Teachers & Folk Music

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: squeezebox-kc
Date: 15 Jul 08 - 03:36 PM

My earliest introduction to folk music was my teacher Miss Blackburn at about 6 years old and i thank her for it but in later life meeting her as a caller (patronising) was an understatement but hey at over 60 i still enjoy the music. i hope David & Eileen Keys are still out there calling dances in their own inimitable style

Ken C

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Lowden Jameswright
Date: 15 Jul 08 - 03:36 PM

Have your plectrum tweeked here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiWJWLCoH2M&feature=related

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 15 Jul 08 - 05:48 PM

A few teachers are naturals, but most are actors. Unfortunately they sometimes find difficulty in turning off their acting persona. Currently they are in a state of confusion brought on by massive political interference, as are most public workers.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: paula t
Date: 15 Jul 08 - 07:56 PM

I'm a teacher and I am becoming seriously disheartened by the negative generalisations made in the media and elsewhere.It seems that we are not only responsible for most social ills but now we are even responsible for the odd bad experience at a folk club!
Please don't tar us all with the same brush.We don't all try to educate others in our spare time. I always make a conscious effort not to appear patronising to the young children I teach - never mind the adults I meet at folk clubs.
You don't know how depressing it is to be constantly belittled for your occupation - which most of us entered because we wanted to make a difference.
Sorry to sound so bitter and twisted, but I am so fed up with hearing this kind of generalisation and not being able to respond.Thank you mudcat for giving me a rare opportunity to shout back!

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Jul 08 - 08:10 PM

Well i was a teacher, and I can tell you from experience - they're all complete bastards - every one of them.

Its only enlightened legislation that has got rid of folksingers who throw chalk at the audience, and they'd hit you for not joining in choruses - only they're not allowed to nowadays.

what i say is those can do, and those who teach should have their liver ripped out and fed to the cockroaches.

Theres too much of it......

And another thing they don't stick to the 1554 definition of folksinging. theres none of this namby pamby waving your arms about in real traditional folksinging.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 16 Jul 08 - 02:51 AM

It is not just Teachers who bring home, and to our folk gatherings their 'Working attitude'.My partner regularly tries speaking down to me in her high & mighty 'Professional Role?).

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,LJW - at work in a real job
Date: 16 Jul 08 - 06:22 AM

I did 10 years in Industry, then 22 years in Teaching, then back to a "proper job" in the rough and tough world of Industry. All those pricks who come out with statements like "no better part-time job than teaching - all those holidays" should try it. I enjoyed my time in teaching - colleagues and the students were great; the Gov'ts and Management were utter twats.

Having wide experience of both sides I'm qualified to say this - teaching is the toughest, but you can sustain 60+ hour weeks for only so long. I'm glad I'm back in a job where you can get a breather during the working day, and find time to have a social life during the evenings and weekends.

PS Without teachers/ex-teachers in folk clubs, there'd be no folk clubs - fact.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: bubblyrat
Date: 16 Jul 08 - 01:53 PM

My partner, "Wild Flying Dove," is a SENCO , ie Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator , and I think that she does a FANTASTIC job ! Yes, she can be a bit "bossy" and dictatorial sometimes, but I wouldn't have her any other way, and if ANYONE wants to come up at Sidmouth, or any other folk venue, and slag her off, I shall be more than happy to spend a night in Police custody for the privelege of " --- filling them in"---and that's a promise !!!

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Jul 08 - 02:43 PM

And when we are done with teachers, can we get onto the issue of recorders? When Jacqui was alive and we were involved in the running of Hazlitt Folk, I wrote blurbs about the residents, and called her recorder playing "fiery". I think anyone who ever saw her play would have agreed with that. Technical limitations, in some respects she had, and no baroque players would have wanted her type of playing, but it was NOT "toot-toot".

It ain't the instrument, it's what you do with it.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Chris Murray
Date: 16 Jul 08 - 03:37 PM

I'm a teacher and, according to one banned contributor from this board, I'm only a teacher so that I can have nice long holidays to go to folk festivals.

She knows nothing about where I teach, what I teach or who I teach.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 02:35 AM

Little Johnnie was playing with a pile of horse manure when Miss Jones, his teacher came over. Since it was a progressive school and she didn't want to thwart his creativity, she didn't tell him to stop and wash his hands, but instead asked what he was making. I'm making a teacher", he replied.

"Right", thought Miss Jones and sent him to the principal (head teacher, for any Britishers reading this).

The Principal said, "Miss Jones tells me, when she asked you what you were making with the horse manure, you told her it was a teacher. Is that right?"

"No", replied Little Johnnie. "It was a principal."

This was too much for the Principal, so he sent Little Johnnie to the School Psychologist.

