The joyful day!

Here it is! The MidAmericon 2 Concert Schedule! Now with updates!

Wednesday
3pm - Classic Filk Campfire Singalong - Erwin S. (Filthy Pierre) Strauss
4pm - Lauren Cox / Blind Lemming Chiffon
5pm - Deirdre Murphy / Lynn Gold
6pm - Mel White / Howard Scrimgeour
7pm - Cheshire Moon

Thursday
1pm - Clifford McMurray / Bill Laubenheimer
2pm - Bill & Brenda Sutton
3pm - 2x10 Open Mic
4pm - Gary Ehrlich / Trickster & King
5pm - Roberta Rogow / Moira Greyland
6pm - Jen Midkiff
7pm - Kathy Mar

Friday
Noon - David Kushner / Katie Daniels
1pm - Sarah Pinsker / Michael Nixon
2pm - 2x10 Open Mic
3pm - Three Fifths
4pm - Cat Faber / Erin Wilcox
5pm - Canticles

Saturday
1pm - Bradley Denton / Cat Greenberg
2pm - 2x10 Open Mic
3pm - Anna Raftery
4pm - Tomboat

All concerts are in 2505A in the Kansas City Convention Center
Sign up in the music room for the 2X10s, first come first served!

Please feel free to post this anywhere you think it should be posted!
dragon guitar, guitar

FilkNet problems

FilkNet seems to be having trouble at present. The UK server is refusing connections (after a short wait), and the US server is closing connections because it can't talk to identd (which isn't all that surprising, as firewalls along the route will be blocking it)...
duck

Before the Dawn

BEFORE THE DAWN @ Worldcon
We are planning to put on a performance of Before the Dawn, the filk rock musical, at the London Worldcon in August. This will be a longer, more ambitious production than that put on at AXXIdental in 2009, and will therefore include more songs. While many of the performers, who took part last time, will be reprising their roles, there are some principal roles that need filling.

Mailing List
We held a discussion session at Semibreve, and a number of people wrote their contact details etc on a sign-up sheet, from which I have prepared a mailing list. There has been one mailing so far, so if you thought you had signed up and didn't get my email, please contact me at one of the email addresses below.

Auditions
We will be holding auditions for the following three principal roles on Saturday 29th March, starting promptly at 2.00 p.m. at the Mill House in Werrington. I suggest people aim to arrive by 1.00 p.m. so that you have time to recover from the journey.

The Prince – light baritone
This is the central, star role and the one with the most songs. The character is a naive young idealist who has to grow up and thus matures into a leader.

The Sergeant – baritone
This role provides some necessary comic relief. The character is not the brightest star in the firmament, but he's a good, reliable soldier who knows his job and, as a mercenary, has a very professional attitude to his contracts. He has one full song of his own, some reprises plus some solo lines in new songs written for this performance.

The Magdalene – contralto
This very important character is a young, somewhat immature prostitute, whose life, since she came to the city, has been particularly harsh, and as a result knows the price of everything. Events then conspire to teach her their value as well. She has four solo songs and parts in others including the new numbers written since the performance at AXXIdental.

Scores and midi files are available for Magdalene's songs, and I have been assured that scores and midi files will be available for the Prince's and the Sergeant's songs by Thursday morning.

Anyone interested in any of the above roles please prepare an audition piece that shows off what you can do, both as a singer and as an actor. This audition piece can be anything you like: a song from a show, a filk song, something from the top ten, anything. It would also be useful if you could be familiar with at least one song sung by the character you're auditioning for.

If you fancy trying out for one of these roles, please contact me in the first instance at either vhousden at cix dot co dot uk or at nmc dot conductor at gmail dot com , preferably by Wednesday evening (GMT) and by Friday evening (GMT) at the latest.

If you want to try for one of these roles but are not available on Saturday 29th March, please contact me any way.

