Tag: Vermont

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Well, well, well… What do we have here?

Vermont! Here I come. One of the smaller, but favorite events I get to teach at is Mimir’s well. This is a Viking descriptive event which is all about classes and an A and S display and contest (some years). I tend to offer up on the Bardic track because there are a lot of folks who enjoy performance but not a ton who teach. That’s ok. Not everyone teaches, but I love doing it. In addition, I was asked to teach a class on pewter casting. I have been making tokens for the last year or so as well as award medallions. The Event Stewards wanted to get more folks into doing it since it was as far spread in this part of the Northern Region. I happily agreed.
I had decided to challenge myself. I have a really big fear of putting my own work for the general public. Not only that, I never feel like my polyphonic works are good enough. I was inspired by their Royale Highnesses to compose them a processional. His Royal Highness crown winner has an early roman persona. I pulled from the texts of Augustus. I used a small portion of the texts that I felt would represent our Royalty

Bella terra et mari civilia externaque tóto in orbe terrarum suscepi3  victorque omnibus veniam petentibus4 cívibus pepercí. Externas  gentés, quibus túto ignosci potuit, conserváre quam excídere malui. Míllia civium Rómanorum adacta sacrámento meo fuerunt circiter quingen ta.
Wars, both civil and foreign, I undertook throughout the world, on sea and land, and when victorious I spared all citizens who sued for pardon. The foreign nations which could with safety be pardoned I preferred to save rather than to destroy.

Choir

Below, find  the MP3 and the recording I made during rehearsal. Sheet music to follow. I chose to teach this during the ad hoc choir that I run. It was a dream group because I had a pretty good balance on all voice parts. Everyone learned it quickly and took direction well. Again, everyone was excited to perform this during court while THR processed. TRH were banished from the room while we rehearsed because I wanted this to be a big surprise.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xSn0BGTbBZfLUvubdQLD7hwQkYXfbw8J
Pewter casting came later. I went through all the different forms of casting materials from clay, cuttlefish bone, soap stone and sand. We went over the materials I use in my anachronistic process (which you can see in my post for making the tokens for Ozurr and Fortune) and then, everyone who gave a donation could bring their own piece home. I had made two molds, one a Mjolnir and one a Viking brooch replica. I wanted to keep with the mood of the event. Also, this is the first time I’ve ever let anyone use my supplies or cast in front of me. I made sure to bring safety equipment to make sure everyone was safe and was ready to have my first vict-.. first student attempt this as HRH walks in. I of course offered him the chance to cast and he took it. A perfect pour! It wasn’t the first time I’ve ever had royalty attend my class, but it was the first time they were ever actively a part of it.

Everyone had gone home with their own, personally casted piece. There were no injuries. Only a few broken rubber bands and my mantra (NO PAPERWORK) seemed to work.Casts

If you’re curious about the site tokens I made (all 200 of them) here is a picture of the completed tokens.

Site tokens

The rest of the day I got to enjoy classes. I had my Partner with me and his son, in matching garb (which was cute as heck!). It was also his son’s first event. He got to calligraph, make an LED lantern, chainmail and even got a token from TRH. You could see the magic in his eyes as he entered our little village and made new friends. He felt right at home. This is a huge deal because he doesn’t have a lot of friends. They say he’s weird (Honestly, he’s a normal kid who really enjoys Pokémon and telling you about it. Also, wicked smart at math). If you have been part of our village, these are qualities we all share.Family
The end of the day was here. Court! My partner loves court and he’s only been to one. It’s not the gift he got (both times) but the celebration of people and the pomp and circumstance that goes with it. I got to explain the awards people were getting, the vocabulary we were using and what was what and who was who.
It was my turn in court. I am one of the officers for EKCoP (east Kingdom College of Performers). I serve as Chancellor as well as Deputy Chatelaine for the Northern Region. I had been given the Travel journal to pass on since the recipient was sick (with the world being like it is right now, we don’t want any of your flu/COVID-19 crud). I asked if I could present it in court. It’s a cheesy way to get the college some recognition and make the recipient feel more special. As I was about to sit down, their royal highnesses told me to hold on.Journal
What had I done? Did they hate my song? Wha I being Banished because I’m an obnoxious and loud Bard? No.. they were doing a thing.

