"One problem relating to circles was highlighted for me by the experience of two friends, though it's happened to me too. This is when a circle which started out small and bardic becomes too big (in someone's opinion) to carry on being bardic, and the someone suggests that it go chaotic, and other someones enthusiastically agree, and it was just about to be your first turn to sing. It's quite possible to feel extremely got at and put out under those circumstances, and the friends in question actually got up and left."
Oh, is *that* what happened? Yes. Problematic.
" Perhaps while the circle is still within notional limits for bardicness the self-appointed someone could say "one more turn around and then can we go chaotic," thus giving the non-pushy ones at least one go, and the people who can't stand chaos at any price a chance to leave without it looking pointed. I don't know. Just a thought."
A very *good* thought, though I note also Silke's point about people coming in and sitting at random points in the circle. (I realised shortly after I got there on Sunday that I had picked a seat that was only a few turns ahead of the current singer, so possibly I should have missed my turn that time to allow for folks who'd been waiting for a while to get their chance. I think the switch to chaos must have happened during one of my trips out to the bar - which often took longer than planned due to bumping into people I wanted to chat to! - 'cos all I remember about it is realising at some point "oh! we're not following the circle any more.")
Perhaps the thing to ask first, then, when contemplating a switch to chaos is "is there anyone who's been here a while (e.g. more than a quarter of a turn), but not had a chance to sing yet? Let's go round those folks, and then switch to chaos."
I *don't* think anyone who's only just entered the room has an automatic right to sing within the first few turns - especially if they're likely to then duck out to the bar for most of a cycle, or wait until they get a 2nd song in before going to bed. I also don't approve of the "well I need to go to bed now, so even though I've fairly recently sung I'm going to do my party/parting piece and then vanish": It clearly shows the person's priority is to perform, rather than to hear others perform. (Different matter if someone in the room says "will you sing us one before you go?")
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 03:35 pm (UTC)Oh, is *that* what happened? Yes. Problematic.
" Perhaps while the circle is still within notional limits for bardicness the self-appointed someone could say "one more turn around and then can we go chaotic," thus giving the non-pushy ones at least one go, and the people who can't stand chaos at any price a chance to leave without it looking pointed. I don't know. Just a thought."
A very *good* thought, though I note also Silke's point about people coming in and sitting at random points in the circle. (I realised shortly after I got there on Sunday that I had picked a seat that was only a few turns ahead of the current singer, so possibly I should have missed my turn that time to allow for folks who'd been waiting for a while to get their chance. I think the switch to chaos must have happened during one of my trips out to the bar - which often took longer than planned due to bumping into people I wanted to chat to! - 'cos all I remember about it is realising at some point "oh! we're not following the circle any more.")
Perhaps the thing to ask first, then, when contemplating a switch to chaos is "is there anyone who's been here a while (e.g. more than a quarter of a turn), but not had a chance to sing yet? Let's go round those folks, and then switch to chaos."
I *don't* think anyone who's only just entered the room has an automatic right to sing within the first few turns - especially if they're likely to then duck out to the bar for most of a cycle, or wait until they get a 2nd song in before going to bed. I also don't approve of the "well I need to go to bed now, so even though I've fairly recently sung I'm going to do my party/parting piece and then vanish": It clearly shows the person's priority is to perform, rather than to hear others perform. (Different matter if someone in the room says "will you sing us one before you go?")