Chorus and other roles
We also need some people to be Reivers, Townsfolk, Priests, Knights of the Drunkard's Moon, Shadow of the Tower, etc. And some of the new songs are written for the "chorus". While we will not be auditioning for the chorus on Saturday, if you are interested in being one of these "chorus" characters, please contact me, preferably this week.

Let's make this happen, folks!

Housefilk Alert!

There will be a housefilk at the home of Deb Wunder, 2451 East 26 Street, Ground Floor, Brooklyn, NY, on Sunday, February 10th, 2013, from 1 pm to approximately 5 pm. The housefilk will be followed by a short concom meeting for Contata 2014.

This is NOT a kosher home, so the host requests that those who wish kosher munchies please bring them. She will provide fresh veggies, and such munchies as are usual, although donations of food/munchies are always welcome.

There are two cats on the premises, and one roommate, who some of you already know. Extra folding chairs are welcome, as there are not huge amounts of chairs in the house yet.

If you need info on where she is located, or how to get there, please email otherdeb@gmail.com (or leave a comment here with your email). Comments will be screened.
This entry was originally posted at http://otherdeb.dreamwidth.org/366572.html. You can comment here, or there using OpenID or your Dreamwidth ID. comments there so far.
Uber Geek Tim

That long-awaited progress report

I posted this to <a href="http://archiver-tim.livejournal.com/25107.html">my journal</a> a couple of days ago.  Here it is for those of you who might have missed it.

Tim Ryan Christmas Letter 2012 - December 25, 2012

     First of all let me tell you I am alive and doing better than I was just 6 months ago.  That includes physical and mental heath—with help form many sources.  Good enough to go back to college—more on that below.

nbsp; Now I take you to early 2011 when I stopped making mortgage payments.  Still no job, ran out of savings from work contract I was on in 2005 and 2006; running out of money from 501k savings.  I'd get a nibble at a job or three that seem to end up going nowhere, but holding me in suspense all the while. It caught up with me.  By October I was facing foreclosure and had 6 months to do something or get out.  I stuck my head in the sand.

nbsp; In April 2012 I was given the 30 day notice to get out of the house in front of a county judge.  May was quite frantic as I did finally go into panic with the email I sent out at the start of May 2012. Part of that month was spent trying to get housing.  I ended up at the shelter in downtown Ann Arbor.

nbsp; I came in severely depressed, in need of new glasses, hurting from leg and foot pain, not sleeping regular hours and otherwise messed up. Slowly by the shelter and other help organizations I began to improve.  I got pills for sleeping, generic Prozac for mood, eye exam, prescription and new glasses (that took several months to finish up).  Therapy, job counseling, help from a non-profit and a state agency there to help because of my disabilities.  In that time, the Heath Clinic finally confirmed I am diabetic.  Taking pills for that now.

n   At about the time I was ready to update you all about how well I was doing, I get a letter saying it was time to leave the shelter.  Upon recommendation of some staff I appealed and got an extension from the head of the shelter.  As a result of that, a new plan for me was developed:  go back to college.

n   I applied and was admitted to Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, MI.  Then line up financial aid, Pell Grant and possible Federal loans.  Get class counseling, schedule and register for classes that will start on January 14th.  Between now and then I need to start looking for a place to stay, part of the search will be done by my Case Manager.  I’m excited about getting classes in Linux/UNIX programming and also JAVA programming.  The schedule also includes Algebra & Trig Math class and a class on Keyboarding—just a final 1 credit class to put me at the full time level of 12 credit hours.   Anything less than 12 would cut financial aid to 75%.  I know most of the fellow students will be younger than me and I think I can be comfortable with instructors younger than me.  The campus will give me plenty of walking to do.

n   For the expenses I have, I have been living off money from sale of possessions and help I have been getting from siblings and those from my science fiction family, some of it very generous.  I even got $20 from one fellow SF fan in England that found about my plight on Live Journal—someone I may or may not have seen at one of the SF conventions.

nbsp; Of the big expenses, I just had $666 worth of work done on the car—rear brakes and the gaskets that were leaking.   Also a $387 payment for car insurance is due on January 1st and again on March 1st to make up the half-year policy.  Other expenses while going to college will include rent, utilities, gas for the car, and other things that may include a near-new computer and internet access.

