EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/19/2012:  17:00:30

We are about at the end of the current Tune of the Week volunteer list, so it is sign-up time again - Uncle Wade Wants You!



You TOTW veterans know the drill, so no need to read any further - just send me a private message through the Hangout.



But I would especially like to get new folks involved, so if you have never done a TOTW before, here's your chance! Fame and fortune await (using those terms extraordinarily loosely).



If you are hesitating because you are not quite sure what all is involved in "doing" a tune, the following FAQs might help:

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1. What all is involved in "doing" a Tune of the Week?



Not much. You merely choose a tune that you like, write a bit about why you chose it and whatever you know of its history and origins, and include a few examples - YouTube videos, MP3 files from the Hangout, tablature on the Internet, etc.  If you can't find any online versions, you can list any CDs, books, or other resources in which it can be found.



2. What type of tunes can be covered?



Well, "old-time" tunes basically, the definition of which is pretty much left up to the poster. I wasn't present at the creation of the TOTW, but consulting the canonical texts from 2008 I see that the sole description was "tunes or songs", with the fact that this is, after all, the Clawhammer and Old-Time Forum serving as the only guide as to what could be included. The vast majority of the 203 tunes that have been posted so far have come from the very familiar Appalachian fiddle tune and folk song traditions, but there have been a few outliers. Even those, however, have had some conceptual connection to the world of traditional banjo - Two Swedish Songs (#26), Turlute Acadienne (#41), Kuppari Eeva (#67), and Tri Martolod (#187) were fiddle tunes and folk songs from other cultures, while Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (#136) was included on one of Pete Seeger's 1950s Folkways albums. Those choices were all well received, and again, it is the poster's decision as to what constitutes an appropriate tune. If in doubt, you can't go wrong with a good old traditional fiddle tune, and there are still thousands yet to be TOTW'ed - I mean, I think so far only a couple of tunes from the "Some Kind of Critter on Some Kind of Object" category have been covered, so just finishing that list could take us to 2013.  On the other hand, variety and surprise can be good, too.



3. So I can post my two-finger thumb-lead version of Lady Gaga's Born This Way?

Er, well, I.....

4. Or my clawhammer take on Justin Bieber's Eenie Meenie?

Well, there is surprise, and there is SURPRISE!  Many now-traditional old-time tunes began life as best-selling pop songs of their day (that day often being the minstrel era of the 1850s and 60s) and some of today's popular music might one day wind its way into the old-time repertoire.  My personal opinion would be to wait until that actually happens before using such a tune for the TOTW - wait, for instance, until it shows up at a Clifftop jam in, say, 2068 being swapped by digital telepathy among hybrid cyberhuman banjo players.  But that is just my take on things, and my take holds no more weight than anybody else's.  So at the risk of sounding like a broken record (corrupted MP3 file?), it is up to each individual contributor to decide what is an appropriate tune to post.

5. You're 50 years old - did you actually know the names of any Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber songs?

I'm 49, two months, and three days - let's not rush things.  But no, I didn't know any of their songs - that's what Allmusic.com is for.

6. Ok, but I only know a few old-time tunes and they are all very popular, so I'm sure they have already been done. 

Don't be so sure. Just two weeks ago the TOTW was the very well-known Little Birdie (deliberately chosen because most would assume it had already been done).  Earlier this year - after 187 Tunes of the Week - there was a seven-week stretch which included Shady Grove, June Apple, and Mississippi Sawyer, three tunes which would probably be on almost anyone's "Top 20 Most Popular Fiddle Tunes" list.  So don't assume a tune has been done just because it is a well-known one.

7. What kind of tunes get the most discussion?

There is no real pattern, and if there were I probably wouldn't be the person to ask, since I think I hold the record for the fewest responses - three, for #158, West Virginia Burial in the Rain.  Besides, even though it is always good to generate an active discussion, getting a lot of responses isn't exactly the goal.  Maybe only a handful of people are interested in the tune you post, but they are really interested, and the tune becomes one they play for the rest of their lives. 

8. Do I need to include my own version of the tune?



Not at all. Many people (including me) never do. You don't even need to be able to play the tune. Maybe it is one you are working on but haven't mastered yet, or maybe it is one that is still beyond your skill level. Absolute beginners who can't really play tunes yet are just as welcome to participate as those who have been playing for 50 years. It is really just about sharing a tune that you enjoy or that means something to you.



9. Once I have chosen at tune, what do I do?



First check Erich Schroeder's sortable TOTW index at http://vrteach.org/totw to make sure the tune has not already been covered. Then post your contribution sometime on your assigned Friday. It can be anytime, but if it is going to be toward the end of the day - say after 6:00 pm Eastern - it helps to give me a heads up so that I won't think you have forgotten and thus post an emergency back-up TOTW. The standard subject heading format is "TOTW mm/dd/yy: NAME OF TUNE".



10. Then what?



That's it, really. Once the tune is posted you can just monitor the ensuing discussion, participating further as you see fit.

11. Erich covered this same ground back in 2008 in 380 words.  You've taken...well, I've lost track. What's up with that?

Inflation? Actually, I have received a numbers of emails over the past couple months in which (some of) the above questions and topics were raised.  I answered those the best I could, but I just thought I would cover the topics in this post as well, in case others had the same questions.  Also, I get paid by the word.

