Folk styles tend to be conservative and one doesn't have to move the earth in order to express oneself within a tradition. A little personal innovation goes a long way in this music and one needn't go overboard in the direction of technical virtuosity, self-consciously weird harmonic effects, or jazz-inspired no-holds-barred improvisations on the theme... - Art Rosenbaum, Old-Time Mountain Banjo
Hi all, I just realized that I hadn't done anything about scheduling Songs of the Month for 2018. Do folks want to continue having them every month? I would be willing to come up with something for January (now), but if folks would care to volunteer to do the songs for the next few months so we have them set up, that would be great. Just post in this thread if you'd like to take a month and name the month for which you'd like to select the song. Thanks, and Happy New Year. All best, Johnm
Thanks, Prof! Any other takers? You can suit both the song choice and the way you set up the initial post to your own preferences. It need not be overly scholarly/researched (though if that is your preference it's fine). Nor does the first post need to be exhaustive, listing every version you've found--you can leave versions for other people to find. The idea, I think, is to get people thinking about a song in a new way, with more attention, and just get the ball rolling. Once people start responding, the thread takes on a life of its own. All best, Johnm
I'll volunteer for March. I searched for past SOM titles and didn't see the title I have in mind, but I would still like to confirm that it hasn't been done.
Hi islandgal, If you go to the Back Porch without clicking on a specific topic, just clicking on the board title, one of the options you'll see in the upper right hand corner is "new topic". Click on that to start your initial Song of the Month post. All best, Johnm
Hi all, I just realized we have no one yet who has volunteered to come up with Songs of the Month for the remainder of 2018. Would anyone be willing to come up with the July Song of the Month? It need not be posted right at the beginning of the month, nor need the initial post be learned--it suffices to get folks thinking about the song and get the ball rolling. When responding to Song of the Month posts, it's a courtesy to the group as a whole if you post no more than two versions of the song at a time, leaving unposted versions for other folks to find. As long as we're talking about scheduling, would anyone like to volunteer for any of the other remaining months in 2018? Your participation is very much appreciated. Thanks! All best, Johnm