

Thanks,
-Mike

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"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." -- George Bernard Shaw

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Coming up Jan 26 and 27 "Dance Weekend": Start off the weekend with a 'waltz jam' at Bethel Grove Friday at 7 pm followed by a contra dance at 8 pm. Then Saturday the 27th: a big contra dance downtown: Hands Four Dancers of Ithaca’s next contra dance extravanza on Saturday, January 27, with the CONTRADICTIONS at the Women's Community Building, 100 W. Seneca Street, Ithaca. Vikki Armstrong will call CONTRAS from 7:30 to 10:30 to the twin fiddles of Laurie Hart and Rick Manning, supported by Tom Hodgson on guitar and Dave Davies on bass. Afterwards there will be a DESSERT POTLUCK and COUPLES DANCING. More info http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=518#518 for the waltz jam and here http://hands4dancers.org/ for occasional big contra and here http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com?key=US_NY_ITH_TCCD for regular friday contra.

-m

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Michael Ludgate - forum administrator
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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

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Next Dancing Waltz Jam is January 26th 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Bethel Grove

Musicians: 6:45 please! bring your portable music stands and your Waltz books and your instruments and arrive at 6:45 pm. The plan is for the musicians to again set up in the center of the dance floor and dancers may waltz around us. This way we will be out of the way of the stage as the contra dance musicians sets up for the dance.

Dancers: bring yourselves and your friends we will start playing music at 7:00 pm! -- actually you can come at 6:45 if you want to ...

Q: "Is this an open band?"
A: Yes, open waltz band -- anyone can play, however there will be no electricity because we are in the center of the dance hall and thus no extention cords! Acoustic (or battery power?) only.

Q: "Where do I get those Waltz Books?"
A: I have extra copies available, so email me if interested. I will bring some extra copies for sale to the waltz jams. There are 3 books now -- they are all great, we will play mostly from these. One exception: we had a request last time for Sage Hen Waltz by Tim Ball there is a pdf of that here on last summers waltz thread: http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=274#274

Q: "Are there too many females at [Bethel Grove]?"
A: In most cities this is true I hear, but in Ithaca there are often too many guys at the contra dances! Go figure.

Q: "I can't come tonight, will you do this again?"
A: If this works tonight, yes. We need musicians and dancers for it to work though ......

Q: From a dancer: How much does it cost?
A: This waltz event is FREE and was organized for fun - the musicians are random volunteers who play for the fun of it and there is no charge for the waltzing (although donations are accepted to cover cost of renting the building). This dancing waltz jam is preceding a regular dance event that happens every Friday at Bethel Grove Community Center. There is a $5- fee for the regular dance which starts at 8:00 -- a very reasonable fee and contra dancing is a ton of fun. There are really excellent professional musicians playing every Friday at Bethel grove -- so come dance. Come early and jam or dance, then just dance! Waltz musicians I hope will stay and pay and dance Smile

Thanks to Ted Crane for once again giving this a try. Thanks to all the musicans and dancers who came on such short notice and made our first public open waltz jam a success. See you on the 26th!

More questions??? email me!

-Mike

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

See ya tonight!
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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Next Waltzing to a jam is Feb 09
Bethel Grove 7:00 pm sharp (6:45 for musicians please).

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

A couple photos from the Jan 26 waltz jam! Thanks to Gil Rosenberg for manning the camera ...

Next Waltzing to a jam is Mar 09
Bethel Grove 7:00 pm sharp (6:45 for musicians please)

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Tom Quigley wrote

Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

The next Waltz Jam for Dancing is Mar 9th! Scroll up above to get the details. This event is free, but is followed immediately by a contra dance where there is a customary $5- "donation" Generally the dancers and the musicians from the waltz event stay and dance the contra, this starts off the contra event with a full house and is more fun for the dancers and the contra band! See you there! -Mike
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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

from Kathy Selby ...

Mike,

I am playing for the Ithaca Contra Dance [at Bethel Grove] on March 9 with Hope Grietzer and Tom Hodgson, you have a waltz jam beforehand.

We will play Margarets Waltz/Farewell to Devon and Far Away for the dance. Please tell the waltz jammers that they are welcome to sit in (with their music if they want it!). Farewell to Devon is in the red Barnes book [English Country Dance Tunes Volume 2], it is often played with Margaret's Waltz.

Cheers, Kathy

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We can go over these at the next Wed jam ...
-m

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Mike_L · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 4998 Location: Canaan Jam Host

Check this out!

http://www.gigkeeper.com/gigs/pubBandInfo.php?band=39 (new website by Robbert!)

The Waltz event is listed here too ...

http://www.ithacasocialdance.com/dancetymes

and here

http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com?key=US_NY_ITH_TCCD

-m
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The Canaan Institute http://www.canaaninstitute.org/

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