But if I were asked to perform a set now, I'd push the edge as hard as I >could, to break the trap misleadingly called a "safe space." Here's a >possible set list:
There are times and places for everything.
Protest songs are great at a protest where the point is to force folks
to hear something they may not want to hear, or where people expect them
and want to engage with them. (Though the former, frankly, is rarely effective; protest songs are much more effective at motivating the
faithful than at getting those who disagree to consider another point of view. And I say this as someone who was part of an activist chorus for a decade or so.)
If you know your song is something that will offend some part of your audience, and it isn't clearly on topic at the moment, you may well want
to think about either holding off until a better time or letting those
folks know that they may want to step out of the room for the next four minutes or so.
If you don't want to do so, fine. But I think it's inappropriate to
complain if others do want to issue whatever warnings they consider
desirable at the moment. Especially as you're the one who has requested warning before "dead cat songs", which is an uncommon trigger.
Some of us here are old enough to remember the protest singers of the
sixties and seventies. What they protested isn't important to what I'm
saying here. What is important is that they were eager to take on controversial topics, to point out death and suffering, and to condemn
those they saw as responsible.
On Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:02:39 PM UTC-4, Gary McGath wrote:
Some of us here are old enough to remember the protest singers of the sixties and seventies. What they protested isn't important to what I'm saying here. What is important is that they were eager to take on controversial topics, to point out death and suffering, and to condemn those they saw as responsible.What many do not know is those Protest singers of the 50/60/70s suffered greatly
Though today many of us know and sing their songs many were "Blacklisted" and not allowed to perform in many venus.. (The old "Committee on Unamerican Affairs blacklist).
Many were true heroes of the time.
If people can't take their beliefs and options being challenged, they don't believe in them well enough anyway.
Many years ago at a Boskone Julia was performing "hands of god", and she said at a prior performance someone had complained
that it felt like it was poking fun at their religion and they found it offensive. She told them that if it reminded them of their
religion, then they ought to be offended.
I'm told that Julia has been very clear that the religion this song
refers to is a fictional one.
On 7/19/21 2:15 AM, Joe Kesselman wrote:
If you don't want to do so, fine. But I think it's inappropriate to
complain if others do want to issue whatever warnings they consider
desirable at the moment. Especially as you're the one who has requested
warning before "dead cat songs", which is an uncommon trigger.
Have I? I'll take your word for it. I've requested time enough to flee
the room before "Nobody's Moggy Lands," but that may not be quite the
same thing.
The "uncommon triggers" is a point in itself. Phobias are, by their
nature, not governed by reason. It's hard to know in advance what topics could upset someone in the audience. If someone interrupts me with,
"Please, I don't want to hear this," I'll pause the song, and depending
on the circumstances may give the person time to get out of earshot or
leave the song for another time.
Something else I just thought of: I don't want to raise a concern that >doesn't apply to me, when it could dilute serious ones. I am not
"triggered" by songs of any kind. I don't have panic attacks or
flashbacks. I just severely dislike them.
On 7/19/21 6:58 AM, Gary McGath wrote:
On 7/19/21 2:15 AM, Joe Kesselman wrote:
If you don't want to do so, fine. But I think it's inappropriate to
complain if others do want to issue whatever warnings they consider
desirable at the moment. Especially as you're the one who has requested
warning before "dead cat songs", which is an uncommon trigger.
Have I? I'll take your word for it. I've requested time enough to flee
the room before "Nobody's Moggy Lands," but that may not be quite the
same thing.
The "uncommon triggers" is a point in itself. Phobias are, by theirSomething else I just thought of: I don't want to raise a concern that doesn't apply to me, when it could dilute serious ones. I am not
nature, not governed by reason. It's hard to know in advance what topics could upset someone in the audience. If someone interrupts me with, "Please, I don't want to hear this," I'll pause the song, and depending
on the circumstances may give the person time to get out of earshot or leave the song for another time.
"triggered" by songs of any kind. I don't have panic attacks or
flashbacks. I just severely dislike them.
I know the difference because I've experienced real phobic reactions in certain situations, which I'd prefer not to discuss here, and I've occasionally had to help others to deal with phobia-related panic attacks.
