We are about at the end of the current Tune of the Week volunteer list, so it is sign-up time again - Uncle Wade Wants You!
You TOTW veterans know the drill, so no need to read any further - just send me a private message through the Hangout.
But I would especially like to get new folks involved, so if you have never done a TOTW before, here's your chance! Fame and fortune await (using those terms extraordinarily loosely).
If you are hesitating because you are not quite sure what all is involved in "doing" a tune, the following FAQs might help:
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1. What all is involved in "doing" a Tune of the Week?
Not much. You merely choose a tune that you like, write a bit about why you chose it and whatever you know of its history and origins, and include a few examples - YouTube videos, MP3 files from the Hangout, tablature on the Internet, etc. If you can't find any online versions, you can list any CDs, books, or other resources in which it can be found.
2. What type of tunes can be covered?
Well, "old-time" tunes basically, the definition of which is pretty much left up to the poster. I wasn't present at the creation of the TOTW, but consulting the canonical texts from 2008 I see that the sole description was "tunes or songs", with the fact that this is, after all, the Clawhammer and Old-Time Forum serving as the only guide as to what could be included. The vast majority of the 203 tunes that have been posted so far have come from the very familiar Appalachian fiddle tune and folk song traditions, but there have been a few outliers. Even those, however, have had some conceptual connection to the world of traditional banjo - Two Swedish Songs (#26), Turlute Acadienne (#41), Kuppari Eeva (#67), and Tri Martolod (#187) were fiddle tunes and folk songs from other cultures, while Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (#136) was included on one of Pete Seeger's 1950s Folkways albums. Those choices were all well received, and again, it is the poster's decision as to what constitutes an appropriate tune. If in doubt, you can't go wrong with a good old traditional fiddle tune, and there are still thousands yet to be TOTW'ed - I mean, I think so far only a couple of tunes from the "Some Kind of Critter on Some Kind of Object" category have been covered, so just finishing that list could take us to 2013. On the other hand, variety and surprise can be good, too.
3. So I can post my two-finger thumb-lead version of Lady Gaga's Born This Way?
Er, well, I.....
4. Or my clawhammer take on Justin Bieber's Eenie Meenie?
Well, there is surprise, and there is SURPRISE! Many now-traditional old-time tunes began life as best-selling pop songs of their day (that day often being the minstrel era of the 1850s and 60s) and some of today's popular music might one day wind its way into the old-time repertoire. My personal opinion would be to wait until that actually happens before using such a tune for the TOTW - wait, for instance, until it shows up at a Clifftop jam in, say, 2068 being swapped by digital telekinesis among hybrid cyberhuman banjo players. But that is just my take on things, and my take holds no more weight than anybody else's. So at the risk of sounding like a broken record (corrupted MP3 file?), it is up to each individual contributor to decide what is an appropriate tune to post.
5. You're 50 years old - did you actually know the names of any Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber songs?
I'm 49, two months, and three days - let's not rush things. But no, I didn't know any of their songs - that's what Allmusic.com is for.
6. Ok, but I only know a few old-time tunes and they are all very popular, so I'm sure they have already been done.
Don't be so sure. Just two weeks ago the TOTW was the very well-known Little Birdie (deliberately chosen because most would assume it had already been done). Earlier this year - after 187 Tunes of the Week - there was a seven-week stretch which included Shady Grove, June Apple, and Mississippi Sawyer, three tunes which would probably be on almost anyone's "Top 20 Most Popular Fiddle Tunes" list. So don't assume a tune has been done just because it is a well-known one.
7. What kind of tunes get the most discussion?
There is no real pattern, and if there were I probably wouldn't be the person to ask, since I think I hold the record for the fewest responses - three, for #158, West Virginia Burial in the Rain. Besides, even though it is always good to generate an active discussion, getting a lot of responses isn't exactly the goal. Maybe only a handful of people are interested in the tune you post, but they are really interested, and the tune becomes one they play for the rest of their lives.
8. Do I need to include my own version of the tune?
Not at all. Many people (including me) never do. You don't even need to be able to play the tune. Maybe it is one you are working on but haven't mastered yet, or maybe it is one that is still beyond your skill level. Absolute beginners who can't really play tunes yet are just as welcome to participate as those who have been playing for 50 years. It is really just about sharing a tune that you enjoy or that means something to you.
9. Once I have chosen at tune, what do I do?
First check Erich Schroeder's sortable TOTW index at http://vrteach.org/totw to make sure the tune has not already been covered. Then post your contribution sometime on your assigned Friday. It can be anytime, but if it is going to be toward the end of the day - say after 6:00 pm Eastern - it helps to give me a heads up so that I won't think you have forgotten and thus post an emergency back-up TOTW. The standard subject heading format is "TOTW mm/dd/yy: NAME OF TUNE".
10. Then what?
That's it, really. Once the tune is posted you can just monitor the ensuing discussion, participating further as you see fit.
11. Erich covered this same ground back in 2008 in 380 words. You've taken...well, I've lost track. What's up with that?
Inflation? Actually, I have received a numbers of emails over the past couple months in which (some of) the above questions and topics were raised. I answered those the best I could, but I just thought I would cover the topics in this post as well, in case others had the same questions. Also, I get paid by the word.
12. Ok, last question. Do you take bribes?
Absolutely! Although I'm not sure what I could be bribed for. Perhaps you want to make sure you get the honor of posting a TOTW on one of Old-Time's high holidays (Kyle Creed's Birthday? National Possum Day?). Maybe you want to make sure you get to cover Beagle Ate the Chicken Poop. Whatever the reason, just send me a check - make it out to "Bret's Romero Banjo Acquisition Fund".
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OK, that's it for the FAQs. Now that you know all there is to know, there is nothing stopping you from becoming an honored and esteemed TOTW Volunteer! If you would like to sign up, don't reply to this post - just send me a private message through the Hangout.
Thanks! Bret