Warm Welcomes
This week, I went to a house-filk and also to a welcoming ceremony for my friends' baby. (Apostrophe is not misplaced, I know both parents)
I did these in the opposite order, actually, so that's how I'll talk about them. The welcoming ceremony (if I'm understanding it correctly) is a Wiccan thing that... well it's pretty self-explanitory. It's a ritual that says: "Welcome to the community!" The "community" in question being the big extended circle of friends and blood-family which in this case has many people of all sorts of beliefs (including my silly-skeptic agnostic self) who all want baby to grow up happy and safe and healthy and... well you probably know the standard "best wishes" sort of stuff that gets said at this sort of thing. I think all faiths (and indeed all self-identified groups) have some form of "welcoming" for babies, and it shows me that despite the trappings and wrappings, most people just want to get along and live their lives without bothering anyone and have things be okay for them and their children to keep on keeping on...
Makes you think maybe we're not all so different after all, y'know?
I got video of most of it, but my camera battery went flat before the end. Fortunately, this happened at what was a bit of a "stopping point" towards the end of the ceremony. I'm going to get some small-capacity flash-drives and give a copy to each set of parents (there were two babies, but I only knew one of them before I arrived) once I get a chance. (There are pictures as well, taken by the assorted grandparents and other well-wishers)
In addition to the ritual aspects, there was also a potluck and BBQ and good conversations that flowed along and touched on all sorts of subjects (though the babies and the food were popular topics). I made the bread pudding like I did for the St. Patrick's Day gathering I'd gone to, and again it was a hit. (Once we finally got to dessert, that is)
The house-filk was the next day and a bit of a last-minute invite. Friends of friends had a musician visiting, and he had to leave before the convention I'm going to this weekend, so his hosts decided to have people over for snacks and filk and general kibbitzing. I know what it's like for a performer to not have an audience (short answer: it's not fun) so I decided to RSVP as best I could and go.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Filk, for those that don't know is a... type of music. Yes, I'm about to give it my best shot at defining it... again. (I'm apparently a glutton for punishment.)
See, it's hard to define what filk is precicely, because there's really no set definition. (Really!)
But, generally speaking (or at least in my experience) it's music with a geek-culture bendt to it, often written by people in fandom specifically for others in fandom. It occasionally includes "regular" music that appeals to people who are also attracted to fannish (in the geek/nerd sense) things, or music written by people in fandom who had something to say, even if the song in question isn't specifically geeky subject-matter by itself.
I know the term "filk" started out as a twist (and typo) on "folk music" that got performed at a sci-fi convention that happened forever ago. The definition I've written is as vague and confusing as it is because what music "counts" as filk varies depending on who you ask... and what mood they're in at the time you ask them. :-)
In any case, you're not likely to hear much of it in the mainstream media channels or find a specific section for it in your music store/website/wherever it is people buy music these days. But it's out there and findable if you look for it.
I've not been to many house-gathers like this, so I'm not quite sure how it's "supposed" to work, but maybe there is no "supposed to". (Which is fine by me!)
We all sat around on couches and chairs, and those with guitars played and some people sang. (Occasionally at the same time, even.) Joining in is encouraged but not required, but don't "hog the spotlight" unless you're specifically invited to.
I didn't know a lot of the songs. Some were originals, some were written by other people. All of them were things I could relate to or at least understand. I hummed along when I could, joined in on a chorus or two, and enjoyed it all quite well in any case. I was knitting a bunch of catnip mousies for a few people (which is also considered acceptable behavior at these events, and I wasn't the only one knitting) and conversations went around about conventions past and upcoming, the stories behind the songs, and assorted other geeky topics. (You can tell I'm writing this a few days later, since the details are so fuzzy)
I had a good time, but I had to leave before it was over, as I realized I was getting tired and it was a pretty long drive to get home.
