Tag: Giggleswick

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New Beginnings

If anyone knows me, they know that music is the number one priority in my life. Whether I am singing or playing instruments or encouraging others to perform. I know the power that music can hold and I want nothing more than to make sure that others have this saving grace in their lives as well.

A few years ago I was very involved in a choral group called “Voce di Sonata”. These were all volunteer vocalists from Malagentia. We would run through pieces and work on them. Eventually we would get to have other performance experiences as well. However, after running it for 2.5 years, it was time for my life to explode and I simply couldn’t organize it again at that stage of my life. Life happens.

Even without formally running it, I would have folks approach me and ask for group singing and soloists to perform at their events (and weddings). I would gather ad hoc groups as needed as well as find appropriate soloists. In addition, those vocalists in the group would come and say, “Solveig, we would really love to sing with you”. My heart couldn’t say no, but I just didn’t know when.

In addition, I was also involved in the Malagentian Players. From a solo member as well as a member of their troupe. However, through discord and life, it too mostly went the way of Ol’ Yeller.

This broke my heart.

A few months ago I moved to the Riding of Giggleswick. It is a small riding but with some fiery and passionate hearts. I have a stable place to live and partner. I love my new job. Emotionally, I am in a good place. It was time.

Last night was the first meeting of the Giggleswick performing arts group.  I had 6 people show up! That’s huge for our little riding. There is promise for more to show as well. We had very new performers telling their first story in public, more seasoned performers working on newer pieces. We had rounds. ROUNDS GALORE. Folks who claim they don’t sing, sang with us! It was beautiful and harmonious. We even had a few repetitions of singing through “O Magnum Mysterium” which is no small feat. It was beautiful. The feedback was positive and I am ready to do this again in 2 weeks.

The plan is to have folks perform their pieces. Should they want feedback, they will ask. If not, no feedback is to be given. I am hellbound on making sure this is a safe space for all to perform. There will be workshops and classes to come as well.

For now, a new beginning, like a fresh layer of snow.

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Giggleswick Garden of Arts and Sciences

It’s a maze this garden, it’s a maze of ways…

I may have a minor addiction to going to classes. I swore, when I was done with college I would never set foot in a classroom again. This, coming from the education major. That didn’t last very long. The one things that beats my desire to learn is my desire to teach. An opportunity arose at the Giggleswick Garden of Arts and Sciences that there were no bardic classes, only one on instruments themselves. How could this be? Why would anyone ever let this happen?  (It just so happened that after I submitted my classes, so did Lord Nicol) I couldn’t let this happen! When I found out this news, I made sure I would teach a new class and one I had taught before. Since this was a relatively small venue, it would be a safe avenue for testing out my new bardic class.

I arrived early on site as that’s the only way I know how to be. This is humorous as not only am I in the SCA, but my family is Jewish.  Being on time is not really a thing. Being early? UNHEARD OF! I guess the musician in me lives by our golden rule: “To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late, fired!” I threw on my garb hastily and then greeted a friend who was attending his first SCA event.

The first class was one on medieval musical notation and church modes. This was one I have taught a few years prior. I was really impressed with the level of questions I received after the class ranging from why we didn’t have musical documentation, the evolution of documentation and why most of our earlier documented music was sacred versus secular. Where, these were not necessarily on topic, I was overjoyed to answer these questions and cultivate eager minds.

It was then time for food and the day board was terrific. Thank you Giggleswick for your delicious noms. I don’t think I remembered to pack feast gear or prepare food. I was so excited to teach, I had forgotten about my need to eat. You also had this for me too. Yay!

The final class I was stated to teach was a beginning class on ear training. Ear training is a methodology of creating a better sense of identifying the center of the pitch to be able to sing/play in tune, recognize intervals and be able to sing/play back passages. I had two students. One of my students I had worked with before and she had a balanced sense of the above, but was not professionally trained and was looking to better herself. The other was a gentleman who had never sang formally. He had a good ear but, as we all do, had things to work on.

This was a new and interesting experience for me. Where I have worked with groups before for minor adjustments, this was my first time doing individualized adult instruction which was not chorus based. Both of the students grew in skill tremendously fast. It was clear that they both were frustrated with their own mistakes. Knowing where to back off and move on is always finding the feel for it. I feel like I had a decent sense of this.

Would I teach this class again? Absolutely! I would change up some of the structure and skill level activities, but all in all, I feel like it went well.