LDT

WOW! I just wonder if younger folk today actually 'GET' Laurel & Hardy, or if you have to be of a certain vintage? I prefer Harold Lloyd IMO http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oNciu2l5Opg I find Laurel & Hardy a bit...annoying.

Why not? You play anglo. So you just have to make sure you're playing a push note when the sneeze erupts. And cover everyone/my concertina in snot?

I've even got a little wax seal so I can seal my letters and a proper calligraphy pen....

The internet community has corrupted this one. Back in my university days, "LoL" was often used as an abbreviation for "Lots of Love" in (handwritten) letters. (LDT and others, look that up in your prehistory books. ) But now, alas, instead of a term of endearment, it has been degraded to a term of amusement... "laughing out loud" (or, as others have indicated, with some other conjugation of "laugh"). and ROFL means Rolling On Floor Laughing

SO i've held it off for as long as a could but I seem to have got that horrid cold/flu going around. Its going to put a crimp in my practicing. Sneezing and squeezing just don't mix.

O, yes! My favourite way of waiting for the power to come on again! I work at a PC, so a power cut gives me a break from work. And I can find my instruments - all of them acoustic - in the dark, too. Concertina and autoharp are easy to play during a power cut - you can't really see what you're doing anyway, even with electric light. Playing up the neck of the banjo blind is more of a challenge, but I suppose, according to CPE Bach, it's better for me By the way, how did CPE hit on the idea? They didn't have power cuts in his day, did they? I really pity the folks who only play electric guitar or keyboard Cheers, John my brother decided to compete with me on music front he other room. He was in the dining room...me in the living room...each getting louder trying to drown each other out...him with the music he likes and me with the tunes I like. Don't think the neighbours appreciated it at 9pm...

Now I understand that "born in the wrong century" comment in your sig. It's so difficult to get real whalebone these days. It uses plastic bone-ing (cheaper)..nearly got the one with metal bone-ing though. (can't belive I'm discussing corsets on a concertina forum)

There was a powercut last night. Fortunately my laptop was fully charged (will put up the recording I made tomorrow...couldn't find my usb dongle in the dark)....but maybe it was the authentic atmosphere (you can't see much in candlelight can you?) but I sat there for two hours practicing away...managed to find the buttons better.

So it might be simplest, LDT, for you and your mum to find out what type of music and dances are happening near you, and get involved in that! all the best Samantha Just had to find out what type of dance to google. lol! I found this http://freespace.virgin.net/da.cowell1/grandindex.html its just down the road too.

You sad pair, even I know that. It's short for 'laughs out loud'. Youngsters use it because they haven't got the ability to convey humour intrinsically in a sentence. I blame the schools... Oy! *shouts the resident youth* lol means laugh out loud....to denote amusement or sometimes sarchasum its interchangeable with emotes. PICA.....short for Picachu?

ooh..look what I just found... http://recollections.biz/Merchant2/merchan...roduct_Count=16 now why is all the nice stuff in the USA....bet the shipping will cost a bundle

I wonder if you can play it on a squeezebox too?

My mum knows the Ballroom waltz English and Viennese...it that the same as a more 'folk' waltz? (she's been doing Ballroom and latin for 8 years) Also whats the difference between a Ceildh, Barn Dance, country dance and contra dance?

Gee, LDT, I wish it was the in thing for gents to wear nostalgic outfits! I'd like to wear waistcoats a lot more, so I could use my Dad's old watch with the lovely silver chain. And I even have an old Irish linen shirt with a starched front, and collar-studs, but unfortunately no collars to go with it ... I'm also very fond of Victorian and Edwardian songs. My first presentable piece on the Crane duet (nearly ready for recording!) will be "Home, Sweet Home" I've got the songs, got the concertina (and the equally Edwardian zither-banjo) - now all I need is the togs to go with them! Cheers, John Didn't you know...vintage is in this season!

