First Bardic Madness

I went to my first Bardic madness last weekend.
It was a bit bewildering. Most of my discomfort came from being half a day late to the event, and not paying in advance to secure myself a feast spot.

So it kinda felt like I missed out on a major part of the evening too. The feast looked and smelled wonderful, and was several courses of yummy food made by people cooking periodish recipies.
I didn't know a lot of people, a lot of people were busy with the event, getting their things ready to perform. Others were busy being royals. ;) It’s not that I was being ignored, it’s just that soo much was going on, it was hard to really connect with anyone.

I ended up going out to subway with some bards from Canada which was nice, and funny. Be-garbed and eating our subs in small town Dodgeville Subway Shop that was pretty much empty. We talked a little about the differences between here and there and their fourteen hour trip to get to the event. One of them taught me a new juggling pattern, a tennis pattern where two balls go under and the third gets tossed over and back on the outside.

I had hoped more people would have brought juggling things to do, practice, learn, but I was the only one who had. It gave me something to do, and a good place to start conversations, so I’m glad I brought them.

I did get to see some really cool bardic challenges, the spring song one had some great ones. I was especially struck by a song called 'The Ballade of the Blue Rose' which Alexander de Seton performed. It was really amazing. I'm trying to get
lyrics/music for it, because I really want to make it mine, you know internally.

I was really impressed by a harper who played several times, once playing two harps at once! Her name is Ariana the Harper, and I got to chat with her a bit, she's based outta the cities, and said perhaps next year we could co-ordinate a duet in which I could juggle while she played an actual juggling tune. I think that would be really nice, need to brush up on my tricks though.

I was impressed by the wonderfully talented people all around, got to see many songs and performances, and it was great to see so many people in garb and having a wonderful time. It was too bad I came so late and missed the interesting challenges I wanted to see, specifically tanglebox and sonnets, and most of the classes. I did manage to get to Chandler’s Flirting class, which was fun, and relaxing. But... half an event is better than none, I completely missed Bardic Madness last year, and I’m glad I got to go.

I went home for a nap before the event closed up and showed up at the post-revel around midnight in town, again too late.
No space for me in the main room where the more informal singing was going on.

Buut, the Baron and I drank mead, and talked and ate yummy food. Eventually, some people went home and I got to sit on a couch and listen and sing along, which was fun. One established bard got up and told a tale of a car that overheated
...bizarrely(sp?), which was a hoot, involving a car that had practically. And several other nice things. I thought at times I might sing, but resisted enough, and it was late so things were really winding down. I sang at the last post-revel, so it’s not that I’m too shy. Though I wonder if , ‘I am the Wind’ , is appropriate… I wrote it, but it no way period, though less glaring than ‘Oh Yes’, which really has more of a musical place in big band…

So, there you go, my first Bardic Madness.

On the same subject, http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/ is a really cool site, has lots of bardsy music and mp3's of some of the songs! Very cool.

First Bardic Madness

I went to my first Bardic madness last weekend.
It was a bit bewildering. Most of my discomfort came from being half a day late to the event, and not paying in advance to secure myself a feast spot.

So it kinda felt like I missed out on a major part of the evening too. The feast looked and smelled wonderful, and was several courses of yummy food made by people cooking periodish recipies.
I didn't know a lot of people, a lot of people were busy with the event, getting their things ready to perform. Others were busy being royals. ;) It’s not that I was being ignored, it’s just that soo much was going on, it was hard to really connect with anyone.

I ended up going out to subway with some bards from Canada which was nice, and funny. Be-garbed and eating our subs in small town Dodgeville Subway Shop that was pretty much empty. We talked a little about the differences between here and there and their fourteen hour trip to get to the event. One of them taught me a new juggling pattern, a tennis pattern where two balls go under and the third gets tossed over and back on the outside.

I had hoped more people would have brought juggling things to do, practice, learn, but I was the only one who had. It gave me something to do, and a good place to start conversations, so I’m glad I brought them.

I did get to see some really cool bardic challenges, the spring song one had some great ones. I was especially struck by a song called 'The Ballade of the Blue Rose' which Alexander de Seton performed. It was really amazing. I'm trying to get
lyrics/music for it, because I really want to make it mine, you know internally.

I was really impressed by a harper who played several times, once playing two harps at once! Her name is Ariana the Harper, and I got to chat with her a bit, she's based outta the cities, and said perhaps next year we could co-ordinate a duet in which I could juggle while she played an actual juggling tune. I think that would be really nice, need to brush up on my tricks though.

I was impressed by the wonderfully talented people all around, got to see many songs and performances, and it was great to see so many people in garb and having a wonderful time. It was too bad I came so late and missed the interesting challenges I wanted to see, specifically tanglebox and sonnets, and most of the classes. I did manage to get to Chandler’s Flirting class, which was fun, and relaxing. But... half an event is better than none, I completely missed Bardic Madness last year, and I’m glad I got to go.

I went home for a nap before the event closed up and showed up at the post-revel around midnight in town, again too late.
No space for me in the main room where the more informal singing was going on.

Buut, the Baron and I drank mead, and talked and ate yummy food. Eventually, some people went home and I got to sit on a couch and listen and sing along, which was fun. One established bard got up and told a tale of a car that overheated
...bizarrely(sp?), which was a hoot, involving a car that had practically. And several other nice things. I thought at times I might sing, but resisted enough, and it was late so things were really winding down. I sang at the last post-revel, so it’s not that I’m too shy. Though I wonder if , ‘I am the Wind’ , is appropriate… I wrote it, but it no way period, though less glaring than ‘Oh Yes’, which really has more of a musical place in big band…

So, there you go, my first Bardic Madness.

On the same subject, http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/ is a really cool site, has lots of bardsy music and mp3's of some of the songs! Very cool.