Norwescon & Westercon Programming

Program organizing for both of these has been going a bit slow this year, but I still think it's going to work out well in the end. My mundane job has kept me so busy that I haven't been free to do some of what I would have liked to have done in planning before now, but with the turning of the year, I decided it was a good time to finally ask all of you for your input.

For both Norwescon and Westercon, I have asked that a variety of performers throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and even into the Midwest, be invited. However, I'm sure many of you have favorites I may not be aware of, or don't have contact information for, so I would encourage you to write me about them and I'll see if I can still get their name into the running. Sometimes I also find out that they've been invited for another track, and then I just have to ask them what kind of music paneling they want to do. Or else I can at least save the listing for the next con I end up helping put together. I don't know yet who will say "yes" or even if the ConCom is going to make me pare the list down, but I'm trying to argue that many of these professionals have skills in multiple fields and therefore are valuable additions to many areas of the con.

As for Panel Programming I am tentatively planning for about 6 hours of concerts and a similar number of panel discussions and workshops, at both events, although the exact amount will depend upon the responses we get from the performers and from all of you, as well as the time available in the overall convention schedule. I know many of you had some strong opinions about a Vocal Harmony panel that was organized for this past Orycon. I wasn't able to attend myself, but would love to know how it turned out, if you want to do it again, and what it should look like. The same for any other ideas you have.

We will also have at least one Open Song Circle each evening, maybe 2 on Friday and Saturday at Westercon (Norwes hasn't had the demand the past few years), and hopefully a "Dead Guitar" gathering on Sunday afternoon. I usually run a "Moderated Chaos" format, meaning that anyone can jump in at any time on any topic, although I (or my designated moderator) will step in as needed to keep things balanced and give everyone a chance to participate; but if the majority wants a different format, or we have 2 rooms, we can also do Bardic, Poker Chip, Song List, or something else.

I have run Folk Music Programming at several conventions in the last 5 years, as well as been a participant at many others throughout the NW and a few in the Bay Area, so I have a list of tried and true activities, but I'm always in the market for new ideas. Music Programming, even more than some other areas of a convention, is dependent upon the participation of its attendees to take place at all, and certainly in order to cross the barrier from "it was ok" to "WOW!" So please let me know what you would like to see, and I'll do what I can to make it happen.

You can contact me directly at the address below, or post ideas back here for everyone's input. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

Altair Quarong

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replyKaren Rall, Folk Music Programming Coordinator for Westercon 54 in Portland and Norwescon 24 in Seattle. If you'd like more information about Celtic music activities
in the Greater Seattle area, or about Filking at Cons & SCA Events, please reply to
<quarong at aa.net>. General Convention info is available at
<www.sfnorthwest.org>,
and SCA information at <www.sca.org>. Received on 12/30/00