Re: Filking, and stepping on toes.

Michael Phoenix wrote:
[..snip..]
> I've been filking less and less at each con I go to, for several years now,
> and for one single reason...
> ...every time I filk, I seem to end up stepping on *someone's* toes.

Welcome to the club. Until you're a BNF (Big Name Filker), you're going to do that. And when you're a BNF, you'll step on other BNF's toes, and all the newbies will complain that you're arrogant.... Lesson:

        You can't please all the people all the time.

> Maybe I'm being oversensitive, and all people are really saying is "Hey,
> next time try doing this slightly differently", not "You were a big,
> obnoxious, overbearing person, and we wish you'd go away and stop bugging
> us."

I would go with proposition A. There ARE people who will react with proposition B. However, if everyone felt that way, filking couldn't grow. In any sub-culture, there are different takes on the un-written rules. Different people will react differently to the same stimulus. I know that I have never found you over-bearing... over-whelming, yes. T'aint many physically bigger than I am out there, and you're also an impressive musical talent. A combination which is awe-some and to which some will react badly. Asking first, and taking no for an answer without any other reaction will go a long way to avoiding many problems. (Not that I'm particularly good at that item myself.)

Personally, I'd seriously miss your music, and if I saw you lurking in the back of the circle sans guitar, I'd probably hand you mine and ask you to do something.

[..snip..]
> I'm a SNAG. I don't *like* having people upset with me. And it's gotten
> to the point where I'm seriously considering dropping out of filking
> entirely, just so I don't have to hear one more time "Well, most people
> really liked your filking, but X, Y, and Z were terminally offended by
> <action>."

Bin There, Dun That.

Filkers can be touchy,
and they're stingy with their praise.
I reccommend you filk 'em,
you'll be remembered all your days...

[Ok, the scansion's atrocious, the rhymes make me fret....

   {Quick stop me before I filk again...} ]

Encouragingly...

Douglas Received on 01/30/97