Radical ideas, learning song words

The variety of languages interests me almost as much as the variety of dances, yet I've never yet learned to sing along with the music, either while dancing or even just while listening. One of our club members, who really wants everyone to sing along, has come up with a novel way to promote singing, at least during our closing lesnoto. She printed out the words to Trugnala Rumjana on a giant piece of posterboard and wears it hanging around her neck, hung by a bungee cord! People who want to sing position themselves across the circle from her so they can see the words; people who know the words or who don't care to sing can stand closer to her since they don't need to sing.

It's starting to work - more and more people are singing, and I'm proud to say that this week I'm ready to try standing where I can't see the words - I've been working on memorizing them!

Happy singing and dancing
(That's where my user name came from DANce SING SALly)
Sally

Hi, Sally,

I know of someone in California who also wears posterboard around his neck to help people with song words while dancing. It seems to be catching on!

I've also been working on learning the words to some of my favorite dances, including Trgnala Rumjana. Congrats on learning the words to that - it's a long one. The trick is to keep track of the dance and the song at the same time! I tend to muddle a little bit through both.

I just started a for-the-fun-of-it Balkan singing group as an adjunct to the dance group I run. I'm delighted to hear that there are others out there doing similar things.

Happy singing and dancing to you!
Sonia

PS In case you haven't run across it yet, here is a wonderful resource for song words: Song Book For Near-Sighted People http://www-linux.gsi.de/~karlson/index_e.htm

Another way to learn songs is the sing-along. If you go to Mendocino for the eefc camp, there are 2 sing-alongs during the week (there are also singing classes you can take). If you go to the Tamburitza Extravaganza there is a sing-along. If you go to the Macedonian Patriotic Organization convention (MPO), there is a sing-along. At all the sing-alongs, words are provided on printed booklets, or on individual sheets of paper, or they are from books of songs that have been published, and are available on loan at the sing-alongs. There are some songs that many people sing while dancing, because people have been singing them whether dancing or not for a long time. Makedonska Devojce is one, Bitola Moj Roden Kraj is another, Jovano Jovanke is another, etc.