That's not what I've experienced with songs of any kind. Please save the concern at that level for people who need it. I should have mentioned
that the first time.
--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com
On 7/19/2021 7:58 PM, Joe Kesselman wrote:
I'm told that Julia has been very clear that the religion this songreprint from Xeno #57
refers to is a fictional one.
"THE HAND OF GOD" AND SOME OTHER JULIA ECKLAR SONGS
by Joe Ellis (reprinted from rec.music.filk with permission)
Gary McGath asked: Does anyone know what book/story (if any) the Julia
Ecklar song "The Hand of God" is based on?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do... <<smirk>>
There are a number of Julia's songs that are based on a fantasy
storyline that is, for the most part, unpublished. Elements of it have appeared in some of her SF stories. The only commercial publication I
can think of now is the short-lived graphic novel "Honor Among Thieves"
(two issues!) which introduced some of the characters. The three main characters were Daven Turdock (a horse breeder, some- times mistaken for
a boy due to his jockey-like build), Galen (a sort of warrior/ priest/sheriff), and Darquementi, a carnival magician with real (if
sometimes unpredictable) magick.
Daven ran away from a cloistered community in the high mountains when
he was coming of age. It was a matriarchal society, run by the five
oldest women, who were known as the Hand of God. (Absolute control, five fingers,... see?) Daven con- fronted the ultra-conservative Hand and
defied them when they tried to control him.
Other songs set in this mythos:
"One Man Magical Show": Dar at the carnival... Yes, there really WAS a 'Boneless Man' in the show. When the gods curse you, they don't do it half-way! That's a story unto itself. And Rikki the Carnivorous Pony was
a failed attempt at a magical construction. Listen carefully to the
calliope; it's playing "Hand of God"!
"Temper of Revenge": The gods are real and still walk among the
mortals. There are two factions - the Creators and the Time-Chen, and a
great deal of hard feelings between them. The Creators are sort of second-class gods,... not quite as powerful and unable to do some of the things that the Time-Chen can. The TC even create better than the
Creators, but have only done it twice - horses and Humans. The heroine
of ToR is one of these 'created' humans (still a minor god to 'regular people') whose life companion is killed by a creature created by one of
the most powerful Creators. She vows revenge, makes a sword, and Creates
a horse to ride to vengeance. (BTW, she is the figure at the head of
Galen's religion. Their symbol is her trefoil lance, and Galen carries
her sword: not a duplicate, her sword. He knows it's special, but he
has NO idea HOW special.
I know there are others, but as I recall, these are the only ones Julia
has recorded.
The story line of the fantasy is loosely based on a D&D campaign we
were in during our misspent youth at the University of Dayton. Julia's character was Daven Turdock, the horse-breeder (his 'day job' -- you
can't adventure ALL the time!). Mine was Darquementi, the prestidigitator/wizard. The side effects of his magic were sometimes
more dangerous/effective than the magic itself!
However, Julia developed the characters FAR beyond the scope of the
games, and also was the creator of the world in which they lived, so the storyline and characters are truly hers. That was agreed to a LONG time ago. We worked well together -- you might say TOO well. When rookie gamers
under an experienced DM take on a Balrog (NOT one of the D&D 'dumbed
down' ones -- it was meant to scare us off, but we were too stooopid to
know this...) and kill it, then walk around in leather armor made from
the membranes of its wings.... Well, they get a bit of an attitude. And anyone who recognises the source of their armor tends to be a bit easier
to deal with. <G>
The songs are all based on material that Julia created, not on events
from the campaign. They are totally hers.
Some of us here are old enough to remember the protest singers of the
sixties and seventies. What they protested isn't important to what I'm
saying here. What is important is that they were eager to take on >controversial topics, to point out death and suffering, and to condemn
those they saw as responsible.
At this weekend's Festival of the Living Rooms, people have been putting >content warnings ahead of half their songs, to let listeners protect >themselves against hearing anything unpleasant. Someone told me today
that if I introduced a set by saying my songs would mention serious harm
that real people have suffered, I'd lose most of my audience.
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