Northeast Squeeze-in

[Richard Morse]

It's hard for me to believe that NESI is less than two weeks away! At the moment registration appears a little light this year - might be due to many of the accordion-types heading up the Carrefour mondial de l’accordéon and the rest of us forgetting that the event is a few weeks earlier than usual. Even though, all the deluxe accomodations (the Manor and outbuilding rooms) are bespoken for, though there are a few cabin spaces left and lots of woodlands for camping. If you'd like to come - don't wait to the last minute to sign up - we need to know numbers for food planning!

 

One nice difference this year is that we've got a Yahoo group going (you need to be registered for NESI to participate) to discuss ride shares, workshop offerings, orientation, expectations, etc. which will be especially helpful with newbies.

 

So - who plans to be at this year's event?

[Ken_Coles]

Since Rich presumably can look at the registration list at the shop (I'm sure they'll let you see it Rich!), I expect it is also a question of who is not on it and and _might_ add themselves to the list. I of course will be there, having missed last year due to work.

 

Ken

[Richard Morse]

Welcome back Ken!

 

While I *do* have access to who'll be coming I'm not able to say who (our privacy policy), so you're right. This is more of a nudge for folks to sign up if they haven't yet and to create some interest for people not knowing what the event is all about.

[Animaterra]

I'll be there! I missed last year due to kid car expenses taking over my budget. This year I'm going no matter what! I'm really looking forward to it, and I love that it's Labor Day weekend.

[asdormire]

Details?

[Leo]

Details?

http://www.buttonbox.com/s-i.html

 

Thanks

Leo

[asdormire]

Thank you Leo

 

Alan

[Doug Barr]

Hi All I will be there and also Howie L... will be riding up with me. Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Doug Barr

[Animaterra]

I was playing through some old tunes today and came across the processional for the last Squeeze-In I went to, '04: "Noite de Veran" from Milladoiro. Great tune! What will we be playing for the processional this year?

[asdormire]

Okay, call me dense. I read the online flyer, I read the review, I am still not sure what is going on. How about some of you yankees tell me more about the event. What kind of workshops will there be? Will there be things for my string playing wife to be doing if I'm doing concertina stuff? Will the food be something a midwestern farmboy will eat? (okay, the last one is a no brainer, I'll eat damn near anything, though possum is pushing it.) Is it close to the wife's relatives? (I know, not a fair question, shegrew up in the New Bedford area, and then just before he died, her father remarried, so there is steps just south of Boston.) Do people take turns playing for the contra? Is it worth the long drive from Ohio?

 

Alan

[Larry Stout]

I went last year for the first time and alas can't make it this year, but I'll try to answer your questions:

 

Okay, call me dense. I read the online flyer, I read the review, I am still not sure what is going on. How about some of you yankees tell me more about the event. What kind of workshops will there be?

 

The workshops get organized on site through volunteers-- some people will have new tunes, some will be willing to teach style and variation, playing for singing, concertina orchestra, tunes from Quebec, Scadanavia, etc. It could be nearly anything involving instruments you squeeze. There is jamming in several locations (often close enouth together that the effect is a bit cacaphonous). Great fun!

 

Will there be things for my string playing wife to be doing if I'm doing concertina stuff?

Last year I hadn't gotten the strength in my thumbs to play concertina for two days straight so I brought my fiddle. There were occasions to play that too.

 

Will the food be something a midwestern farmboy will eat?

I'm a midwesterner. Last year the food was wonderful.

 

Is it worth the long drive from Ohio?

 

I thought it was well worth the drive from Illinois, about a day west of you.

[Richard Morse]

Okay, call me dense. I read the online flyer, I read the review, I am still not sure what is going on.

There are a lot of reviews (links at the bottom of the page) which go into detail about the way the thing works, workshop offering, concert, dance, shenanigans....

What kind of workshops will there be?

We don't now yet because this is a spontaneous type event. The BBox provides the basic framework and everyone who comes makes it happen. The way workshops work is that we have a bulletin board on which the left side people can suggest/request workshops (on sticky notes) and the right side has a grid of times/places for workshops. Anyone with the interest/skills/knowledge can take a request (or come up with one of their own), put their name as a "leader" and stick it to a time/place slot on the workshop grid - and it happens!

 

Some people premeditate workshops by bringing supporting materials with them (I always bring a stash of marching band music in parts, scored for concertina), Bob (BBox repairs staff) usually brings diagnostic tools for a repairs/maintenance or concertina building class). Some workshops don't *need* "leaders" but for the idea person to make it happen (song swap, new tunes, waltz workshop, etc.). This year I'm planning on having a Hayden tutor workshop - not specifically to teach Hayden stuff (which will probably be another workshop), but to bring together ideas for publishing a Hayden tutor book.

Will there be things for my string playing wife to be doing if I'm doing concertina stuff?