I was inducted into the Order of the Silver Wheel. This is an armigerous level award for those who do community service. I never expect to get awards for what I do. Sure, I dream about them like anyone else, but I do what I do because I enjoy it and want others to enjoy. I was literally dive tackled by 2 of my peers in the order… who also happen to be in the Free Company of the Stella Maris. With teers and joy I entered the order.
Please see this BEAUTIFUL scroll done by the hand of Kenneric Aubrey. Text is based off of L’homme Arme (The Armed Man)

Here is a copy of the sheet music for the processional:

Patronus

 

Here is an MP3 of it, at a fast tempo, This should be performed at a  marching tempo and militantly timed.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hvby7YD2y9oJRj0biix5tQtXn3OoN_Fh/view?usp=sharing

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The Beginning of a new era!

Panteria was my first camping event in 2010 and has always been a special event to me (Even though a bunch of my friends tried to coax me into go to Roses instead). This year would be no different. Well, I mean, it will be because the event has grown and changed over the years.

With this development of the event, I decided to develop myself farther. I had started a similar idea before, but this will be an ongoing contingency group. I started a travel ad hoc choir in which we would learn some music and then after a few events or so, would get the chance to perform it.

The plan for this one would be to introduce everyone, get a gauge of their skill level and then do a thing! My first meeting has 10 vocalists as I gave out all copies of my music. we had 1 bass, 1 tenor, 4 altos and 4 sopranos. What made this group even more interesting was the addition of a youth (sub 18).  I handed out pieces in various languages. She seemed very concerned that they would potentially contain a swear word. Even after I reassured her several times there we no swears, I even had a native speaker of the language to also confirm that.

It was a challenge to have a youth there as I haven’t been a youth instructor since 2008. So, a few years. She stuck around for about a half hour. With permission, just after she left, I made a recording of the group performing and a second one as well.

By the end of our 2 hour sessions, a complete piece of music was learned as well the groups excitement level was near explosion. They asked over and over again if they could perform that night at Bardic. I had been planning to wait a few rehearsals, but they people have spoken.

Additionally, I had brought my new rounds book which I created. This would be the second event it is making it’s debut at. I am really proud of what I gathered. Now I have a few finishing touches to add to it. However, people are eager to purchase or have a copy of it in general.

Here are a couple recordings of the rehearsal process:

Take 1:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-8hj3AmqyfbUb17JhhYOor3FWT3vwzJr

 

Take 2:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-7n480C7IACotD2tIAFFNsL3TeV7ICc6

 

You can definitely hear the improvement between takes. There is maybe a 20 minute difference between them.  By performance that night they were spot on. I am still hunting down that recording.

 

During rehearsal I did refrain from singing with the group so they could focus on themselves. However, by performance, we had lost a couple folks and needed to shift around and I ended up singing with them.

NB) This was not taken at tempo for rehearsal reasons.

About the piece:

 

It was included in Dowland’s First Booke of Songes or Ayres, which appeared in 1597. The piece is often performed as a lute song by soloist and lute, but, like other songs in the First Booke, it is printed in a format that can also be performed as a madrigal by a small vocal group (typically SATB).

This lute song is largely famous for the lovely melody and the striking repetition of rising fourths in the penultimate line of each verse. This is especially effective in the first and second verses, where the text and the music are a perfect fit.

In the first verse, the singer urges the beloved to come to him again, so they can enjoy together the pleasures of love, “to see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die, ” in the second he sings of his sorrow, “I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die, ” and in the somewhat less graceful third verse, he claims that nothing can move her heart, “By sighs, and tears, more hot than are thy shafts/ Did tempt, while she for triumph laughs.”

Come again!
Sweet love doth now invite
Thy graces that refrain
To do me due delight,
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die,
With thee again in sweetest sympathy.

Come again!
That I may cease to mourn
Through thy unkind disdain;
For now left and forlorn
I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die
In deadly pain and endless misery.

All the day
The sun that lends me shine
By frowns do cause me pine
And feeds me with delay;
Her smiles, my springs that makes my joys to grow,
Her frowns the Winters of my woe.

All the night
My sleeps are full of dreams,
My eyes are full of streams.
My heart takes no delight
To see the fruits and joys that some do find
And mark the storms are me assign’d.

