Leeds Playday 9/2/08 - Updated Thread Options

[skylark]

This is the new thread for the Leeds Playday (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Full details are as follows, but just a couple of points to mention...

I have received applications from members whose level of ability ranges right through from Grade 1 to Grade 7/8, and parts can be supplied for all levels of ability, so if you're not yet used to ensemble playing, this is an ideal opportunity to make a start (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Members' train times of arrival are varying from just after noon to around 1.30pm - Headingley station is only just down the road from the college (or up the road if you're walking (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)) so I don't think it will be a problem to make a few runs. We can all liaise on this again nearer the time.

If anyone is thinking of coming and has a query, please feel free to post on the thread or PM me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


-----------------------------------

♫ PLACE and TIME

It will take place on Saturday 9 Febuary at The Yorkshire College of Music & Drama in Headingley Leeds (see map).

We can arrive at the college any time from around 1.15pm - if anyone wants to arrive earlier, let me know and I'll see if it can be arranged. We'll start playing at 2pm, but if anyone can't make it for 2pm, just come when you can. We'll have a break for tea mid-afternoon, and carry on playing until 5.30pm, then pack up for 5.45pm. A few of us might be up for going for a drink/bite to eat afterwards if anyone wants to.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If anyone wants transport from/to the station, I'm sure we can arrange something.... It might be helpful if travellers could get a train to Headingley station, but don't worry if this is awkward timings - Leeds City Station will probably be fine as long as I can make sure there's somebody at the college to greet people if I do the picking up.


♫ MUSIC

Hillyb has very kindly agreed to sort out the music - many thanks hillyb! She will need to know what instrument(s) you want to play and what level you are. Most instruments can be accommodated - the only instrument with a question mark over it is piano... there is only one piano, so only one pianist can be included in the group and it's possible that not all the music we play will have a piano part. But if any pianist would like to come, please do contact either hillyb or myself to see what can be arranged (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


♫ FEE

There will be a playing fee of £10, which will be payable on the day, preferably by cheque, made payable to "Forum Events (Yorkshire)". The purpose of the playday is mainly to give playing/ensemble/sightreading experience to adults, although a limited number of places will be available for members or children of members over the age of 12 years. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult, and no fee will be payable by an accompanying adult.


♫ APPLYING

If there are any new members out there who would like to come, it would be great to meet you! If you would like to know more about playdays in general, go to this thread - Forum Concerts and other events - which gives lots of information on all the different types of forum event, including playdays. There are some links to pictures of us as well, so that if you're wondering about meeting up with "internet strangers", you can see that we look quite normal.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Anyone who didn't come to the Leeds concert will need to register an application form with me for health/safety and security purposes - please contact me for details. If I've already got your contact information, unless it's changed since last June, you don't need to send another form in - just let me know if you're coming.


Playdays are very informal - we all play together, no-one is put on the spot, and beginners are very welcome as well as more experienced players. Look forward to meeting up with friends old and new (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[skylark]

I've had an idea....

It may not be a good one, but I thought I'd bounce it off the people who are coming to the Playday....



Let's say we have two or three playdays a year, and more or less the same people come to each one... what would you think to each one of us (those who wanted to, that is) taking a turn at entertaining the others with a solo? It would just be 3 minutes out of the afternoon, it would be a bit of extra "performance confidence" experience for the person whose turn it was, and everyone who wanted to would get a turn eventually... I would suggest that it was only the adult players who took a turn because it's adults who get the fewest playing opportunities, and that if we do it, the first "turn" could be offered to anybody who is doing an exam this session.


It's just an idea.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Could the people who are coming let me have comments either on the thread or via email please (irrespective of whether you're an adult player or a parent)....

Thank you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[primrose]

Sounds good to me. The non-soloists would probably be glad to take a break, albeit not a very peaceful one. I'm happy to inflict my own playing on anyone who is willing to be in the same room, but I'm not all that keen on spending an afternoon listening to other people's playing just so that I can retaliate with a bit of my own. This idea seems a good compromise. I'm not sure I'll be coming to Leeds regularly, though - depends how much fun it is!

[Ms.Fiddle]

Sounds like a great idea, I'd be happy to do a solo, that way everyone else gets to realize their playing isn't as bad as they thought. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Seriously though, it sounds like a good idea. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[nova]

Sounds ok, but the attraction for me personally was the prospect of an afternoon's playing with other people in a relatively relaxed but busy kind of way.
I'm not so keen myself on the introduction of solo slots because it might interrupt that, and it's only a short afternoon after all.
Just my opinion though!
N

[Ms.Fiddle]

Sounds ok, but the attraction for me personally was the prospect of an afternoon's playing with other people in a relatively relaxed but busy kind of way.
I'm not so keen myself on the introduction of solo slots because it might interrupt that, and it's only a short afternoon after all.
Just my opinion though!
N

A very valid point.

[primrose]

Sounds ok, but the attraction for me personally was the prospect of an afternoon's playing with other people in a relatively relaxed but busy kind of way.
I'm not so keen myself on the introduction of solo slots because it might interrupt that, and it's only a short afternoon after all.

I would agree if there were going to be several solo slots, but a single 3-minute breather might be welcome.

