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Author Topic: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney  (Read 6610 times)

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Chris Ryall

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #20 on: November 12, 2013, 06:08:30 PM »

it might be useful if someone pointed out this thread to Mr Townsend?
Feedback forms can be useful, but only sample the people who actually go.
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Bob Ellis

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #21 on: November 12, 2013, 07:12:00 PM »

There seems to be a broad consensus emerging in favour of the previous format with one workshop on Saturday rather than two.

My reason for starting this thread was so that, if such a consensus did emerge, Dave Townsend's attention could be drawn to it. I don't think this should be done publicly because it could lead to a 'discussion' that might sour the atmosphere of the weekend. I intend to talk privately with Dave at the earliest opportunity (perhaps on Friday evening or early on Saturday morning). Perhaps if others can have a quiet word with him during the weekend, the message might get through.

I am also considering giving him a print-out of the contributions to this thread, which I would do on Friday morning before setting off so that the latest contributions are included. If anyone has any objections to me giving him a print-out, please let me know. I won't do it if it is going to ruffle anybody's feathers.
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Bob in beautiful Wensleydale, Les Panards Dansants, Crook Morris and the Loose Knit Band.
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rees

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2013, 07:14:08 PM »

Yes, Bob - privately is good.  (:)
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2013, 08:48:33 PM »

Anything posted on melodeon.net, short of a copyrighted tune, is IMO essentially in the public domain. Another good reason that such groups be moderated. But I do sense a certain "imperviousness" wrt our course entrepreneur, personally and from other's posts. Good luck. In the larger scale of things, a good course is … to the good  :|glug

[edit],wrt below ….  :-\
« Last Edit: November 12, 2013, 10:11:41 PM by Chris Ryall »
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Lester

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2013, 08:58:20 PM »

Bob I would recommend anonymising the comments before printing them.

Bob Ellis

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2013, 10:54:56 PM »

Bob I would recommend anonymising the comments before printing them.

If that is what people want, I will do so, but since I will be telling Dave that the posts were made on melodeon.net and encouraging him to look for himself, he will easily be able to see the names. Furthermore, we are simply expressing a preference for the old format. I don't think that Dave would take offence at that. However, if any posts contain comments criticising him personally, I will not print them, since they are likely to prove counter-productive.
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Bob in beautiful Wensleydale, Les Panards Dansants, Crook Morris and the Loose Knit Band.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2013, 07:05:30 AM »

My feeling is to wait and see how the forthcoming MAW pans out this time before printing anything off and giving it to Dave Townsend. I think he is aware of possible problems/criticisms from last year anyway. Chat to him informally about it by all means.

Then afterwards, if you still feel the same way about the new format, maybe do as you suggest. But for the moment, perhaps just hold fire.
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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #27 on: November 18, 2013, 09:25:08 AM »

Melodeons at Witney 2013 is over. That's it until next year. This time it was as good as ever in many ways, with four great tutors and a lovely crowd of attenders and stewards, as usual.

The question of the altered format was discussed at length, among both tutors and attenders, and of course with Dave Townsend too. Nothing has been decided yet, but Dave assures us that everyone's views will be seriously considered before taking a decision on the format for future weekends. As usual, feedback forms were distributed to everyone to complete if they wished.

Dave is aware that we discuss this (the altered structure) here on the forum. At the very end of the weekend (this was after your long chat with him, Bob) he asked me to pass on a special plea from him to you all: if you have opinions, concerns, criticisms, praise, etc., please, please do pass them on to Dave by e-mail. He genuinely wants to know what you think. But what he doesn't want is a festering pot of mutterings on the forum. If you have something to say and can speak from experience, let him know here:
info@handsonmusic.org.uk
Put 'Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney' in the subject line of your message to him.
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Lester

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #28 on: November 18, 2013, 09:28:40 AM »

I only popped in for an hour on Sunday to deliver a melodeon and pick up some work but it seemed to me to be rather thinly attended this year?