I can be reached by email at gmail where my handle is TimRyanAA.  Email me if you wish my phone number, the phone is a SafeLink Tracfone and I pay by the minute for purchased air-time after using up the 120 minutes of free minutes per month.  Internet time has been at the Ann Arbor Public libraries as the shelter does not provide plug-in or WiFi for clients.

nbsp; If you want to help me, the quickest way would be by making a gift to me on PayPal at the above email address.  I also use:

PO Box 3463

Ann Arbor, MI 48106 – my personal PO Box, or

PO Box 7370

Ann Arbor, MI 48107 – the collective box for the shelter, or

312 W Huron Street

Ann Arbor, MI 48103 – the physical address of the shelter.  All you need is my name above the address.

nbsp;  May you have a wonderful Holiday season, Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.

-Tim Ryan

sheep inside

Pics from Concertino!


Rock on!
Originally uploaded by FilkerDave.

Pics from Concertino! In a typically lazy fashion, I haven't labeled most of them. There are also fewer than normal because my good camera is still out of commission, so I was working with the backup that I bought in York -- doesn't do nearly as good a job from my normal spot behind the soundboard!The full set of pictures is on Flickr. As usually, feel free to snag any pictures of you or your family members.


comment count unavailable DW comments

This entry was originally posted on my Dreamwidth journal. You may comment there or here.
monkeyservant

(no subject)

Is there a source for Cecilia Eng lyrics and/or recordings? My wife and I both have that beautiful song of hers where all the lyrics are Tai Chi poses going through or heads, but we can't remember the name of the song or the lyrics.  Thanks.
Uber Geek Tim

How Big Is My Field Recorded Filk Archive?

This is related to a post I made earlier, below.  I worked on this over the evening.

How Big Is My Field Recorded Filk Archive? Tim Ryan AA (that's Ann Arbor, MI)

I worked this rather lengthy post up as I know how much I have, those who seen me recording at the Michigan and nearby convention would get an idea. 

In the 25 years that I had been field recording filk circles and concerts, some you may know how often I could be seen with one recorder or another. Centering here in Michigan I covered ConFussion, Nova, GrandCon, ConTraption, Conamonzoo and ConClave. Out-of-state to me conventions included Marcon, InConjunction, RiverCon, ConText, OVFF and ChambannaCon.

In 1986 I discovered that my battery operated portable HiFi VHS VCR could be used to record audio only, taking advantage of the HiFi part of the machine where that track had a fidelity and headroom about 4 times what a reel-to-reel machine running at 7 & 1/2 inches per second. Battery operation removed power supply hum. A Shure Omnisphere michrophone was used to feed both stereo tracks. Later, I found some stereo microphones to use. Also, in 1987, I started using a camera for some recording, mostly concerts and special events, like parody plays. I count near 115 VHS tapes filling up to 2 hours each. They would cost from $5 early on to $2 later on. That collection ends with ConFussion in 1991. Collectively, in the cabinet, they probably weigh over a hundred pounds. I still have that VCR used to record, though it and some other machines do not cut out the audio when there is no video present. They have been made to make transfers. I made only a few audio cassettes from that collection.

In 1991, I got a portable Digital Audio Tape (DAT) recorder and started using that audio only format, again at most conventions named above. DAT is much more compact, giving the same 2 hours per tape or even 4 hours on a 120 tape at Extemded Play. These tapes also include my basement tapes. Quite literally, recordig from the HouseSings I had here circa 1991 to 1994, tapes I thought I was going to listen to the stuff I missed and then reuse the tape, but saving them saved some of Dave Alway's performance. The portable machine must have died in 1997, as the third tub of tapes ends with ConClave 1997 with a set of audio cassettes for some OVFF 1997. I think these DAT cassettes cost near $5 then as they do now. The 90 or so tapes weigh a lot less than the VHS tapes, but could contain over 270 hours of material. I have a Sony DTC-ZE700 that can go with those tapes to play them back.