I'm likely to see a fair number of those people again this weekend at the convention I'm going to, so it should be pretty good. It's nice to get to know people on my own and as myself. It seems to work well for me.
tl;dr: I did what I said up there in the cut-tag. If you want definitions (or at least my attempts at them) you'll have to click. ;-) Names are NOT named to protect people's privacy (and because I'm writing this last-minute and as such didn't get permission)
This entry was originally posted at http://something-for-thursday.dreamwidth.org/5508.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
I did these in the opposite order, actually, so that's how I'll talk about them. The welcoming ceremony (if I'm understanding it correctly) is a Wiccan thing that... well it's pretty self-explanitory. It's a ritual that says: "Welcome to the community!" The "community" in question being the big extended circle of friends and blood-family which in this case has many people of all sorts of beliefs (including my silly-skeptic agnostic self) who all want baby to grow up happy and safe and healthy and... well you probably know the standard "best wishes" sort of stuff that gets said at this sort of thing. I think all faiths (and indeed all self-identified groups) have some form of "welcoming" for babies, and it shows me that despite the trappings and wrappings, most people just want to get along and live their lives without bothering anyone and have things be okay for them and their children to keep on keeping on...
Makes you think maybe we're not all so different after all, y'know?
I got video of most of it, but my camera battery went flat before the end. Fortunately, this happened at what was a bit of a "stopping point" towards the end of the ceremony. I'm going to get some small-capacity flash-drives and give a copy to each set of parents (there were two babies, but I only knew one of them before I arrived) once I get a chance. (There are pictures as well, taken by the assorted grandparents and other well-wishers)
In addition to the ritual aspects, there was also a potluck and BBQ and good conversations that flowed along and touched on all sorts of subjects (though the babies and the food were popular topics). I made the bread pudding like I did for the St. Patrick's Day gathering I'd gone to, and again it was a hit. (Once we finally got to dessert, that is)
The house-filk was the next day and a bit of a last-minute invite. Friends of friends had a musician visiting, and he had to leave before the convention I'm going to this weekend, so his hosts decided to have people over for snacks and filk and general kibbitzing. I know what it's like for a performer to not have an audience (short answer: it's not fun) so I decided to RSVP as best I could and go.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Filk, for those that don't know is a... type of music. Yes, I'm about to give it my best shot at defining it... again. (I'm apparently a glutton for punishment.)
See, it's hard to define what filk is precicely, because there's really no set definition. (Really!)
But, generally speaking (or at least in my experience) it's music with a geek-culture bendt to it, often written by people in fandom specifically for others in fandom. It occasionally includes "regular" music that appeals to people who are also attracted to fannish (in the geek/nerd sense) things, or music written by people in fandom who had something to say, even if the song in question isn't specifically geeky subject-matter by itself.
I know the term "filk" started out as a twist (and typo) on "folk music" that got performed at a sci-fi convention that happened forever ago. The definition I've written is as vague and confusing as it is because what music "counts" as filk varies depending on who you ask... and what mood they're in at the time you ask them. :-)
In any case, you're not likely to hear much of it in the mainstream media channels or find a specific section for it in your music store/website/wherever it is people buy music these days. But it's out there and findable if you look for it.
I've not been to many house-gathers like this, so I'm not quite sure how it's "supposed" to work, but maybe there is no "supposed to". (Which is fine by me!)
We all sat around on couches and chairs, and those with guitars played and some people sang. (Occasionally at the same time, even.) Joining in is encouraged but not required, but don't "hog the spotlight" unless you're specifically invited to.
I didn't know a lot of the songs. Some were originals, some were written by other people. All of them were things I could relate to or at least understand. I hummed along when I could, joined in on a chorus or two, and enjoyed it all quite well in any case. I was knitting a bunch of catnip mousies for a few people (which is also considered acceptable behavior at these events, and I wasn't the only one knitting) and conversations went around about conventions past and upcoming, the stories behind the songs, and assorted other geeky topics. (You can tell I'm writing this a few days later, since the details are so fuzzy)
I had a good time, but I had to leave before it was over, as I realized I was getting tired and it was a pretty long drive to get home.
I'm likely to see a fair number of those people again this weekend at the convention I'm going to, so it should be pretty good. It's nice to get to know people on my own and as myself. It seems to work well for me.
tl;dr: I did what I said up there in the cut-tag. If you want definitions (or at least my attempts at them) you'll have to click. ;-) Names are NOT named to protect people's privacy (and because I'm writing this last-minute and as such didn't get permission)
This entry was originally posted at http://something-for-thursday.dreamwidth.org/5508.html. Please comment there using OpenID.