An Excellent Evening!

My church had a St. Patrick's Celebration last night! And it was incredibly awesome. Excellent Irish music, excellent corned beef dinner, wonderful fellowship with friends and a particularly unexpected lovely moment for me...
I took my bodhran with me, on the off chance that I might get to play it. (Wore my Utilikilt too!) 

It turns out that my church had a professional music duo, Lucy Allen and Marshall Goers, there to play. They, to my utter surprised delight, invited me up to play with them, were extremely forgiving of my being somewhat rusty, as I am out of practice, and all in all, made me feel most welcome and accepted! What a joy!

Lucy Allen and Marshal Goers

Years ago, while I was never a "professional" musician, or "well known" even, I did reach the level of doing some hometown performances and "playing out" in local venues. I loved it, and it is perhaps not inconceivable that it might have led eventually to at least maybe a small career move in doing it semi-professionally, though I would have never been able to quit my day job, I assure you! But as the poet says, "...way leads on to way..." and I wound up taking different journeys in my life.

Sitting in with Lisa and Marshall

Due to those different choices and directions over the years, I haven't exactly let music pass out of life by any means, but playing my instruments, drum and guitar, has slipped away to take a back seat to other things. Art for one, since that did become a career choice. And the fact that a number of events over the past few years especially have been difficult and even devastating. And this has affected many things in my life. Writing in my blog now is an attempt to work my way quite a few things.

Hence the woefully out of practice part of playing my bodhrán this evening. I will say, that I don't think I actually disgraced myself, but yes, it was obvious I was out of practice for anyone experienced in playing one.

Dreamweaver, by the way, took the pictures!

I do have to say, over the past few years, despite some of the...what is the word I want? Let's just stick to "changes", shall we? Despite the unexpected changes that have jerked me in completely unexpected directions, the impulse to renew my time spent with making music has been growing. Perhaps not in spite of, but because of these changes, even! It has been very hard, however, to break out of years of stasis and neglect of practice; paralysis I'd call it. Meanwhile, the urge to pick up my drum or guitar has kept growing. It's felt a bit like being ground between two exceptionally large mill stones. 

Some serious concentration
going on here! 

So perhaps tonight was a blessed opportunity to break that stasis, get my feet wet again, unlimber those rusty skills and rediscover the joy of making music. Feels good that perhaps it has not slipped away altogether after all! And maybe, just maybe, I can use this wonderful moment as that stepping stone forward to playing more, and letting music back into my life in the way it used to be years ago!

Meanwhile, it was a wonderful St. Patrick's Day moment, 

with the Irish music I love, and I had a blast! 

Tá dea-Lá Fhéile Pádraig go léir! 

Beannaithe Bí !

A Wonderful Weekend....

This past weekend, Jan. 6th through the 9th, we took off for our yearly music convention in Atlanta GA. There have been 14 GAFilks, since their inception in 1998 and I have attended all but one of them. I met my beloved partner, best friend and wife - Dreamweaver - for the first time ever at the first GAFilk Convention. A brief definition of "Filk"must now occur -  filk is a form of music about science fiction and fantasy subjects created from within science fiction and fantasy fandom, often performed late at night by fans sitting in a rough circle and singing or playing instruments at science fiction conventions, though there are now dedicated filk conventions. Its been around for fifty years at least and the word filking arose as a typo of the word "folk" music in a convention memo. What makes it hard to define is that the songs are not all about Sci-Fi/Fantasy subjects, and may reference things like cats, computers, personal faith, space flight, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sometimes real folk music gets performed even. The phrase is "Filk is what Filkers do." thereby encompassing a universe of creativity and connections. 

So....

Last Friday we were off to the Filk, and were pulling into Atlanta at about 4:00 PM

Rolling into and through Atlanta....

(And since I was driving - NO, I did not take these pictures.)

And this is the view from the 11th floor hotel room we checked into...

Rob, our master of ceremonies...