[SaxFan]

only the adult players who took a turn because it's adults who get the fewest playing opportunities,

I feel sure that non-adults would also benefit - don't think youngsters should be excluded.

[skylark]

I'm not sure I'll be coming to Leeds regularly, though - depends how much fun it is!

No pressure then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)


Seeing as there are mixed views, what would those of you who are coming think to saying that if any of the adult players has an exam coming up and would particularly like to get some solo experience, they could play through one of their pieces (would probably last less than 3 mins) in front of the audience, but it wouldn't be a regular occurrence - it would just be like a birthday treat (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Are there any adult players coming who have an exam this session anyway (email/PM me if you'd rather)

Or we could just drop the idea (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[nova]

I'm not sure I'll be coming to Leeds regularly, though - depends how much fun it is!

No pressure then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)


Seeing as there are mixed views, what would those of you who are coming think to saying that if any of the adult players has an exam coming up and would particularly like to get some solo experience, they could play through one of their pieces (would probably last less than 3 mins) in front of the audience, but it wouldn't be a regular occurrence - it would just be like a birthday treat (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Are there any adult players coming who have an exam this session anyway (email/PM me if you'd rather)

Or we could just drop the idea (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I will be doing an exam this term and I have no objection to playing a solo, (it isn't my birthday for some time however!) I was just aware that there would be some time constraints and the focus initially seemed to be more on playing than performance.
N

[skylark]

I will be doing an exam this term and I have no objection to playing a solo, (it isn't my birthday for some time however!) I was just aware that there would be some time constraints and the focus initially seemed to be more on playing than performance.

Yes you're absolutely right Nova, it is very much primarily about playing rather than performance (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think my idea came about because I view the ensembles as having a purpose, that purpose being to give people more confidence, experience etc (as well as being a pleasurable way to spend an afternoon of course! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)) And taking 3 minutes out just seemed like a another good way to enable people to add to their experience/confidence, which wouldn't detract too much from the primary focus and everyone would be offered a turn at over a period of time.


Can I suggest then that if Nova would like to, she is given the opportunity to perform one of her exam pieces (let's say just before the tea-break). That will give us all an idea as to what effect a solo slot has on the afternoon, and then sometime before the next Playday, I'll ask everybody whether they want to continue with the "slot" idea or drop it...

Would that be OK? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)


(If there's more than one person doing an exam this session, erm, erm.... oh let's cross that bridge if we come to it, it might not happen! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif))

[Ms.Fiddle]

That sounds fine to me.

Is there a reason the playdays are only 3 or 4 hours?

That's more of a play afternoon. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

There are people (me for one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) ) that will be travelling longer than they are playing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I'm not complaining, just curious.

[skylark]

That sounds fine to me.

Is there a reason the playdays are only 3 or 4 hours?

That's more of a play afternoon.

There are people (me for one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) ) that will be travelling longer than they are playing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

The Market Harborough playdays have always been an afternoon, so I was just going by that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

One of the deciding factors is the amount of music that the leader has to provide. The leader has to make sure that the music and parts are suitable for all the instruments that are coming and all levels. I don't know, but I imagine it takes quite a lot of time finding suitable pieces and possibly re-arranging some of the parts to get them to the right level for the players. It might be difficult for the leader time-wise to provide music for sessions that were much longer than an afternoon. But I might be speaking out of turn here... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Also, having been to a few of these playdays, I have to say that I've been quite tired by the end! Sightreading for an afternoon is good experience, but because you're concentrating hard, it is quite tiring and I've been ready to call it a day by the end! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

As far as the venue is concerned, I was talking to the college people last night and they said that because the college is open in the morning anyway, as far as they're concerned we can start at whatever time we like. I know at least one person is arriving just after noon, so from that point of view, there is no reason why we couldn't start earlier.

So I could throw another idea into the pot (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) ...

...as I say, it is very tiring to sightread for a whole afternoon - I would say try it this time, and then let me know if you'd like a longer session next time, and if it's what most other people want as well, I'll see if it's feasible to do that music-wise next time. In the meantime, the only other thing I can think of to extend the event is to tack on, say, half-an-hour for solo performances - a mini-concert in other words. There wouldn't be many people in the audience, but you'd get to be on the stage to perform (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I know there's one person arriving just after mid-day and if others wanted to come earlier as well, we could have a mini-concert from say, 12.45-1.15pm, adults or children to perform. I'd probably have to leave at some point to go and pick others up from the station, but I don't think that would matter, as long as somebody was willing to be left in charge in case anything of a health/safety/security nature cropped up (and I probably ought to check with the college on this).

I'm open to suggestions about extending the afternoon if people would like to.... this is a new event for Leeds and as long as everybody has a good time and gets what they want out of it, then the format can be flexible (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (as long as it's feasible (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif))

[skylark]

Update... The consensus is that a longer ensemble session would be good and hillyb's fine with that. So we'll start playing at about 1pm (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Will liaise with everybody on pick-up times from Headingley station nearer the day when everyone knows what time they're arriving. It will just take a few minutes to get up to the college from Headingley station by car.

[Babybird]

Sounds good (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)