[Cynnabar] Generalist Events- The real question?

[David Hoornstra]

I am enjoying this discussion for its breadth of insight and for the many
attempts to throw a single net over all the points of view. Here is a
historical angle:

Back when the SCA was young, we had VERY few specialists in the sense of
musicians who brought years of non-SCA skills to bear on our needs. The SCA
culture at the time had a prejudice against recognizing skills earned
outside the SCA. I was told it was unfair for me to compete in manuscript
illumination because I was a professional artist. Thankfully, Randy, we have
grown up about that and welcome skill no matter where you got it.

That does not mean that we ‹ the general population ‹ are suddenly endowed
with the knowledge required to appreciate such skills. As a closet
violinist, I may be guilty of over-valuing musicians, but not by much. When
I think back to the events we held in the eighties, with everything done
well and ³magic moments² everywhere you looked .....EXCEPT
music...(boomboxes and old tapes)..... I would have KISSED a live talented
musician who could and would play the music that we needed to complete our
events. We were lucky we had people who knew where to get recordings.

Back then, we were nearly ALL generalists, but Cynnabar put on ³specialist²
events: Ceilidh 1 through 3 or 4, Day of Heroes, Festa Primavera, and the
Elizabethan Wassails to name a few. Few complained that it wasn¹t their
chosen area. As Greg said differently, those hard-working Cynnabarites took
on CREATING THE CYNNABAR EVENT as their pride and joy. No one but Royalty
was comped, but then we HAD no highly-skilled specialists to comp. (I would
have paid musicians myself if I could have found them.)

By contrast, the SCA has now had twenty-odd years to develop skilled
specialists within its ranks. We are in the real Renaissance of medieval
re-creation. We have the skill sets and we can choose where to apply them.

Unfortunately, we are also in the midst of economic hard times.

I have seen the pattern before. We all have to tighten belts and choose
which events we can afford to attend, and our time becomes more precious. At
such times, we tend to become just a bit more concerned for our own areas
and less willing to support a larger, long-term vision.

At such times I remind myself what a wonderful group Cynnabar has become. I
take pride in events I do not even attend because of my own situation.

Remember that these times will pass and because of the mature way the
members are handling them, we will all have in the future a group that
continues to send jets of pride and joy through our beings.

Carry on.

Daibhid
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