Out alas,
My faith is ever true,
Yet will she never rue
Nor yield me any grace;
Her eyes of fire, her heart of flint is made,
Whom tears nor truth may once invade.

Gentle Love,
Draw forth thy wounding dart,
Thou canst not pierce her heart;
For I, that do approve
By sighs and tears more hot than are thy shafts
Did tempt while she for triumph laughs.

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Many Much Tokens! And classes!

Mimir’s well, year 3 was a resounding success. It was really nice to be able to teach and actually have time to take classes as well as socialize.

About 6 months ago, the Autocrat, Eleanor Grey, had asked me to come teach to make sure there was once again a bardic representation at their lovely event. I agreed. Mountain freehold is a great little shire with great people. Last year, I wrote them a song because they deserved it.

About 1.5 months ago, I was also asked if I could make the site tokens. I happily agreed. Mimir’s well is about wisdom. So, I chose to make tiny wisdom tokens. I sent Aegir the image to 3-d model as I had other work commitments I had to manage and he loves to play in fusion 360 (The 3-d modeling program we use). From there we printed and molded the tokens. She had requested that we make 100 of them.  I had also decided that I didn’t want them to look like pristine metal. So, when creating the positive before creating the mold, I covered it in modgepodge and while it was still tacky, took same sandpaper to it to make it appear more stone-like by taking some divits out of the modgepodge.

Here are the final tokens (Though this one has the hole drilled in the wrong side):

 

54514104_2294728344138437_8900480613199380480_n.jpg

 

From there, off to teach classes! I had a bright eyed and bush tailed class right at 10:00am. I always dread the first class of the day. I feel like no one wants to be there that early and no one is emotionally awake. It’s also the same as first performer stage fright. Always so hard to go on first, however, once the stage is set, everyone is ready to go!

My first class is how to warm up your body to perform. Yes, I taught this class the week before, however it is never the same. Here is the outline of the class so you know more (in a bullet form, what was gone over in the class)

  1. Why do we warm up our bodies?
    1. Athletes
    2. Protection from harm
    3. Emotionally warmed up
    4. Setting the stage
    5. Setting nerves aside
    6. Ready to move
  2. Anatomy of the mouth
    1. Lips, Teeth, Alvular ridge, Hard pallet, Soft pallet
    2. Discussion of how body is connected
    3. Posture- Demonstration
  3. Body stretches and massage
    1. Head/temples
    2. Neck
    3. Head rolls
    4. Arm body crosses
    5. Pliet
    6. Foot stretches
    7. Rag dolls
    8. Group massage
  4. Breathing
    1. Clavicle breathing
    2. Proper way to breath in (order of operations)
    3. Floor breathing
    4. Engaging diaphragm and low back muscles
  5. Breathing exercises
    1. In outs on “Straw”
    2. In outs on “Shhh”
    3. Bubbles
    4. Coughing/laughing
  6. Projection
    1. Talk about notes/polyps/hemorrhaging (Julie Andrews story)
    2. 5 locations to send sound in mouth
    3. Discovering the soft pallet
    4. Lollipops/York peppermint paddies
    5. Eyebrows/yawning
    6. Tongue twisters (Diction is done… Mommy made me…)
    7. Finding nasal air flow spot
    8. Tongue position
    9.  Dynamic projection (Using soft “stage whispers” to speak across the room)
  7. Body tension
    1. Finding tension in your body
    2. Finding good mouth space
    3. What you can do to loosen up your body

Questions:

 

From there, I hung out, ate, made some music with friends and enjoyed. I finally got to sing a few filks I had composed to those who had never heard them and saw the glee as disney and queen were attached to their favorite SCA activities. In addition, I got to see Aegir working in the kitchen, which he had a blast with.

My final class was just us singing period rounds. I just finished compiling a book of about 50 all period rounds (Sans “Le coq et mort”… which is a traditional, but hey, everyone likes to sing about dead chickens… plus I added the german. Morbid…dead..german… chickens). However, what makes my book different, besides it being so long, is I wrote up all the translations, IPA (Internation Phoenetic Alphabet) dictions and newspaper diction. I will be adding my written documentation on this shortly as well as the appropriate IPA charts, however, after the class, all 14 of my students were begging me to publish it now. (it was 25 pages, so I was remiss to keep printing more copies out of my pocket).  I did, however, sell the 8 copies I made for charity and donated the funds on behalf of my class.

