I’ve just signed up with the LITMA (Long Island Traditional Music Assoc.) Contra Dance Orchestra and wonder if there any of you who also play contra dance music. I’ll be playing the flute and whistle (now and again). Seems as though the flute may get lost among the fiddles especially since I may be only the second flute player.
Any experienced contra comments?
Thanx, BillG
Hi Bill,
I play Iriah Traditional Music on flute, also I dance Contra. Please, are there any good resources of Contra music notation anywhere at Internet (something like ABC notation and all that ITM ABC resources?)
Otakar - you might try http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-11382/abc/index/index.html
Norbeck’s tune index. There are thousands of tunes in many forms - I usually use ABC.
My best, BillG
I really love playing contra music… I don’t claim to be experienced at all in it, so I can’t really help you much. What do you want to know?
Another good source for contra music is the Portland Collection (not on the web) and JC’s abc music- http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/
Good luck with your playing! Oh, and does anyone have a good name for a contra band?
The name of the contra band I play in is
“Hot Rosin”. We put it up to the vote of the regular dancers and came up with some other “winners”
2 Soundinistas
3 Ill Eagle Contra Band (my fav, imagine the logo)
4. Oh Contra Air
Hey I didn’t say they were good.
Another good tune source is the following.
http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~ef//music/database.htm
Mark V.
For a band name, I was thinking more along the lines of something to do with dancing feet. The first thing that pops into mind is crazy feet, or something along that lines. Any ideas?
Since this is folk dance, how about:
“Stomp and Holler”
yes, that would describe contra dancing quite well…