Fascinatin' Rhythm

OK, I am officially rubbish at this, and I am never going to be any good at it.

A few years ago when I was in a rock band, they gave me a cowbell to play as a chime.  But within a few minutes it was taken away from me, as I was not keeping time.  My beat kept getting faster.

This was the first hint that my sense of rhythm is not what it should be.  Being sacked as a cowbell percussionist was not a very good omen for someone who wants to sing Brazilian music.

To maintain my musical momentum, I've been having some sessions with guitarist Mike.  He always ends up schooling me about my timing - I am not being precise enough with my rhythm.  My songs have a lot of syncopation, and I end up singing "on the beat" when I should be "off".  To make things more confusing, sambas have a pattern of two bars on and two bars off.  And there is often an up-beat at the end of a bar, which feels entirely counter-intuitive to me.  It's important to "land" in the right places, whereas I'm used to a more "conversational" style of singing.

Intellectually, I can understand it.

I can do it sometimes.

I can do it a bit, but I can't sustain it.

I've learned to watch the guitarist's right hand.  The thumb plays the down-beat.

I can follow the rhythm from the sheet music, but I can't feel it.

I would like to be able to just enjoy singing the songs, without worrying about all of this.

You need to be born into it, or immerse yourself in it.

I have an "egg" shaker that Eneias gave me.  I give it a try, and it makes me feel clumsy and ridiculous.  Following his suggestion, I search YouTube for some instructional videos.  These give me a bit more confidence and make me feel less like Mr Bean, but my shaking is still quite...shaky.

It is really frustrating.

Mike draws patterns of syncopation on the back of an envelope and vocalises each one.  I concentrate really hard on what he is telling me.  I record it on my phone, but when I get home I can't quite work out what he's doing.

"Maybe you will get it when you go to Brazil", he says.

I think he despairs of me.

I try to keep time by beating with my foot, or by tapping my hand against my thigh, but it's hard to keep the beat steady whilst singing against it.  I end up adapting the rhythm to match what I'm singing.  "You're moving the goalposts", he says - that means I'm cheating, I guess.  He shows me how to create an off-beat by placing my right hand on the table and holding my left one above it like a roof, so my right hand can make contact with something on the off-beat, rather than just flailing in the air.

That night I go to hear his group play Brazilian music.  I am hoping to absorb the rhythm by osmosis.  He dedicates a song to a friend who is in the room.  Later, I ask him to play a song for me - "Something off-beat?"  It takes a moment for him to get the joke, but then we laugh.

Maybe I will "get it" when I go to Brazil.

Into the Honeypot

This is the first time I've participated in the Adelaide Festival Fringe, and I'm impressed by the extent of the assistance offered to artists.  I decide to investigate the"Honeypot" program.

It provides an opportunity for artists to meet directors of other festivals (in Australia and overseas) and to pitch their shows to them.  Profiles of these directors have already been supplied in a program handbook.

I'm looking into this because Eneias has said he'd like to come back to Australia and perform again; perhaps tour some other cities.  He says that if he can get a letter of invitation, he can apply for a grant to help with travel expenses.

I spend four hot afternoons outdoors at the Fringe Club.  The various Directors are introduced, they each say a few words, then we can line up to talk with them.  It's quite difficult to remember who's who.  Each guest is surrounded by eager artists, some in costume.  There are some very tall people wearing red hats.  Burlesque outfits are de rigeur.  A young woman arrives with a fluffy white rabbit on a lead.  I'm just wearing a business outfit, as I've come straight from the office.

While I wait, I chat with people around me.  One guy says he has already emailed all the Directors with information and a video.  He has brought CD packs to give them.  His show is "tour-ready" and he's looking for some contracts, perhaps for some regional tours.  Another guy I meet says he is a jazz pianist.  That weekend I go to his show, and it's really great.  I've made a new musical friend.

Each director is very clear about what he or she wants.  Some are looking for physical theatre, or very alternative acts.  One director says he is not really looking for music performance, because in his city music is so readily available for free.  If a director is interested in a show, they'll ask for a complimentary ticket to go and see it.  I can't offer this, because our show was on the first weekend of the festival.

They do seem to be looking for "tour-ready" shows.  One woman points out that the concept for my show was really a one-off; it's had its season.  Fair enough, the story of Eneias' visit is not one that we would repeat.  Nonetheless we could easily perform together again.

I hand out flyers with my business card attached.  I boldly state "We are an international duo".  Sometimes I just stand in a group and listen to the conversations.  I'm just exploring; trying to work out what might be possible for us.  Edinburgh?  Prague?  Seoul?

On the final afternoon, there is a panel discussion amongst four directors, from the Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne Fringe Festivals.  It emerges that that timing of these events very neatly creates two tours - Perth followed by Adelaide, and Sydney followed by Melbourne.  Here, finally, are some realistic possibilities for Eneias' return visit.  Two of these festivals offer help with visas; the others do not.  But now that I've grappled with this visa process once, I could do it again.

Towards the end of the panel discussion, I raise my hand and ask "Do you ever issue a letter of invitation, to support an application for funding by an overseas artist?"  In unison, they all say "Yes, we do", heads nodding vigorously.  Afterwards, we have a quick chat.

In all of my discussions with various directors over four weeks, I've offered to send video when it's available.  But in the end, I don't bother.  They will be all swamped with missives from "tour-ready" artists, and our plans are longer-range.

But I've found out what I need to know.  There are lots of possibilities for our international collaboration.

Mentally, I begin mapping out our artistic tours over the next few years.