Absolutely. In fact every year there are several people who come who don't play ANY kind of squeezebox at all - but the are musicians. They partake of many of the music-oriented (as opposed to concertina fingering technique) workshops like the yearly reoccurring Morris tunes, Québecois, song swap, etc. And there are jams and sessions galore.... Probably half of the attendees play (and bring) other-than-squeezebox instruments as well. You'll see quite a few fiddles, banjos, penny whistles and recorders... fewer hammered dulcimers, keyboards, basses, bagpipes, guitars, mandolins, etc. Some of the concert acts don't even have a squeezebox in them (a cappella singing, harmonium, harmonica, crank organs, recitations...).

 

One thing that *doesn't* seem to go over well is attendees who don't play any instrument at all. In the early years we used to get a few non-playing spouses who'd get bored silly in a few hours. Unfortunately (for them anyway), Bucksteep is very remote so they ended up reading or trail walking a lot. One year I remember a group of them took off in a van to sight see. They now stay home and let they spouses enjoy being with "their" crowd.

Is it close to the wife's relatives? the New Bedford area

Well, that's relatively close when viewed from Ohio. New Bedford is about a 3 hour drive from NESI, near the other end of the (small to you) state.

Do people take turns playing for the contra?

Sort of.... The way the contradance works is that one of the workshops is a contradance tunes workshop which focuses on some cool tunes and ways of making them expressive/responsive/interesting for dancing. During the dance most of that workshop's attendees WILL be the musicians for the dance - though it's not limited to those folk. Anyone can play for the dance whether you took that workshop or not. The tunes for the contra will probably mostly be tunes used in the workshop. There will be some instrumentation mix that happens (now fiddles strong, boxes lay back... bring in the bass NOW.... flutes take over on the B section here) and some solo shining (okay - shawm time with string riffs...). There is still much improvisation going on during the dance though the time to have the most influence on it would be to go to its workshop.

Is it worth the long drive from Ohio?

People come from much further away than Ohio! Some (like Australia, South Africa, France) find other reasons to augment the trip with and some (mostly people from the UK, Canada and the US) do the trip entirely for it's own merits.

 

-- Rich --

[asdormire]

Okay, then, thanks for all the help. This is obviously far more free form than a bluegrass festival or some of the other music festivals I have attended. That is probably why I was confused, even though I read several of the reviews. On the other hand,I also have to explain this to the scientist wife, who likes everything laid out like one of her experiments. Now we just have to figure out if everything works out to make this reasonable.

 

Again, I appreciate all the help folks have given, both here and in private messages.

 

Alan

[Ken_Coles]

Okay, then, thanks for all the help. This is obviously far more free form than a bluegrass festival or some of the other music festivals I have attended. That is probably why I was confused, even though I read several of the reviews. On the other hand,I also have to explain this to the scientist wife, who likes everything laid out like one of her experiments.

 

I am a scientist (well sort of, I teach astronomy) and I love it! I have made it to 5 of the 9 events since I first attended in 1997, and it is the absolute musical highlight of my year, no exceptions.

 

Ken

[Perry Werner]

 

 

Dang it!!!!!!!!

Can't make it this year. Got family doin's way down south.

Any chance there's a SESI going on in the next few weeks?

 

Have fun.

I'll be thinking of y'all

 

Perry Werner

Edited August 25, 2006 by Perry Werner

[JimLucas]

On the other hand,I also have to explain this to the scientist wife, who likes everything laid out like one of her experiments.

Isn't the goal of a true scientist to test the unknown and discover something new?

[bellowbelle]

NESI....

 

There's the slightest possibility that I'll drive out just for the concert on Saturday, but....don't know yet.

[Michael Reid]

So I drove into Bucksteep Manor last night at about 6:30 pm, only to find out that I had somehow miscalculated and was one week too early for the Squeeze-In!

 

Just kidding! But I was at Bucksteep last night.

 

We were nearing the end of our cross-country drive to bring my older daughter to freshman orientation at Amherst College. After 1900 miles of interstate highway driving, we decided to do the last stretch on local roads. On a whim, I thought I would show my family where I have gone so many years (nine, to be exact) in September.

 

We exited the Mass Pike at Lee, took the now-familiar route (left at Belden Tavern, left again at the "dangerous intersection," etc.) and in a few minutes were at Bucksteep, which was comfortably familiar, except for that fact that it appeared nearly deserted. Oh, and there was a giant white tent down next to the barn -- I'm guessing there will be a wedding reception or similar event there today.

 

From there, it was a 90-minute drive over very foggy back roads through Peru(!), Haydenville(!!), and Northampton, and on into Amherst.

 

My only regret about this trip is that I won't be able to hang around in this part of the country for another week till this year's Squeeze-In. Hope to make it next year!