 Having arrived and checked in, we were downstairs for what has become the tradition of the GAFilk Convention - a New Years celebration and countdown. By virtue of always falling on the second weekend of January, GAFilk is the first filk convention of the year, and possibly the first convention in the Scifi/Fantasy Genre, period, of the New Year, too. So there is a countdown, and champagne and sparkling cider and we begin the Con by singing Auld Lang Syne...ALL the verses, including the unpronounceable Scots dialect ones.
There is a great deal of socializing and hugs and joy as over a hundred people see their best filking friends they only get to see once a year, or happily make first time attendees feel welcome and honored too.

Welcome in a new year of Filking! 

At which point, afterwards the singing begins in
earnest in the first open filk of the con.

 The next day as I came down to the con, I encountered the snake! One of our long-time members has a snake who's been going to the con about as long as I have - a Ball Python named Spot. This however, was not Spot...Spot has a new traveling companion, a much younger and smaller ball python named Saffron...I immediately went to meet the new snake, and got to hold him while his owner visited elsewhere in the filk room.

Me and Saffron, the Ball Python....

Saffron and I visiting - we both dozed a bit for a bit...

I wish at this point to add a wonderful thing that happened. As you see in the picture above, my convention name tag says "Cameron". While Cameron is one of my actual legal names, it is not the uber feminine one I grew up being known by. As I have worked through being a female to male transgender and considering transitioning. I have been using the name Cameron more and more and  it is probably the name I will use as a man, post transition. So, all of these good people I have been attending this convention with for 14 something years all did a double take and said - one by one - " 'Cameron'? Whats up with that?" My answer was to say well there's a long version and a short version answer to that, and the short version is I am a female to male transgender and Cameron is the name I am using as a man."

And without exception, the answer was "Oh cool! OK...Cameron it is." Oh my - what a wonderful group of people - no judgement, total acceptance, no problem! Only one person wanted to ask some questions - and their main point was, "Are you happy?" And when I said yes, they said that was all that mattered! Fandom is a wonderful community of people! 

So, our second day of the convention went on filled with much good music and friendship and fun...here are some pictures...

Cat Faber, formerly of the group Echoes Children - she is amazing!

This was the double shot - the sign up for anyone
who wanted to sing two songs back to back...I've done double shots
before myself - but not this year...

Elise Matheson - the Super Secret guest for this year's GAFilk

Brenda Sutton of the group Three Wyrd Sisters in the open filking.

More open Filk...

Elise again - she was wonderful and funny and a very talented blog writer
jewelry artist, singer and story teller - a woman of many talents. 

Open filk at night after the banquet  - this is where we all sit and sing
till the break of day in a Filker's bardic ring! 

Open filk...

Open Filk....

Brenda Sutton performing again...

Bill Sutton, Brenda's husband, who is equally,
amazingly talented...

Mac Carson performing his signature song
"Brother Michael" which gets requested every year!

My Guitar...it was good to be playing again - I've been out of practice
due to school, but by Sunday morning,
I felt like I was back and able to play...

Fiber Geek and Dreamweaver - they have been best friends
since before Dreamweaver and I ever met and
their friendship is utterly precious!
I love them both and I am honored to be in their lives! 

Sunset from our hotel room on Saturday night....

And then...there are the elephants!These are our two elephants who travel with  us - Bronte and  Gabe.
We think they did a lot of filking we didn't know about after we went to sleep.
Turns out Cat Faber travels with elephants too - so they all got to wave at each other. 

 So after a wonderful glorious weekend...the Con came to an end - which always makes us sad...

Closing ceremonies where guests receive hats. 

And Brenda leads the final song, "Strangers No More We Sing" (that she wrote)
which none of us can sing without crying, because it's beautiful,
it perfectly expresses what the con is all about
...and when we sing it, it means the con is over. 

So, the Convention, GAFilk 14 is over. *sigh* Of course, you *KNOW* what this means....don't you? 

We're gonna sing some more! 

That's right - for those who do not have to leave on Sunday and can stay over til Monday, the convention rooms are still ours for one more night, and the Dead Dog Filk begins! And we sing right into the night again!!!! This year, Dreamweaver and I were able to stay for the first time ever through Monday and it was a very good thing we did because the Dead Dog Filk was magical - most of the "professionals" were still there, and brought their instruments back out and some of the most powerful, beautiful music I've ever heard at a GAFilk convention was played that night! And it wasn't just the "Pro's" - everyone still there, including us amateurs were in it - singing, sharing songs, harmonizing, jumping in and playing along. It was the best night of the convention for us!

