Archive for the ‘beginner musicians’ Category

Opportunities in Morris dance sides for beginner pub session folk music musicians and traditional dancers in Devon, the West Country and England

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

When I suggest to beginner musicians that folk music sessions are a great way to start playing in public, inexperienced acoustic musicians often reply that they are afraid that the standard is too high for them and they would be too nervous to play before strangers in a pub folk music session, especially if they had to ‘take a turn’ in a sing-around or open mike session.

Joining a Morris side and playing in the Morris dance band may be a great way for these beginner musicians to gently start playing in public whilst at the same time meeting new people and making new friends in the welcoming and community orientated world of Morris dancing.

And now is the ideal time to start. As the Winter evenings draw in, Morris sides all over Devon, West Somerset, the West Country and indeed England are settling in to their weekly Winter practice sessions with their musicians. At these weekly Morris dancing practice sessions the dancers learn the new traditional English Morris dances and the musicians learn the traditional English folk tunes with which they will excite and entertain the public at the next years village fetes, weddings and folk music festivals.

These weekly Morris dancing practice sessions are an ideal opportunity for beginner musicians to learn the tunes that go with the Morris dances and for dancers to learn the intricate and fascinating steps of the traditional Morris dance repertoire. At each Morris dance practice session, the folk music tunes are played many times as the dancers practice the dance formations and steps and so it is easy for beginner musicians to learn the tunes.

So, if you are a beginner folk musician who is a little nervous about playing in public at a folk music session, why not approach your local Morris dance side and ask them if they are looking for extra musicians for their Morris band. In my experience, most Morris dance sides have an open door policy and welcome newcomers who want to try out the Morris tradition and see if they like it.

I was at a Christmas folk music session last year run by my local West Somerset Morris Men side and I recollect that several on the committee mentioned they welcomed new members in their Morris team. They practice through the Winter at Halsway Manor near Crowcombe in West Somerset which is a delightfully ancient country house worth a visit in itself.

My own side is the Exmoor Border Morris dance side and on our ‘Home turf’ page is says ‘Newcomers are welcome to join’. Certainly they have made me welcome :-)

Of course, if you are an experienced traditional English folk musician, you may also find joining a Morris side wonderful fun. It is a great opportunity to meet lots of friendly new people who often have a well developed social circle that is very welcoming to newcomers as well as the opportunity to play traditional English folk tunes for appreciative dancers and the public at fetes, festivals and other locations.

If you are a folk musician or acoustic musician or aspiring traditional dancer hoping to keep fit, finding a local Morris dancing side in your area, is easy. A good place to start is the Morris Ring side finder service. Just click on the map where you want to find a Morris dance side and follow the instructions. Alternatively, why not try your favourite search engine typing in Morris dance sides and your location. You will probably be surprised at the choice and the great welcome you will receive :-)

Are you a member of a Morris dance side and would you like to hear from new acoustic musicians or aspiring Morris dancers? Click on ‘comments’ below and I look forward to hearing from you :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott – online author (retired) and Morris dance side musician

Posted in Christmas folk music session, Exmoor Border Morris, Folk Music Session, Morris, Morris Ring, Morris Side, Morris dance, Morris dance sides, News from Rob Hopcott, acoustic musicians, beginner musicians, folk music sessions | No Comments »

Passion for music is what makes a violin or fiddle musician

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Not that I’m against beginner musicians. On the contrary, I’m very much in favour of the body of people who care about making music being expanded. Playing a musical instrument such as a violin or a fiddle is a wonderful way to make friends and be part of a community. The joy I feel when I’m amongst other instruments as the melodic threads drift in and out of each other is totally wonderful – and I know that Tom feels the same because I’ve heard him say so many times.

But there is a great difference between somebody who has a genuine passion for learning to play the violin and a person who is told that they must add it to the range of their other after-school activities.

On the one hand, the beginner who has a musical passion cannot be dragged away from playing. They will spend hours getting the angle of the violin bow right against the violin strings and further hours testing different places to lay the bow closer to or further away from the bridge, savouring the alteration in sound each time.

The non-musical novice will do his or her ten minutes practice on the violin – but only because they have been reminded several times, increasingly with threats of retribution – then they will stop. For these beginners, learning the violin is a chore instead of an entry into paradise. They are best left to go outdoors and play cricket – preferably using a proper cricket bat and not the violin – or playing in their bedroom with their dolls.

Don’t get me wrong, though, dear blog reader, people who don’t play a musical instrument are in no way inferior in the opinion of this humble violin. I seek only to argue that people who play violins or other musical instruments are different and have a natural inbuilt passion or aptitude.

I remember in a pub one day a young lady coming up to Tom and congratulating him on his fiddle playing. When he complimented her back and thanked her profusely for listening she was puzzled until he explained:

“Playing my violin with other musical instruments is a joy but never so much as when we have an appreciative audience.”

It is true that, for there to be performers there must also be people to be performed to. An audience are the bow to the violin and the breath in a wooden flute. They are the musicians reason for existence. It would be better to teach these young people who have no interest in playing how to listen for that is a great and wonderful talent in itself.

Posted in Musicians, News from Rob Hopcott, audience, beginner musicians, fiddle, fiddle playing, melodic threads, musical instrument, musical passion, musician, passion for music, play the violin, violin, violin bow, violin strings | No Comments »