Steve_freereeder

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #29 on: November 18, 2013, 09:32:55 AM »

I only popped in for an hour on Sunday to deliver a melodeon and pick up some work but it seemed to me to be rather thinly attended this year?
There were about 60 attenders on the weekend. Usually it's around 80; one year we had 120, which was almost too many for keeping the individual workshops to a manageable size.
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Steve
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #30 on: November 18, 2013, 10:01:39 AM »

Re reply # 27 from Steve. "Festering pot of mutterings"
I love it, and Steve is so right. If  you have something to moan about or praise, have the courage of your convictions and say so directly to the person concerned.
"Festering pot...... " brilliant.  8)
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #31 on: November 18, 2013, 02:43:51 PM »

I find Dave's attitude a liitle .. high-handed is too strong, but he doesn't seem to be seeking honestly expressed opinions? This is a moderated forum and I really do think everyone has the success of M@W at heart. It is also a public forum. Actually I am amazed he doesn't glance through these threads routinely in his planning stage, I would! I can see he might prefer to deal with us singly, but the group opinion here has a lot of commonality and has benefitted from debate.

As said above, the feedback forms only sound out those who (still) go. I did actually email him 1st time I went. AFAIR the late arrival of the CD didn't give me time to practice up as I'd have liked. It wasn't acknowledged. And to be "completely" fair ;) "festering pot of mutterings" was his phrase, not ours ::)

It says something, I'm not sure what.
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Howard Jones

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #32 on: November 18, 2013, 03:27:08 PM »

It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that anyone with misgivings about the format should want to find out if others share their point of view before raising them with the organiser.  This is the obvious place to do so, and with respect to Dave Townsend it is a little unrealistic in the internet age to expect it not to happen.   As a disinterested observer, the discussion seems to me to have raised genuine and justifiable concerns which have been debated sensibly, and as Chris says everyone seems to have the interests and future of the event at heart. 

"Festering pot of mutterings" seems a bit unfair.  Of course, the views do also need to be passed on to him, but it was decided that this should not be done until after the event.

Theo

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #33 on: November 18, 2013, 03:48:31 PM »

[[admin mode]]
I think it is entirely reasonable that polite discussion and constructive criticism of the type which has happened here, should continue. It is a public forum, and as such I expect that Dave T will read it, indeed he may already have done so.  He has also asked via Steeve Freereeder in a previous post for feedback to be sent direct to him. So anyone posting here please do him the courtesy of contacting him direct as well.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #34 on: November 18, 2013, 05:23:52 PM »

Thank you Theo.

I will reiterate. Please pass on your feedback to Dave Townsend.
info@handsonmusic.org.uk

And to avoid any misunderstanding, 'festering pot of mutterings' is my phrase, not Dave Townsend's, but it expresses his concern that all sorts of grumpiness may be happening on here which he doesn't necessarily immediately hear about. He is a busy chap, and his main musical interest is the English concertina and the Mellstock Band. He is not a melodeon player, so while he is interested in our opinions, he doesn't have the time to visit this forum as frequently as many of us.
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Steve
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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #35 on: November 18, 2013, 05:36:49 PM »

I think the message about contacting Dave direct applies especially to people who were not at the event this weekend.
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Mike Carney

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #36 on: November 18, 2013, 06:58:16 PM »

I hope things settle down in time for next year when I was thinking of coming! Sounds like it works well for most.
Mike 
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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #37 on: November 18, 2013, 07:24:49 PM »

I think the message about contacting Dave direct applies especially to people who were not at the event this weekend.

Not entirely sure whether that means people who didn't come, due to the changed format, or those considering coming. I'm in the latter group, at this point I think I prefer the sound of the "current" format. But I don't think it will change my decision, either way.

 I note that feedback from those who _did_ go this year has been very positive. The organisers must be doing something right.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #38 on: November 19, 2013, 09:19:34 AM »

I note that feedback from those who _did_ go this year has been very positive. The organisers must be doing something right.
Forum members and our discussions here represent only a small proportion of MAW attenders. We don't know what the overall feedback points will be. Only Dave T will be in possession of that information when it is all collated.

However, I think all of us here who did attend had a good time.
(If you did, let Dave Townsend know. If you didn't, let Dave Townsend know.)

The altered structure controversy is only about one part of a hugely successful and worthwhile event, so we need to keep things in due proportion.
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Re: Altered Structure of Melodeons at Witney
« Reply #39 on: November 19, 2013, 09:32:14 AM »

Has anybody else noted that "festering etc..." was a situation-to-avoid.
Those who like facts would say it can be unwise to have an opinion on an unsubstantiated hypothesis.
::)

All I am trying to do is to pass on Dave Townsend's request to let him have feedback directly rather than having repetitive discontent spiraling round and round on this forum and not going anywhere else.
That's it. No more, no less. Hopefully that is not too hard to understand.

I will say this just one more time. Please pass on your feedback to Dave Townsend here:
info@handsonmusic.org.uk
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