Rainycamp fun

Subject: Rainycamp fun
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:34 PM

Another great Rainycamp in WA USA this weekend. We got a few songs recorded for various projects. The highlight for me was a strong concentration of Irish songs..had a real Irishman attend who knew all sorts of songs that I almost never get to sing..a few of us stayed up way late singing those..and I am sure others had enjoyable circles etc. at the same time. Rainycamp is good because there are several buildings that can be used simultaneously..Sunnycamp just the opposite..one building plus a cabin or two can be commandeered. No Susie M. this year..RIP. I got a person of Italian descent to sing a song about fish packers in Seattle that suggests the packers were Italian (they were real people and were actually Croatian when it was part of Italy). It was quite interesting to hear of his family background...

mg

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: Genie
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:03 PM

Glad you guys had a great time at RainyCamp, mg.

One of these years I may be back. The food and the music are great, The facility itself leaves a lot to be desired, IMO. (E.g., the lodge is too large to really handle an all-camp song circle or an unamplified concert.) But the time of year is probably the biggest hangup for me.

It's hard finding the ideal combination of time and location for music camps. But I'm glad we seem to have a lot to choose from.

Our cup really do "runneth over."

Genie

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: Deckman
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:56 PM

I certainly enjoyed my time at Rainy Camp this year. We get more and more excited as the calendar approaches this annual event. As soon as we walk in, we're greeting old friends, lot's a hugs and smiles ... and yes a few tears for those that can no longer attend.

Bruce Baker and Fred Maslan (sp?) are to be congratulated for doing all of the vital planning and preparation work. I've heard that the attendence this year was in excess of 70, again.

bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:18 PM

I never noticed the concerts needed amplification..maybe they have them and I didn't see...

As for the song circle there..to me it is dismal when it could be quite wonderful. It is a huge place, broken up by pillars..they let the circle get way too big, turn on every flourescent light in the place, do not take out empty chairs as people depart and bring the circle in...it was quite nice this year when they late into the evening turned off the flourescent lights and just had some regular ones..it is not like they are limited to the teeth-rotting flourescent ones (really). It also is too tedious for me to be in big circles where you listen to one person, then another, then another, unless 90% of the time the whole group is singing...and actually that was quite often the case that they were this year..there is a definite correlation between beauty of the music and the nature of the lighting and the diameter of the circle..just have a right size circle and let people form outer circles around it if they come late. That gets it closer to the fire besides..you want people as close together as comfortable and you also want them looking pretty as well as sou ndinbg pretty which no one except perhaps me and George Clooney look good under flourescent lights...remember the booths at Sears where you try on clothes>? You want to sing in one>? mg

Subject: RE: Rainycamp - Seattle area music camp 2012
From: Genie
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:45 PM

The one time I went to Rainy Camp, I really enjoyed the camaraderie and much of the music and (especially) the food. But in the concert many people could not be heard beyond about the 8th or 10th row. And in the Fri. night song circle it was also very difficult to hear anyone who did not have a booming voice. (The main lodge is very, very large, plus there was usually extraneous noise from children and others milling about.)

You're right, mg, that "there is a definite correlation between beauty of the music and the nature of the lighting and the diameter of the circle." I think when a circle gets too huge, it becomes unwieldy to hear most people.

What seemed odd to me, back in 2003, was that there were mics for everyone to sing into at the Sat. night concert, but it was only for the purpose of making mp3s of the concert, not for making the sound audible in the farther recesses of the large lodge.   

And you're right about the lighting in the dressing rooms at Sears, etc. LOL

I'm glad people had a good time at Rainy Camp. I may join you again one of these years when I'm up for being out in the mountains when it's cold and rainy.    Meanwhile, I'm working on putting Singtime Frolics together for the end of March in the Portland area.

It would be great if we could get lots of people to come to both Singtime and Rainy Camp and maybe Getaway as well.

Genie

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 12:04 AM

i think a key factor is transportation..it is a bear to get to some of these places if you don't drive...one person with a van that seats say 8 people would be great...I think there should be more cross pollination, and I would certainlyh include Camp aLEXan=dra in BC..and now of course the Richmond festival..Sunnycamp is small but diverse and has severe transportation problems..you can get there all the way with public trans to Seattle but getting back is a problem. There are also issues with people boycotting things becdause they didn'[t like George Bush or something..but I don't see them back now that he is gone. Maybe they are waiting until he dies..another thing I keep saying is let people come for part of the weekend and charge accordingly...sometimes it is just too hard to drive at night after work and some people would like to pay less and come on saturday..oh but the food is a problem. Have them pay full for the food and give the leftovers to a food bank. That is a source of great annoyance for me..I charge varying amounts for Sunnycamp..it is no problem at all..the food works itself out...I always try to have extra on hand and any surplus we give to the food bank here. it is more of a mind set I think...that is costing them valuable income and good people not coming. mg

Subject: RE: Rainy Camp (near Seattle, WA)
From: Genie
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 10:57 PM

I agree, mg. We need a lot more 'cross pollination' among the various folkie groups and folk gatherings in the Pacific NW and even beyond.

