A number of people have asked about "the rules"
for the session and without being too rigid, we would like to focus
on traditional* songs with choruses. The idea is for the
stronger singers to provide a foundation for others to sing along.
For this reason, I also think it is best if the person
leading the song knows it pretty much by heart -- if you like to keep the
words in front of you as a safety net, that's okay. It's also a good
idea to bring a few copies of the words of the chorus for those who might not
have heard the song before and to teach the chorus by singing through it
a couple of extra times the first time through to help people learn
it.
We generally go around the room and ask each person if they
would like to lead a song. After the first couple of rounds we will
sometimes hear a solo piece that someone has been working on. We have
been getting between ten and twenty people for each session with anywhere from
five to ten of those leading songs. Typically we get around the room
three times or four times depending on the turnout.
A word about instruments (other than
voice). The
original idea was that all of the singing would be 'a cappella' (unaccompanied), but we've since relaxed that to
welcome the odd guitar, accordion, etc. The guideline is that it's
okay to accompany yourself on a song that you're leading, otherwise wait until
asked and refrain from continuous playing in between songs.
There can be a lot of latitude in defining what is traditional.
As a starting point, here is a definition lifted from the http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ web
site:
Traditional music consists of songs and tunes which have been performed, by custom, over a long period (usually several generations). They are most often folk songs, country dance or similar types of folk music but they can also be pieces from known early composers and may have been the "pop music" of their time. Traditional music (or public domain) is also used as a copyright status covering music which is out of copyright.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_songs.
I like the emphasis there on "oral tradition" - the
idea of learning from someone else and then making it your own. Traditional
songs are also "regional" - they have a texture that
grows out of a specific time and place.
That said, the founding principle of the session is to
create an opportunity for people to sing in an informal and relaxed
atmosphere - to experience music and singing as something you do yourself - not
just something to be passively "consumed". So bring
an old song you've been singing years, learn one that you've
always wanted to sing or just come out and sing the choruses - but
come out and SING!
Directions to the
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