ECR Caller audition thoughts

[drscott]

Last night was the last of the auditions for Andy's replacement as ECR caller. It's unlikely we can fully replace Andy, who because of his fortunate circumstances could devote full time to calling (which doesn't pay enough to survive on in the Bay Area), but it's heartening that we had a number of credible candidates to choose from.

So here's my opinions on each after seeing them all:

First up were Rich Reel and Neil Heather, who are already associated with the club and have subbed for Andy or taught review sessions numerous times. Rich, with his amazing grasp of the geometry and definitions, has already reached pro level in that area, and his other skills are catching up as he gains experience. Neil is also a good caller and has one of the clearest voices for understandability, though his singing needs more work. Both of them have committed fans in the club, which makes a decision involving them politically difficult.

Next we had Michael Levy. Michael has improved a great deal with practice in the last year, especially his singing. But his teaching is a little weak and he is still easily flustered when things go wrong. Both of these should improve with practice and increasing confidence.

Dave Decot was brave to try out. He has the basic skills but lacks the polish that comes with a few years of practice. On the positive side, he'd uphold Andy's legacy by being, umm, out there in his sexual habits. I admire his courage and I'm sure that if he wants to pursue it he can be an excellent caller.

Harlan Kerr was last to try out. His portfolio of interest and involvement in square dancing is hard to beat; he taught Andy to dance 15 years ago and has been part of gay square dancing since the beginning. He's thoroughly knowledgeable and can tailor his extemporaneous calling to what's happening on the floor in a way that only comes with long experience. His teaching is clear and his handling of students gentle and positive. He's doing Foggy City's class now, and his preparation and demeanor shows a level of commitment that is reassuring. His only weakness is a thin, slightly weak voice, and his singing will never fill concert halls. But since teaching is really the critical skill here, his ability to teach all levels well makes him my choice.

Since I'm not on the committee or the board, I feel relatively free to comment. It's unfortunate that a lot of club members had already formed an opinion of who the "obvious" choice should be before they even knew who was in the running, but if the board does choose Harlan, at least the other candidates won't feel too slighted since he's obviously so experienced. There are also considerations that are not as visible to us as members, like schedule conflicts, ability to work with the board, and long-term stability. The board will have to decide based on member input plus these other factors, and they should make a special effort to designate and honor our associate callers who don't get the nod. We're lucky to have so many talented people to choose from, and the board needs to take care that no one feels hurt or that their auditioning was a waste of time.

I will miss Andy and I think he's making a mistake in leaving. But I know now that the club will do well without him.

Comments

[orange-groves.livejournal.com]

No one is indispensible.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we have to sometime watch as people fall and go boom. Hopefully he'll be fine in Florida.

I am looking forward to Saturday though, and future ECR stuff (I'm bringing my application that Tom sent to me Saturday).