Back to the Source: Online Links to Morris Musicians of the Past
Red Herring Morris has recently engaged in a typical fall discussion around morris musicians and their role on the team. Foreman and head musician Jeff Bigler has reminded us of two core "rules" (remember, they're more like guidelines) for the new musician. To wit: 1. Musicians should dance (health permitting) or observe for a few weeks before playing in. 2. Musicians shouldn't play in on a tune until they're off book. Rule #1 is to ensure that new musicians have some idea of how the music fits with the dance. Rule #2 is to ensure that new musicians know the tunes well enough that they can pay attention to ensemble, both with the other musicians and with the dancers. I responded to the team, and then reflected that this was a common enough discussion that it might be of interest to other morris folk as well. Here's my post to the Red Herring list: __________________________ JB's Rule 1 and Rule 2 get it in a nutshell. What he said. Hasn't changed in t...