The MiniDisc collection seems to be much smaller, about 40 discs with another 15 that still seem to be blank. These cover 2000 to 2004, staying to Michigan cons and OVFF. A Sony MZ-R55 portable player/recorder could come with these allong with a Sony MDS-JE440 MiniDisc deck.

Almost all of these were recorded in circles and concerts without in room amplification, so they do not contain that double pickup sound.

I also have over 144 filk company produced audio cassettes ranging from production before when I started buying them in 1986 to what could be called the end of the cassette era. These include a couple of Merceds Lackey rerely listened to tapes that some have been seeking to listen to a lot. In fact a lot of them seem to be listened to very little, with those that were played a lot getting a second copy purchased.

There are also about 100 Filk audio Cds on my shelf with an additional 100 Dementia/FUMP artist audio Cds, purchases supporting those artists.

Sorry about the uncut length.

Uber Geek Tim

I am sorry I had not acted sooner (mostly a repeat of my LJ post)

Mostly a repeat of my LJ post.  Please have mercy on my soul.

Life is not going well for me.
The house was not getting paid for, put into foreclosure and now I am under an eviction notice. I have lost all investment in the house by not acting when I should have.
Yes, shoulda/coulda, stupid, non-action.
The net result is I have to be out by the end of the month. 
I also have next to no money in the bank.
I am looking for a place for me, a place for my stuff and a way to get it there.
Help would be appreciated. Siblings have also been notified, a sister is working to co-ordinate an effort, but want to iron things out before getting back to me.

The house is in Ann Arbor, MI close to I-94 & US-23, near Stone School & Eisenhower, down Packard from Tios downtown.

I have been trying to get trash out, but what could concern you all is some things you might want. Yes, there are some things I would like to sell or give in consideration for financial help. I also have bunches of things for hauling it away.

The start of that haul away list would be an amazing pile of home recorded VHS tapes, movies, TV shows include Star Trek Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, space exploration stuff, PBS stuff, music programs, movies and more taped off-air. A variety of store bought VHS movies are here also, most that had not replace with a DVD copy. I also
have Star Trek The Original Series on VHS tape, store-bought, along with 9 of the movies, whose value today is much less than when they came out. I also have filk cassettes and CDs that need to get to a new home should I need to extremly reduce. Also, FUMP/Dementia artist CDs and DVDs that would be better passed on than in a dump or confusing someone at a donation center..

A big item, that I hope to get some help with would be all the field recorded filk I have. Close to 25 years of it. Yes, it would be nice to get some finacial reward for it going to someone or someplace that will activly act to get it into an organized archive. This include media and recorders for Mini-Disc, audio DAT and VHS tapes.

I also have books, paperbacks, old pro-fanzines other paper of fan interest.
Actually, what I need is an eBay/Craigslist/Amazon partner(s) who would help be get some dollars for some of this stuff. Would a 40% commision be to little to ask for things that individualy would sell in the $10 to $50 range with many unknowns. I never could start that before and now the clock is ticking on doing it myself. Email if you can help that way (such info below)..

Yes, I do have a Pay-Pal account.

Pass this on to others if you think they would want to know or would like to help (or even punder what I have in the house to save it going to the curb).

E-mail me if you want to stop by or want my phone number to talk, or address to stop by. If you think your reply would be better private back to me, please make it so.
At comcast dot net I am TimRyanAA.
I have set up another email address: at gmail dot com , I am also TimRyanAA that I should be able to get to now and  after the comcast disconnect.

-Tim Ryan
Ann Arbor, MI

Sorry if you think of this as spam or if this was too long.