12. Ok, last question. Do you take bribes?

Absolutely!  Although I'm not sure what I could be bribed for. Perhaps you want to make sure you get the honor of posting a TOTW on one of Old-Time's high holidays (Kyle Creed's Birthday? National Possum Day?). Maybe you want to make sure you get to cover Beagle Ate the Chicken Poop.  Whatever the reason, just send me a check - make it out to "Bret's Romero Banjo Acquisition Fund".

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OK, that's it for the FAQs.  Now that you know all there is to know, there is nothing stopping you from becoming an honored and esteemed TOTW Volunteer!  If you would like to sign up, don't reply to this post - just send me a private message through the Hangout.

Thanks!  Bret

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 09/27/2012 18:58:56

J-Walk - Posted - 06/19/2012:  17:29:31

13. Did the previous TOTW coordinator ever write such a good solicitation?

No he didn't. 

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/19/2012:  18:24:17

quote:

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Originally posted by J-Walk

13. Did the previous TOTW coordinator ever write such a good solicitation?

No he didn't. 

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 Well, I don't know about that - and my post might reflect too much free time more than anything else.  But thanks for the thumbs up!

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/19/2012:  18:41:33

Since J-Walk has helpfully extended the FAQ list:

14. You didn't manage to leave anything out in that lengthy post, did you?

Well, actually...

15. I figured as much. What did you forget?

To answer the following question.

16. Do I need to have a tune in mind when I volunteer, or do I need to get approval for a tune ahead of time?

No on both counts.  Some people, when volunteering, have asked me about doing a specific tune.  While I am flattered that they have sought my opinion, there is no need to do so, for many reasons.  Most importantly, my role as coordinator is simply to manage the volunteer list, not to approve or comment on any tune choices ahead of time - a role I would not be qualified for in any event, since most people here on the Hangout have more knowledge of and experience with old-time tunes than I do.  Also, I only know who is going to post on what date, not what tune will be chosen.  So even if I did give the okay for a particular tune in advance, there would be no guarantee that someone else wouldn't cover it in the intervening weeks.  I am always happy to discuss a tune with a volunteer, but I just don't want to give the impression I am, in any official capacity, approving or rejecting a it - again, both because that is not my role and because most volunteers probably know more about their tune than I do.

17. Okay, thanks. NOW you're done, right?

Definitely. I think...

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/19/2012:  19:31:30

I just wanted to let any potential volunteers know that I will probably be out of Internet range - amazingly, that is still sometimes possible - much of the day tomorrow (Wednesday), so if you send me a message I might not reply until tomorrow evening. But I will reply.

(and this wasn't a FAQ, so it doesn't count as "not being done".)

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 06/20/2012:  03:25:25

The tune of the week is my favorite of all the topics on the hangout. Thanks for doing the grunt work!

maryzcox - Posted - 06/20/2012:  06:04:14

Hello Bret,
Would be happy to do TOTW either the first or second week of August if either of those times are available. Let me know :)
Thanks for all you do,
Mary Z Cox

blockader - Posted - 06/20/2012:  07:47:59

did you put me back down?

-justin

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/20/2012:  15:20:55

quote:

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Originally posted by maryzcox



Hello Bret, Would be happy to do TOTW either the first or second week of August if either of those times are available. Let me know :) Thanks for all you do, Mary Z Cox

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 Thanks, Mary.  I've sent you a message re the date.  Bret

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/20/2012:  15:22:23

quote:

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Originally posted by blockader

did you put me back down?

-justin

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 I did (meant to let you know that when I posted yesterday). Message sent re the date.  Bret

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/20/2012:  15:23:37

quote:

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Originally posted by BANJOJUDY



The tune of the week is my favorite of all the topics on the hangout. Thanks for doing the grunt work!

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 It's my favorite as well, so I am happy to do what I can to keep it going.  Thanks for getting it started 204 weeks ago!  

SCclawman - Posted - 06/21/2012:  08:01:35

Bret,

I sent you a PM yesterday morning but haven't heard back. Did you get it?

vrteach - Posted - 06/21/2012:  08:28:50

Having the link to the sortable (vrteach.org/totw)list advertised here made me bring it up to date. I hadn't been updating my site because I'd rather build a new one, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

Oh, and if people find mistakes there or in the "sticky index" here on the BHO, let me know. I don't always proofread correctly.

18. How can I be notified of a new TOTW? Join the Tune of the Week Group. The poster of a new TOTW can link it to the group, and all member will get an email of it, or when I notice the new TOTW I will do the link.

Edited by - vrteach on 06/21/2012 08:36:04

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 06/21/2012:  09:25:10

Just received 93 of the same message on this thread.  Is anyone else getting multiples of the same thing?

Never happened before.

Judy

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/21/2012:  15:05:42

quote:

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Originally posted by SCclawman

Bret,

I sent you a PM yesterday morning but haven't heard back. Did you get it?

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 I've double-checked my account and don't see the message - don't know what happened.  Sorry about that. 

Just sent you a PM.

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 06/21/2012:  17:38:30

quote:

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Originally posted by vrteach

Having the link to the sortable (vrteach.org/totw)list advertised here made me bring it up to date. I hadn't been updating my site because I'd rather build a new one, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

Oh, and if people find mistakes there or in the "sticky index" here on the BHO, let me know. I don't always proofread correctly.

18. How can I be notified of a new TOTW? Join the Tune of the Week Group. The poster of a new TOTW can link it to the group, and all member will get an email of it, or when I notice the new TOTW I will do the link.

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Thanks for setting up and taking care of both the sortable list and the TOTW Group.