Some of the incredible music we heard at the Dead Dog Filk....

Which just kept getting better and better....

And better!!!! 

FiberGeek and her grandson listening to the music!

We finally gave up and packed it in and went to bed all tired and happy, remembering of course that we had a drive back in the morning  Our Godson, Fiber Geek's grandson was a perfect example to us of how to end the con - of course, he has two speeds - full tilt boogie and crashed out sound asleep. 

Our God-son...the Next Generation of Filk!

And then we packed up, packed out and said our farewells to our friends with many, many hugs (and some tears!) and drove home after four days of wonderful music and friendship! It must be said that we came home to a house in perfect shape and our animals calm, well cared for and happy to see us, due to the efforts of our friend Miles who took over animal sitting our brood while we were gone. And having our furbabies calm and happy and well cared for - we can give no higher praise to our friend! He made the trip possible!
The only, single complaint I had about the whole weekend was (of course) that the hotel bed was evidently a stack of cinder blocks cunningly disguised as a bed with sheets and blankets! Ugh - I was so glad to get home to my nice warm water bed with my cats! And my kitten Thor - the kitten without fear, as Miles calls him - was glad to see me too! 

Thor asleep on my chest the night we got home - purring away!
He and I were so glad to see each other! 

So GAFilk is done for the year - we have the memories of good friends, good fun, great music and the knowledge that this time next year, we will once more head out - off to the filk! 

Strangers No More

Copyright ©1987 by Brenda Sinclair Sutton- All Rights Reserved

Plans are made, pennies pinched,

Time goes creeping by,

Bags and instruments are packed,

Our bosses shake their heads and sigh.

We're going for a weekend,

We'll drive or fly or crawl

To the oddest burgs and ballrooms

Where we answer to the call (of)

Chorus:

One voice singing, one hand strumming,

Slowly building note by note there starts a quiet humming,

Lyrics brush the memory, somebody starts a drone,

The basses fill the bottom in, there sounds a baritone.

Layer upon layer swells with alto and contralto,

The melody enhanced by soaring tenor and soprano.

Strangers no more we sing, and sing, and sing, and sing!

Strangers no more we sing, and sing, and sing, and sing!

She drives a truck, he computes

That one teaches school.

The only rule among us is, "There really are no rules."

Some like ose, some fantasy,

Some science fiction strong.

The one thing that unites us is

Our love of harmony and song (with)

Chorus

Bridge:

Some folks fit in easily, no matter where they are.

Others stand off from the rest and pin their hopes on stars.

We each spent some time drifting in a crowded world, alone

But now we pack our bags and songs,

And skip off to our monthly home (where)

Strangers no more we sing, and sing, and sing, and sing!

Strangers no more we sing, and sing, and sing, and sing!

Well, it's been too long. How's your life?

Familiarity.

A kiss, a hug, a back gets rubbed

By one of every five I see.

You read my shirt. I read your badge.

We sit and trade a song.

I may not know you Friday night,

But we're good friends when Sunday's gone (with)

Chorus twice.