The School Psychologist said, "Little Johnnie, when Miss Jones asked you what you were making with the horse manure, you told her it was a teacher, and when Mr. Johnson asked you, you told him it was a principal. Now, when I ask you what you were making with the horse manure, you're going to tell me it was a School Psychologist aren't you?"

"No", replied Little Johnnie, "not enough horse manure."

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 03:50 AM

You make a few innocent remarks and all hell breaks loose!

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 03:59 AM

an odd thread which flames a fair percentage of our customary audience! i suspect the original outburst was to do with teachers who perform in their spare time(sic) taking bread from the mouths of dibbling musicians... though most musicians I know who make a living do so by by going into schools... and teachers feel the same about those musos who frankly don't have the empathy or personality to teach and who consequently dump their output on their audience and run but nevertheless expect as of right respect and an attentive audience... each to their expertise, and those who combine the abilities , like Pete Coe, are gold dust... and the best performer in the world most people won't pay to see more than once every 6 months/ year- there are a lot of dates left to keep a club base running...

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: TheSnail
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 04:45 AM

GUEST,Shimrod

You make a few innocent remarks and all hell breaks loose!

Are you new to Mudcat?

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 06:30 AM

GUEST,Shimrod wrote:
"But I didn't, of course, I just finished my beer and left."

You mean you left before the Hokey-Pokey?!

And the deeply moving a-capella rendition of "Itsy-Bitsy Spider"?

For what it's worth, I thought it was pretty clear that you meant your remarks humorously and weren't seriously trying to pick a fight with teachers.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 06:48 AM

All right class! Quieten down!

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 06:52 AM

Chris Murray: just consider the source. The member in question has a chip on their shoulder about your profession - I shouldn't take them at all seriously.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: glueman
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 06:53 AM

The first time I encountered the teacher-folk link was forty odd years ago when forced to Strip the Willow to an LP record. Teachers are over-represented compared to other professions but nodody's said what the attraction is. Any guesses?

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Sooz
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 07:29 AM

Leave us alone - some of us deserve the flaming, most of us don't. (Probably like every other profession!)
Teacher with three more days to retirement.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Mooh
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 08:12 AM

For many years there was a local folk group which was often described as being a "group of teachers" though it also had a miner, a janitor, and a clergyperson. It was a bit heavy with teachers, 5 English teachers. Not sure if this characteristic contributed to its eventual demise. One or two teachers left, another joined. There was a lot of day job shop talk.

Due to their jobs, the interest in language was always present, and seemed to be a good fit with the interest in music. The three combined generated an interest in performance and so a band was born.

As for me, I am a teacher of private music lessons and hope not to be lumped into the general catagory described by previous posters. I am a pusher, and my drug of choice is music. As such I try to meet my market without undue antics.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Betsy at Work
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 08:44 AM

Bob Davenport had a theory(s)in the 1970's about teachers and their non positive effects on the Folk Clubs - I mustn't try to paraphrase, but I definitely thought and still think that his thoughts had merit.
I wish he would expound on this Page.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Chris Murray
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 09:30 AM

I know, Ruth, but it's still quite hurtful. She goes on about her feelings being hurt - but she can lash out with the best.

I think that a lot of teachers like folk music - you can tell who the teachers are at festivals because they have sensible hair! I never tell anyone what I do - unlike a woman at Cambridge one year who was ostentatiously reading some educational document for the whole of the Saturday.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 09:42 AM

Let's make one thing perfectly clear - I have nothing against teachers! Why, some of my best friends are ...

I just get annoyed with teachers who happen to call themselves 'folk singers' but can't seem to leave their day job behind and end up patronising me!

Right, I'm off to a meeting of my local 'School Teachers in Distress' support group.

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: GUEST,Twonk
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 10:56 AM

so is corporal punishment still allowed in folk clubs ???

My local pub folk session on Friday nights must be run by teachers;

because whatever we do, or how good or bad we behave,
we're always kept in detention
hours after
the pub was supposed to be closed for all other drinkers !!!???

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 11:24 AM

I dunno, they get six weeks holiday you know, and they've got books with all the answers in - its not like they've got to do the sums themselves......

then they complan when the kids beat them up!

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Rowan
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 08:09 PM

I suspect Shimrod didn't read the notice outside the venue and stumbled into a Wiggles concert.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Eye Lander
Date: 18 Jul 08 - 05:25 AM

Maybe just maybe, those teachers are giving those children their first taste of folk music and maybe it will stick with them and perhaps they'll grow up into a Jim Causley or any other folkies that we love to listen to.

Jillie

Subject: RE: Teachers & Folk Music
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Jul 08 - 07:46 AM

Or maybe they'll grow into someone everybody detests.

I can't help thinking we should pay the teachers that turn out nice people more.

And if you are responsible for Noel Edmonds......