Time management
- It's polite to be ready to sing when your turn comes. Starting your turn by asking "Hm... What shall I sing?" is not cool.
- That goes double for having to tune an instrument! When your turn comes, start singing.
- Finally, think about the
length of your song. Some people say there should be a five minute limit per person, but in a crowded room five minutes might mean people don't get to sing. If the group is large and you know that time is limited, choose a short song or skip verses. Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" is a great song, but it took him seven and a half minutes to sing it. If you can sing a couple of verses well and then say, "I'm going to stop here so everyone can have a chance to sing", you'll be a hero in your group!
Kindness
- A lot of us are stressed out these days by the US election, Covid, their own and their loved one’s illnesses ... there’s a long list of real concerns that people have. At one time or another, we've all been "goin' down that road feelin' bad"; So, if someone bugs you, or you think they are obviously wrong, or they say something that genuinely offends you... take a moment to breathe deeply. Love them. Don't try to enlighten them, save them, educate them or turn their lives around. Just be kind in the moment.
- Some people have to screw up their courage to sing. A nice word to a newcomer can be very appreciated.
- You might need to do something else during FallSong, like eat lunch, have a conversation or tune your guitar, when someone is singing. Understood – life goes on, even during FallSong! But if it's going to be obvious that you are not paying attention to the singer, you might want to turn your camera off for a while.
- Finally, FallSong is possible because of the time of dozens of unpaid, dedicated volunteers who are doing their best to keep things moving smoothly and on time. Please make it easy for them! Do your part to have things start and end on time and run smoothly.
Sensitivity
A lot of folk music - like everything else - has roots in racism, misogyny, sexism, and other parts of our cultural heritage that may be offensive. We all need to remember that some people are going to be bothered by things that don't bother us, and we want FallSong to be safe and fun for everyone.
Don't think that saying "Oh, it's just a joke" will keep a song or remark from being hurtful. It won’t. In general, it's probably a good practice to avoid any songs that categorize groups of people, whether Irish, transsexual people, women or men. Maybe you can make an exception for a group of which you yourself are a member: for instance, it's probably fine for an old white man to sing a song poking fun at old white men/
Relax
Finally, here's a reminder of an important thing to do so that YOU have good time. Remember that you are unlikely to be either the "best" or "worst" singer in any event, and no one cares anyway. You will find that people are very supportive. Just relax and enjoy FallSong!