filk and Nimbus - 2003

[gwendolyngrace <gwendolyngrace@yahoo.com>]

Salutations from the Minister of Magic for Nimbus - 2003!

Sophia Wrote:
> > It doesn't look as if I'll be able to attend Nimbus 2003, but I 
> still have a 
> > suggestion regarding this get-together. Wouldn't it be great if 
it 
> included a 
> > filk-sing-along event?
>

And Amy replied: 
> I probably can't make it either, but I agree, a filk singalong is a 
> must.


Well, here's the thing. 

1. There are issues with filk as performance. I checked with a number 
of sources, and we ran some copyright law searches. There are some 
definite issues. Nothing that can't be worked around, but the kind of 
hassle (or potential hassleand/or cost) that the Nimbus - 2003 team 
thinks would be easier circumvented by not including filk singing as 
part of the scheduled programming.

2. No one put in a proposal to run a filk sing as part of the formal 
programming. One person did ask about mounting a "musical" production 
in the evening, but that's not the same thing. I even contacted a 
couple filk mavens, but they were not planning to attend this year.

3. Our schedule is extremely full as it is. We will be running formal 
daytime programming from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on Friday, and again from 
8:30 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday. We have to end the programming early 
on Saturday for two reasons: first, to allow people enough time to 
get dinner and for those people attending our Founders' Feast to 
travel to EPCOT, eat, and return; and second, for our Audio-Visual 
providers to have time to set up the programming rooms for our Double-
Feature Double-Feature. In addition to the programming presentations 
themselves, there will be a game room, a gallery (possibly running a 
couple workshops), a Quest, and of course, we want people to be able 
to find each other at our "Birds of a Feather" tables. Don't forget 
the night-club, Copa Banana, which will be open for wizard and witch 
partying on Friday night.


Having said all that, I will note, however, that there are a myriad 
number of good places to hang out at the Swan, including our banquet 
room with its Birds-of-a-Feather tables, at least 3 lobbies filled 
with comfy couches and chairs, and even coffee tables on which to lay 
your lyric binders, and let's not leave out attendees' hotel rooms, 
or the lounging areas at the Dolphin, at least twice as many as in 
the Swan. So, if a number of like-minded and intrepid filkers wanted 
to all sit somewhere together and break into spontaneous song... 
well, as long as you're not disturbing your neighbours, far be it 
from me to stop you.

If you ask me nicely, I might sing my house filks for you - and 
that's something you will only get at Nimbus - 2003, because I can 
guarantee you I will never post them to any HPfGU list.

Gwendolyn Grace
(who is, among other things, a professional singer and songwriter)