Here is the book, documentation to come!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PvID7hHNG2gvJjWctuWdpQiK-OyhmB_GlVLQhHqEcI8/edit?usp=sharing

Finally, Aegir and I displayed our molds and casts we’ve been doing over the last few months. We had a BLAST telling everyone about the process. Again, making everything more accessible. We really want to make our arts accessible to people. I find it to be a gateway drug. If you find an easy/cheap way to do it, you most likely will want to explore how it was done. *GASP RESEARCH*

 

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Mimir’s Well — The Quest for More Knowledge

I gave up an arm and a leg — or should I say an eye — to obtain more knowledge, or at least the pursuit there of. The Shire of Mountain Freehold, though small, is mighty. Especially with quenching their thirst for knowledge. This is the second year this event has been running, after many years of hiatus.

The previous year, from what I have been told, had an attendance of 30-40. This year had 87 if I remember correctly. This beautiful church was filled with banners, arts and science projects, a scrumptious day board, and duh, classes. I decided that I would enter an A&S project that was not bardic related. My secondary pastime in the SCA is fencing. Under the tutelage of Don Connor Scamus O’Neil, I was able to craft my own rapier, sans the blade.

This sword is affectionately named Stevie Nicks, because of how many times I nicked her on the belt sander. I left my baby in the anachronistic category, to be judged — I had separation anxiety all day. It was like my baby was in another nest.

I was teaching two classes today: the first would be campfire rounds and the second would be on improving storytelling, a master class.

Before it was my time to teach, I got to attend a class on The Fools. I learned everything from Jongleurs, to the natural fool. I had never thought about the prospective of the fool as a bardic art until I attended this class. Lady Ailiniore shared her vast amounts of knowledge and had in depth discussion, inviting each of us to take part in the class.

Shortly after it was my turn to lead my own class. I did not know how many bodies to expect, because it had been explained to me that there were not many singers in the shire. However, to my gleeful surprise, we had 13 attendees! Holy smokes, Batman! Or, something bardlike.

We sang in English, French, Hebrew, and Cockney. That’s like English, right?

I had mixed levels of skill in the room, and those who I knew were stronger singers were sitting beside those who could use some assistance. We sang songs in two, three, four, and even five parts. I had even done my own individual creation of a combination of Rose, Rose, Hey Ho! and Ah! Poor Bird. See the video below. When the class had completed, I had a few of the Quebecois ask me to come teach this class at their event next January. It was delightful to be able to work with individuals who were not English as a first language speakers, and switching to their native language.

 

 

After dayboard, which was delicious, it was time for my master class. This is my first time teaching this class; my heart was racing as I am just beginning to find myself as a storyteller, and guiding others to do so was a new adventure for me. I once again prayed that no one would show up, but that was not to be the case.

I had four excited students of varying levels; I had one that went to school professionally for musical theater, one woman who was an experienced storyteller, one who was a viscount, and champion storyteller, and a young lady who was just getting her feet wet.

I went over four basic points of storytelling, and then went through each point, discussing each in depth and how they enhance your skills. Next I had each student tell me about a time they were excited about something. The story did not have to be true, but it was helpful.

The first student told a story in persona about how he got his dog. We worked on body language, vocal variances, and levels. Upon second performance, he agreed he felt more engaged with his piece and the audience was likewise more engaged. The audience and myself provided feedback both positive as well as areas of improvement.

My second student, the experienced storyteller, had a unique outtake on her story. When discussing her piece, she said that she felt stuck, so we talked about development of her piece and how to create that vision and how to make her journey more tangible. She felt that her story grew in leaps and bounds and had a greater crescendo and ending due to this experiment.

The young lady who was just getting her feet wet was excited to go, but I noticed that within her performance that she would fidget and have no place for her hands. I realized that this young lady had some sort of neurological, or a-typical behavior. I had to think of how I could gently broach the topic without making her feel uncomfortable in a public setting such as this. She disclosed that she had a form of autism, and what the basis of that fidgeting was. We gave her focus, and choreography to her storytelling dance. She now knew what to do with her hands, so she would no longer pull at her dress or fingers, and she would have intention in her movements and focus with her audience.

