Speaking from the point of view of someone who has on occasion organized one of these things, noise is a big problem that the presenters choose to ignore. The "softies" have to form a group, ask for a separate room, and have breakout rooms. What then happens is the facilities people start charging for the extra rooms, and they get cut. Plus the organizers get overwhelmed and dump the tromba marina in with the harps and lutes--"it's a string instrument" they say.
I think they should all just suit up in armor and duke it out. The bagpipes will win, but they win anyway. Even better--lutes, harps and viols should organize their own event. dt At 10:17 AM 11/14/2009, you wrote: > All that Dana says, as usual, is true, but it's also true that even at > it's beginning there was not much of a lute presence at the BEMF > exhibition. I was there as an employee, moving in Hubbard Harpsichords > and manning the booth. Of course, I don't have total recall, but I > remember being disappointed in the dearth of (finger-)plucked > offerings. > > Best to all, > > Chris. > >>> <dem...@suffolk.lib.ny.us> 11/14/2009 11:04 AM >>> > Unfortunatly, there are some harsh economic realities involved in > renting > a table at events like the BEMF. You have to man the table, staff > doing > so need accommodation and food, and are not producing work in your > shop. > If your shop is selling smaller instruments such as recorders and > bagpipes > you have a reasonable expectation of paying off the table, and can look > forward to some increased interest in the shop in months to come. If > your > product is something more substantial, valued at the price of a used > car, > then its harder to find customers. Its hardest for the periodical or > society to recover the cost of a table, eve when manned by volunteers. > IF you dont have a sale or two the table rent is a hefty uncompensated > business expense. Then you have the time spent not building, the > aching > back from crashing on a friends floor, or the expensive hotel room; and > the food moneys eating out. > Retail stores selling early music and instruments have product that > will > appeal to thin wallets - new music, a tin whistle or plastic recorder, > perhaps a reed or some lapping thread; as well as more substantial > items > for show or (rarely) actual sale to stimulate future interest. > There are some few folk make a tour of the summer 'renaissance' > festivals, > and large events like the pennsic war (www.SCA.org, www.pennsic.org); > but > I suspect for the lutenist its events where the focus is on playing > lute > in ensemble where you have the best chance to survey instruments. > -- > Dana Emery > To get on or off this list see list information at > [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > >References > > 1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute
