Mi Contra Fa

Beowulf at KASF

Huzzah for Lady Sophia the Orange, who arranged to videotape the entire KASF Performing Arts exhibition!

This here's my bit of Beowulf.  I got up my courage to watch it, and hey - I'm pretty good!  (Need to learn not to watch the harp so much.) The entire thing is worth watching, but if you click the video below, it'll start right at Beowulf.

 

Webcast concept: One Simple Thing

Cart before the horse, here. I haven't even managed to turn my existing classes into webcasts yet.

BUT.

I like the idea of a video series that explores Art 101 for a variety of useful SCA arts, with a goal of giving the view the skills to perform those tasks at a basic level, with as little exotic equipment as possible. 

Make a T-tunic with fabric, scissors, needle and thread.
Stem stitch embroidery
Threaded-in tablet weaving
Calligraphy
Make a cold lunch
Make a hot supper
Make small talk
Brew a tasty beverage
Carve a spoon
Dance a bransle
Write a rhyming couplet
Play a whistle
Sing a song
Play a game
Make a leather belt
Pack for a camping trip

Something to think about!

Video series

The Dread Orange One has suggested that, since I can't make it to University to teach, that I video record my class.  Great idea! 

Naturally, I can't do anything as simple as give the classes I already do while a recorder runs. Nooooo.  I am thinking of ways to chunk them up into smaller, discrete mini-units more suitable to the YouTube environment.  It may not be possible in all cases - and in some cases, the entire amount of pontificating may actually expand.  Rather than just hit the high points of information search (10 min of a 50 min class), I can spend 10-15 min each on keyword searches, knowing good sources, types of sources, unusual sources and so on.  Whee!

 

Songs for War!

Marching Songs

To War!: Easy to make up verses as you go.

Storvik, Bloody Storvik: New for Pennsic 44! Call and response. You can also bend anything that scans like "Mama, Mama, Can't You See" into the verses to add more.

War Songs

Fighting Like Gods: For the heavies

Fangs of the Serpent: For the fencers

Go Ahead and Run: For the archers

Songs for Service and Arts

Stout Hearts of Storvik: Download MP3

Do You Have Dwarves in Storvik? Download MP3

I'll get these all on the Original Works page eventually...

Fighting Like Gods MP3

Here's an MP3 of "Fighting Like Gods." G'head and download it if you like.

Fighting Like Gods

Goal-Oriented Discouragements

I got the lamp assembled! It doesn't work!

Two apparent problems: the peg-in-hole that's supposed to mate to hold the light to the stand... doesn't.  And the thing just doesn't plain make light - it seems the bulb is blown before I've even used it!  Checking the online reviews for the product (Utilitech 500 W light with stand) tells me... now... that I am far from the only one with this problem. 

Sigh.

This shouldn't be a big deal. It was a $24 light.  But it feels like a big deal, because running simple errands (to the hardware store) aren't simple with the kids.  I feel stupid, because why did I buy (one of only a few available models of) a light without researching it online first?  (Answer: Because it's a lamp! How hard is that to get right?!) I feel guilty, because I'm trying to buy less crap and create less garbage, and here I am about to toss a brand-new $24 hunk of junk out.  I feel frustrated, because I'm trying to take this 'baby steps' approach to actually getting things done, instead of waiting for magical free afternoons to appear, so having the light not work represents nearly a week of time wasted. 

If feels like a big deal because, when you are strongly goal-oriented, failing to achieve any goal - even one as trivial as "set up a lamp" - is failing.  Failing!  FAILING!!!!

It's not rational.

Rather than rush out to duplicate this comedy of errors, I think I'll contact my friend who first told me about using high-power lights to set up a mini-studio in his home.  Maybe 500 W was too much, or too little, or something, anyway.  Research!

 

Baby Steps

I'm really trying the 'do a little each day' approach to a lot of things, including the goals mentioned in the last posts.

Thursday, I bought a 500 Watt construction light and stand.

Saturday, I discovered I didn't have an adjustable wrench to assemble it.

Sunday, I charged up the FlipCam.

Monday, I found an adjustable wrench and got the light half-assembled.

Today, the goal is to finish light assembly.  The stretch goal is to turn the light on and make a quick sample video.

O Come, My Sweetest Lover

This never got posted as a finished product?

O come, my sweetest lover
And ah and oh
What pleasures we'll discover
And ah and oh and ah and oh

I'm dying with desire
And ah and oh
To love-making I aspire
And ah and oh and ah and oh

So with your key come swiftly
And ah and oh
My door will open quickly
And ah and oh and ah and oh

Text: Translation of one of the Cambridge Songs (c. 1050-1100, likely Continental German in origin. Original text in Latin.)
Tune: Original, meant to be somewhat evocative of chant

Bertran de Born Podcast

From the grey mists of time, Bertran de Born's "Be'm plai lo gais de pascor" emerges!  You've seen the documentation and possible struggled with the poorly-notated sheet music (PDF)!  Now hear the song!

Gah, I never realized how bad I am at aligning words and notes until I went back and tried to sing this from the page.

More good news - my computer records again!  Granted, I'm using a gaming headset to sing into, which results in some static if I'm too loud (which I frequently am).  But!  Now I can record audio more often.  Upgrading mic can be a future project.