Chatter
The main complaint people have in on-line singing events is that people talk about things that are not very interesting to everyone else, or they talk too long, and talk when someone else wants to sing.
So our first tip is, Please avoid chatter. It's fine to offer a brief intro to your song before you sing, and it's fine to compliment a singer - five seconds or less - but if you have something to say about your health, or you want to ask, Who wrote that song? or Have you heard Peggy Seeger's version of that?... any of that stuff that is interesting to you - please reconsider. If you absolutely must share or ask questions, please put it in the chat.
Chat
Sending text chats in Zoom is a great way to avoid slowing down the session with chatter, and we encourage you to put things in chat rather than speaking
them aloud. However, a large number of chats can also be disruptive, so here are some things to keep in mind:
- First, please don't send a message that is intended for one person to everyone. Just send it to the person concerned.
- Try to avoid sending a lot of chats when someone is singing. That can be distracting. Respect the singer.
Time management
- It's polite to be ready to sing when your turn comes. Starting your turn by asking "Hm... What shall I sing?" is not cool.
- That goes double for having to tune an instrument! When your turn comes, start singing.
- Finally, think about the length of your song. Some people say there should be a five minute limit per person, but in a crowded room five minutes might mean people don't get to sing. If the group is large and you know that time is limited, choose a short song or skip verses. Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" is a great song, but it took him seven and a half minutes to sing it. If you can sing a couple of verses well and then say, "I'm going to stop here so everyone can have a chance to sing", you'll be a hero in your group!
Kindness
- A lot of us are stressed out these days by the US election, Covid, their own and their loved one’s illnesses ... there’s a long list of real concerns that people have. At one time or another, we've all been "goin' down that road feelin' bad"; So, if someone bugs you, or you think they are obviously wrong, or they say something that genuinely offends you... take a moment to breathe deeply. Love them. Don't try to enlighten them, save them, educate them or turn their lives around. Just be kind in the moment.
- Some people have to screw up their courage to sing. A nice word to a newcomer can be very appreciated.
- You might need to do something else during FallSong, like eat lunch, have a conversation or tune your guitar, when someone is singing. Understood – life goes on, even during FallSong! But if it's going to be obvious that you are not paying attention to the singer, you might want to turn your camera off for a while.
- Finally, FallSong is possible because of the time of dozens of unpaid, dedicated volunteers who are doing their best to keep things moving smoothly and on time. Please make it easy for them! Do your part to have things start and end on time and run smoothly.