Interesting! At the time the concertina was invented, I believe ladies always wore corsets. Come to think of it, gentlemen wore starched stand-up collars at that time, so they probably kept their heads up, and didn't slouch either. Perhaps we should all be playing the concertina in Victorian or at least Edwardian dress! It helps me anyway. Well I do have several 'Edwardian' outfits...just got to find a authentic looking skirt now...I've purchased some laceup boots...got pleanty of white frilly blouses and 2 velvet jackets and one in a kind of silky flock wallpaper style. I dress 'edwardian' during the winter..coz its warmer. LDT, You sound like more of a traditionalist than I am. The extent of my eccentric dress would be either smoking jacket and cap with pipe hanging from my mouth or suit and tie with a flat cap like the old players from East Anglia I have on an unreleased DVD filmed by a friend of mine 40 years ago when he worked for the BBC in a pub session, featuring many of the famous oldtimers. Well if I tried that it wouldn't look authentic. I go for more of a Gibson Girl/Mary Poppins look. I don't dress like it all the time...don't have enough outfits. But rather than actually buying vintage I try to create the 'look' with modern clothes. I originally bought the corset for a 'ball' I went to. But I do think that this brings up a valuble point does what you wear affect your posture and thus how you play?

Interesting! At the time the concertina was invented, I believe ladies always wore corsets. Come to think of it, gentlemen wore starched stand-up collars at that time, so they probably kept their heads up, and didn't slouch either. Perhaps we should all be playing the concertina in Victorian or at least Edwardian dress! It helps me anyway. Well I do have several 'Edwardian' outfits...just got to find a authentic looking skirt now...I've purchased some laceup boots...got pleanty of white frilly blouses and 2 velvet jackets and one in a kind of silky flock wallpaper style. I dress 'edwardian' during the winter..coz its warmer.

I changed to the sofa from sitting on the bed coz my back kept hurting..but I find wearing a corset stops that aching..it makes me sit up properly.

Speaking of "pumping" and/or "controlling": Which hand do you do it with? One or both? Not thought about it before..probably depends what side of the sofa I'm sitting on...coz the armrest gets in the way.

So this is a question my mum asked me..and well I didn't have a clue. What's the difference between a jig, reel, waltz etc. How many types are there? And how does the music relate to the dance I.e. which tunes goes with which type of dance? and where can she learn the dances?

That sounds a bit like my playlist. Well I've got Nirvana, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and AFI (Sing for Sorrow fab album) on CD. I used to be (and still am) a grunge fan....aparently now its called 'Emo' Did you take the offer up in the end...I'd love to hear a grunge concertina.

Let me tell you a tale of how my music lessons at senior school were like. The lesson consisted of the first 10mins being spent trying to find the books (which always seemed to go missing) then we'd be constantly told not to touch the keyboards. While the rest of the lesson was spent making up mnumonics for 'FACE' etc. The rest of the time the two music teachers would have 'pen fights' and once even had a chair race down the corridor. The nearest we got to any music was listening to a peice of music and writing an essay about it. And you wonder why I'm not musical....

surely if your house has central heating there would be no trouble with the cold tempretures?

I don't even have a tape player at all... Its cd or mp3 player for me. which reminds me I need to get a new mp3 player...I broke the other one. I have a camera which takes photos, does youtube ready videos and records sound...not bad for a £100. and it takes up less room than storing lots of tapes.

Did the sweep burst into song and dance? "Chim-chiminy-chim-chim cheri....I sweep is as lucky as lucky can be..." That was just a film. And there I was thinking it was a gritty documentary.

What is the driving force in Ireland do you think? I did notice that parents who were not involved in my generation can be very strong in supporting their kids to the extent that Anglos are at a premium!. In England we have nothing like the organised structure of Comhaltas.. We don't tend to go in for competitions or even talent competitions and youngsters have to be from 'folkie' familes to get exposed young and go to trad festivals . Even radio awards etc. go to people who have developed a skill but there is no development work by such agencies. Even though we have had some regional folk development agencies they are being screwed down as money is diverted to the next Olympics! Maybe the CCE branches in England are our best hope for trad ( Irish) Maybe someone from Folkworks in the North East of England can comment As a young person...I stumbled upon this instrument by accident...if I hadn't been watching the BBC festival coverage, I'd never of seen Bellowhead, never of got the albums, or discovered Spires & Boden, never have joined the forum and found out about these instruments I'd not even heard of before. Really I think someone aught to go round schools and give talks about this stuff....or offer lessons at youth clubs. Well crime amoungst youngsters is always blamed on there being nothing to occupy them...why not concertina lessons? Plus they'd spend all there money on a concertina..wouldn't have any left to buy alcohol/drugs etc.