The Virtues of Virtual
PFS Song Circles in the age of COVID
You must know by now that PFS is holding
Saturday Evening Virtual Song Circles every Saturday Evening. We held the first - with little preparation - on March 14, when we were all waking up to the reality of COVID19, and we realized we couldn't responsibly go ahead and hold the scheduled in-person song circle. So, with 24 hours warning, we met on line. The technology was new to a lot of people, we didn't know much about how to host the event, and it was rough - but people had a good time, and someone asked, "Can we do this again next week?" We thought, "Why not?" And we haven't stopped. We marked our 25th VSC on August 29, and they are still going strong.
Please consider coming; you will be welcomed and feel welcome, no matter your skills or equipment or whatever. A few of the regular participants have good set-ups, with separate cameras and mics. Most use laptops. A few just come in by phone. It doesn't matter.
Check out highlights of a recent song circle
here.
We have forty to fifty people every week. Many are regulars, but we're also delighted when someone new pops in. And they do: not just from the PNW, but from the East Coast, other countries, other continents. And in this way, at least, the virtual song circles are much better than in person song circles. In fact, a lot of people prefer the virtual song circles: they don't need to drive anywhere, people mute themselves when they tune their instruments, and you can see everyone's faces. There are drawbacks too: you can only sing harmony with people in your pod; no potluck super; no hugs and handshakes. Our world's not perfect, but the VSCs are pretty good.
Every Saturday, we open the room
at 5:30 PM and
start singing at six. (Please note that this is thirty minutes earlier than we used to start, in deference to some folks from the East Coast and Europe, and others who like to sleep). Come when you can, stay as long as you like. All kinds of music and all kinds of people are welcome. We follow the song circle practice of letting each person sing a song in turn and it is perfectly fine just to listen. Get a computer with a camera and mic, light up your face, and point your browser to
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87176553766. Always the same link, always posted here.
Please
click here for logistics information, and for information about how to connect by phone.
But that ain't all...
There is a LOT of other online folk music now, with opportunities to listen, take classes, and sing.
PFS volunteer Barry Gorden has been doing a super job posting the events he hears about, and if you have others, let him know at eventscalendar@portlandfolkmusic.org.
Look at the Upcoming Events calendar to find out how you can stay connected, during these disconnected times!