GAFilk Part 1

Well, here it is - GAFilk! (I am actually in this shot, though I doubt I am findable) Friday arrived finally, for our departure. Everything looked good...stuff was packed. Priestess was already here...Light did not have class, so she came on with Dreamweaver...and then we hit the hitch that made us miss the opening ceremony (darn it!). We were taking Priestess' modest 4 door sedan down - more room in it than Dreamweaver's car, automatic transmission, unlike Dreamweaver's car, which meant we all could drive if need be, nice size trunk, and working heater (unlike my go-buggy with the broken heater. No one will ride with me 'til spring...wonder why??? And the transmission is slipping. Tires you could read newsprint through too. Not going to Atlanta, no. Here's why we want to cry - I have a station wagon! *sigh*)...anyway, sounds good right. We're on schedule, at least temporarily. Here's where we seriously bogged down: we had to Pack the Car. Near as I can recall this is what had to go in the four door car: one suitcase, a cooler, a 3x3.5 foot painting, Dreamweaver's jewelry gear - three sizably heavy bags and a box - one guitar, 2 doumbek drums, the Lollipop drum (3 feet in diameter - sounds like a lambeg!) Priestess' clothing bag, Light's back pack (she won the "she who packs lightest" award!) a ukulele, a strum stick, a guitar stand, a music stand, the crockpot, a bodhron drum (17" in diameter), the CD case, Priestess' walker, various assorted miscellany, such as extra sodas, and pillows etc...and, oh yeah, the four of us. We would have never made it if it hadn't been for Light's incredible packing skills (genetic, we suspect, from her Da, Superman, the overly engineered!)! It took longer than we had allowed for, and there were several unpacks and repacks...a shallow grave was threatened a few times as items were added. But when she got through folding the space time continuum, it ALL fit in there, including us. I think if one more molecule had been added, implosion would have occurred and we would have disappeared into a black hole. Let all sing the praises of the awesome Light ! (pictured above)

The painting was for the GAFilk auction (as were the ukulele, and the strum stick). The GAFilk auction proceeds go to Interfilk, an organization that funds bringing guests to filk cons. They have brought guests from as far away as England; Alexander James Adams traveled from Oregon this year. So, it's a very worthy cause, and most of us, when we can, bring items to donate, and most of us who have money come prepared to bid like crazy. This year my donation was a painting I did, titled "We took it with us..." showing a filker on another planet, or perhaps dreaming of being on another planet, blowing a dandelion's seeds to the sky. Yes, that is my guitar pictured there...she posed! In the chaos of the wake of semester ending, and other craziness, I did this painting in about 2 days flat. It's more linear than painterly, a technique that I fall back on for speed when needed, and there would have been more detail if there had been more time. But I am very pleased and happy with how it turned out. When we arrived, Fiber Geek, one of those in charge of the auction, took one look and on her authority sent it straight to voice auction, skipping the silent auction - something I was even happier with. Dreamweaver also donated an absolutely beautiful necklace with a blue Murano glass focal point in the shape of a musical note, and hand made beads that she created. This too was immediately slated for voice auction. The ukulele and the strum stick were donated by Priestess in honor of Truthteller, who passed away months ago...it was his wish that some of his musical instruments be donated to the Interfilk auction. These also went to voice auction. More about the auction as we get to it.

So, we all ventured forth, bravely down the road, off to the filk, car bulging at the seams. We arrived around 8:00 - 8:30 and discovered to our great joy that all our hotel rooms were on the same hall and across from each other - Fibergeek, Cat, Booboo (Cat's adorable almost 2 year old son, who had all of us out numbered all weekend!) Dreamweaver and myself in 423 and Priestess, Light and Light's Da, Superman who was able to join us (and there was great rejoicing!) in room 424! Yay! (as an added bonus, our friend Gorgeous Amazon was a few doors down as well, we found out later!) Hotel room digression...generic room, hotel, one. Beds apparently cunningly constructed of cinder blocks. Bleah. Bath tub an added happy bonus! (we don't have a tub, only a shower, due to the fact that we...ahem...set the tub on fire a few years ago. If you ask nicely, I MIGHT post that tale at some point...maybe.) End hotel room digression.

Momentary Pause...

Left to right, Priestess, Dreamweaver, and Light, with Superman, the height empowered in the back...

Myself and the Gorgeous Amazon...sigh...I'm short. :)

Dreamweaver and FiberGeek...best friends and counting for 13 years

Cat and BooBoo, in the closest I have to a still shot of them...if we had this boy's energy, we'd rule the world!

This is the part one post - much more to follow, very shortly. If I did all in one post, I think my reader's eyes would glaze over and fall out...it was a huge weekend with many wonderful things! So, part two, already on the way. A final note...these beloved people pictured above are my dearest friends...my family of choice. And there are a few more dear friends in that category still to come that you will meet as we move forward in the great tale of GAFilk 12. Hope everyone enjoys...