We talked about varying gaze, and how to stare at her audience without staring them down. I felt like a proud Mama Bird — from a different nest this time — watching this young lady go from a scared chicklet to a swan proud to show her work, who even preened a little bit under the praise from her audience.

The final student was the well-established viscount. She, without knowing it, had shown every point that I had discussed before she had walked into class just a wee bit late. We finally as a group discussed improvisation, and how imperative it is to be able to do in any storytelling situation. My viscount student was given three words to build a story around, and made up an entire story on the spot with those words given.

At that point the class was over, but I was greeted by the newer students asking for my contact information. Every member of the class said this was immensely helpful and the best version of this class they had attended, so I guess I did okay.

The event was coming to a close, and the autocrats would be announcing the winners of each category for the Arts and Sciences Competition. I am once again proud to say that Stevie Nicks had taken home the Anachronistic category. That’s my baby!

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Ah Weh, Away! (Birthday Bash)

It was time for something completely different. Well, not completely different, but new to me.  I was going to challenge myself to do a new craft that pertained to Bardic, but still new and would help me expand.

I have many friends up in the Mountain Freehold and tend to make my way up there for their events. However, not many folks up there know me and who I am. I was told that their Bardic community could use some growth so what better way to show who I am but to enter their A and S competition.

The rules were that it had to be inclusive/about the shire.

I chose to compose a piece a bout the shire. I wanted to bring it to the next level. Not only did I compose a piece about the shire, I composed accompaniment and I created a scroll and did the illumination for it. The scroll was done in Skaldic poetic style. The Mountain Freehold is a group that is heavily populated by vikings. The melody was mirrored after Scandinavian motifs and the Cello accompaniment was based off the sounds of the Nickleharpa, a widely used Scandinavian instrument.

 

Here is the final Product:

 

And here is the Scroll:

22554708_10101258377009409_590812433_n.jpg

 

I am pleased to announce that I won best overall for the A and S competition.

 

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Pensic Pity Party

Pity me on my pilgrimage to Loch Derge!

As in the aforementioned post, I could not make the journey to the holy land this year. Next year in Jerusa—– Pennsic.A few folks had created a small circle in the middle of the lawn. Garb, fencing, thrown weapons, food and archery were all surrounding this (safely at distance… the marshalls all checked! I watched). Music started. I sat and listed to the dulcet tones of these strangers. There is nothing more comforting and home than music.  One gentleman asked me if I sang or played anything or if I was just there to listen. I responded “Both”. They asked me if I would share.  Who was I to say no. I was honestly there to just listen, but denying someone music is the worst crime of all.

I pulled out a tune I knew well and suddenly new friends were made. We jammed for what seemed like hours.  I harmonized with the other performers, I noodled on one of their guitars, sang by myself, had them harmonize with me. It was heaven. Now I just need to figure out how to make this happen in Malagentia. To the drawing board!

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Panteria

Pantaria, not to be confused with that band.

Vermont is COLD, even in May. Luckily, I was sleeping in a cabin. I spent most of my day fencing, as I had just authorized in my first form. What is more therapeutic than stabbing your friends? I also thought it would be a good way to warm up for the bardic that night. Tonight’s competition was “Sing a Period Piece.” Also, please have documentation.

So, I was one of the first people there, armed with documentation of my trusty Cacinni piece, Amarilli, Mia Bella. Originally, my only competition was a young lady, who I assumed was in her early twenties. I then convinced a friend I had been traveling with, and a few surrounding individuals to compete as well. At one point there was a woman still donned in her fencing armor, and she decided to compete as well. I was so excited to listen to another fencer perform, it’s not everyday you get to compete against someone with both sword and music! I later found out she was a composer as well. I was entranced by everyone’s songs, and found myself singing along with them. After all, I had been fed with food, why not feed me with music?

There was no winner announced that night, but I eagerly awaited to hear the winner the next day. The weather had turned dark and I decided to pack up and break down early. I was not looking forward to the three hour drive home. Before I left I had been greeted by the young woman who had run the competition. She handed me a swirled bracelet, and congratulated me on my win. Then she turned to my traveling companion and offered her an additional prize, for her efforts. It was really fun to win a competition outside my local area.