Music and Square Dancing

Some callers seem perfectly content to use the same old patter records and the same old singing call records year after year (at least, I’ve heard that there are callers like that; I don’t know any). Most callers that I know are interested in new square dance music and buy new records. Some look for music outside of the confines of what the square dance record producers provide. Some create their own music.

Music is important to me, both as a dancer and as a caller. As a dancer, I can usually tell you what singers a caller did and what patter records s/he used. As a caller, I have a reputation for using a wide variety of music, both for singers and patter. I do look for non-square dancing music that might be useable. I have created music, even though I’m not a musician.

So I’m interested in discussions on the use of music in different dance forms. Notes on Choosing Tunes for Medleys contains some interesting thoughts on using music during a contra dance. As most of you know, traditional contra dances almost always use live music, and for many dancers, the band is more important than the caller. Contra bands usually don’t play “popular” music; they play folk and traditional tunes along with some tunes composed by members or by other contra dance musicians.

One of the contributors to the above page said:

I believe that a band’s programming of the evening’s tunes can be just as important as the caller’s programming of the evening’s dances.

Some callers have an instinctive knack for requesting music that fits both the dance they’ve chosen and the place during the eveing they’ve chosen to call it. Others will leave it to the band beyond saying “jig” or “reel.” Watch the flow of energy over the course of a dance event that leaves you feeling GREAT. Think about matching your high energy or funky tunesets with the energy peaks, and providing more relaxed tunes for “warming up” or “recovery” times. A whole night of hot driving tunes will wear out both band and dancers.

Sounds a lot like what we think about when programming square dance music.

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As you know, I like klezmer music, so I was happy to find The Klezmer Shack, a site devoted to the music. Maybe I’ll be able to find some instrumental music suitable for square dancing here.

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Today might be a good day to feature the call Heads Rollaway. Why?

On April 25, 1792, highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier became the first person under French law to be executed by the guillotine.

You might also feature songs about the radio; it’s Guglielmo Marconi’s birthday.

And, of course, you should do Dream a Little Dream of Me; in 1931, it hit #1 on the pop singles chart by Wayne King. There are several square dance versions available; I have HiHat 5215, from 1998, with Kip Garvey on the flip side.