Fwd: Re: Music to the Child Ballads

[Rex Deaver]

At 10:41 PM 2/8/96 +0500, Monica Cellio wrote:

>Is this due to some uneasiness in learning from written music, or is
>it that you tend to prefer the tunes you hear?  If the latter, I suspect
>that you prefer those tunes because they are more likely to have been
>modernized.

There is also the one overriding concern;  if you have heard the tune
performed you have a much better idea of audience reaction to it.  SCA
audiences are neither truly modern nor truly medieval.  So some things that
are strictly Period will work...and some will fall hopelessly flat.  Don't
allow a good piece to die for authenticity sake.

>However, there are differences, and to people who've studied music of
>our period they're quite obvious.  Unfortunately, the only way to really
>get a feel for those differences is to listen, listen, listen.  
>Fortunately, libraries these days often have CDs, so you don't have to 
>spend huge amounts of money on this.

But don't be intimidated by your ignorance...it will always be profound! :):)

Do the work and the research your life allows, find the pieces that move
*you*,  fill in the holes as best you can, make your best guess at
redaction...and go with it.  If all you have is an outline of the piece, no
music and no true lyric, but you are excited by the *story*...write a lyric,
come up with a tune or steal one that fits, and *perform* it.  If it passes
the ultimate test...audience approval...then you have learned something.  If
it doesn't, you have learned something else. :):)  

Learn from experience and learn from research... and listen to criticism.
Try to keep it all in balance.  You never will, but your work will improve
from the exercise.

Mathurin Kerbusso
Rex Deaver -- radeaver at mwtech.com

"O God, deliver us from those who smile and nod when we say something stupid."