The summer may have ended, but Eurosession lives on!
On Thursday 10 September, you have another chance to join our virtually mediated, Eurosession get-together, this time with a Swedish music workshop taught by the talented John-Francis Goodacre.
Venue: Zoom
Times:
8:00 – 9:00pm Music workshop
9:00 – 11:00 pm Open session.
If you plan to share a tune, it may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature in your Zoom settings before the session (you’ll also need to use a computer and not a phone/tablet).
Donations. We invite participants to make a donation of around £5 to Sheffield Eurosession if you enjoy the evening and this is affordable for you. Donate via our website.
About the workshop:
Transport yourself to the forests and dance floors of western Sweden!
John-Francis Goodacre is a fiddle player from Leicestershire who has lived and studied music in Sweden, where he immersed himself in the fiddle traditions of Scandinavia. In this workshop he will teach a Swedish dance tune, focusing on the rhythm and energy that makes this music irresistible to dance to. The workshop will be taught by ear, and will pay special attention to fiddle technique and bowings – though all instruments are welcome!
The rest of the evening should provide the same experience as the our previous virtual sessions’ – marvellous musicians, delicious dancing, and a bit of chatting. Here are some tips for maximum enjoyment:
Everyone:
To switch views between one musician and all participants, see top right on your screen, or https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362323-How-Do-I-Change-The-Video-Layout- Please mute your audio when you are not speaking / leading the music, and use the Chat feature for background communication. There are also likely to be intermissions for general chat and catching up.
Musicians:
In our sessions we prioritise tunes from the balfolk scene and other traditional dancing genres from across Europe (preferably not English and Irish, because we have plenty of those in other local sessions!).
In the Zoom sessions, only one person (or device) can broadcast at any one time; if you want to play a tune then put a note in the chat about the genre of dance you’ll be playing for – this will help the session organisers to figure out a running order. A few of our session regulars will be on hand to get the music going.
When you’ve been chosen to lead, it’s helpful to tip the dancers off about the dance type you’ll be playing, then select Original Sound (top left) when you want to play, and turn it off again for normal voice transmission.
Dancers:
Get your dance shoes on; if you have a danceable space, book it for the evening, You can attempt to dance the right genre of dance at the right time (albeit half a beat behind!). More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! Or turn your video off if you feel freer dancing in private.
Eurosession is an inclusive and caring space for all.
Invite your co-space-sharing mates / family / teddy-bear along if appropriate 🙂
See you soon,
xx Eurosesh