I do hope we will have a good showing from Washington state at Singtime Frolics this year. I know some of our Portland folkies (David Ingerson and Jinx K., for example) went to Rainy Camp this year and really enjoyed it.

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: Fred Maslan
Date: 19 Feb 12 - 03:19 PM

I hear you about the lighting, and perhaps we can bring up some less objectionable lights next year, also reconfiguring the song circle is something to think about.

Fred

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: mg
Date: 19 Feb 12 - 11:19 PM

The thing about Rainycamp is they already have non flourescdent lights so it is just a matter of turning them on and flourescents off..some people always complain about not being able to read their blue books..and how is that a problem? Well, tell them to ble foring their own flashlight or a portable lamp and sit under it. The main room at Camp Alexandra is also horrible flourescent wise...and it is a huge yellow room with big doors..people instinctively want to sit and sing in a protected area in a smaller group...diameter wise...I don[t iknow what the best diameter is...depends on number singing..but I suspecgt it is not over 10 feet across....just build up extra rows in back and keep asking people to move to front rowws as others leave..when a circle gbets totally deismal is when it is huge to start with and people leave and the circle does not then contract....and watch...when you really get going you instinctively move in closer together..and sometimes stand up..something happens that is verthere hy powerful at times and you have to let it and not have rules that keep it from happening. I DONT think people of my preference can take over a main circle, and aI don't, but there have to be places where people of persuasions different than let us go around in circle upon circle if it takes all night we will n ever stop deoing this can gather..I think the best music is like a ping pong game and the balls stay up in the air. Dont ping when you can pong.   mg

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: Deckman
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 12:52 AM

I'm going to jump into this conversation with a comment that I think needs to be heard ...

What you are witnessing here in this thread is the planning of very dedicated folk musicians who create these various workshops/camps/get-a-ways/gatherings that are so very important to our folk community.

All of these comments are well thought out and reflect a strong desire to create a successful gathering.

Without these "shakers and movers" our folk music community will be diminshed. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: mg
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 01:59 AM

My other recommendations are to limit the amount of time the eveni9ng concerts run...some just go on and on and on and you can set a time limit and say two hours or 20 acts or whatever..that way people will grouptoge ther more to play which I find very nice.

The other thing if you are planning a camp is to always take care of the vegetarians and as much as possib le keep meat separatable..like don't put it in stews or soups but have it on the side. You probably can not accomodate strict vegans etc. but at least have lots of meatless offerings. I am a carnivore and just plan on bringing extra protein because there is never enough lfor me, but that is my problem and not the camp's.

Also, take health and sanitation very seriously. We had a bug run through a recent camp..have ways of cleaning bathrooms and doorknobs etc. ..I recommend Lysol wipes packs in any bathroom, kitchen, public areas. The more phobic will take advantage of them and wipe things down. Have a plan for illness including transportation to a hospital if necessary.

Subject: RE: Rainycamp fun
From: GUEST,IslandOwl
Date: 23 Feb 12 - 04:55 AM

Finally was able to get on Mudcat tonight to read this chain - it had been timing out due to the server issue.

I am one of the coordinators of RainyCamp along with Bruce and Fred. The thing is, we coordinate and get it rolling BEFORE the event and expect that it is then up to the attendees to help make the camp what it becomes each year.

Interestingly, I was the person who turned off the florescent lights because I was tired of them. I looked for the switches, fiddled a little and found the right one and poof! the fluorescents were off. Anyone with hands could have done the same thing. If they bother you - turn them off. People have flashlights with them to light their way back to the cabins. They can use them to read words if they need them.

Please take action when you see something that is not working. If you have a better suggestion of how to set chairs and other things up, get in there and help with the set up. Folk music is made by folks. Folk music camps are made by folks. Pitch in with hands instead of complaints/comments after the fact.

Ps. We do set a limit on the performance times. And according to my research, the wipes will not work for the kind of bug that we had run through the camp. But we have received a lot of good information and will put that into function for next year.