A bit of help, folks

[chaoswolf]

Happy birthday to nicodemusrat and amelia_seyroon.

This next segment x-posted to filk.
What I need help with is a speech on filk: sounds a bit wierd, I know. I'm not allowed to use Wikipedia because of the credibility it causes, but I need at least 4 outside sources in this speech. I need to know:

• How do I define filk to mundane nuts who don't know anything about it?
• What are examples of said music genre that mundanity might know? (Wierd Al, etc.)
• What can be done with filk? (Burlesque, music video, literary works, CD accompaniment, etc)
• How do I wrap up an informative speech about everything covered and link it together? (This one, I can probably figure out on my own, but your suggestions would be welcome.)
• Finally, do I have your permission to site you as a source under the "testimonial" category?

Aside to jenkitty and members of Tres Gique: I wish to use some pictures for my presentation. Please send me an email or comment to work this out.

Comments

[mdlbear]

I don't think any of the burlesque pictures would be relevant; there's a good picture of Tres Gique on our web page that you're free to use.

Perhaps more usefully, I have a video clip taken by Harold Groot of me and Callie singing "Ship of Stone".

See comments on your other post for more.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Hint: A well-written Wikipedia article cites its sources.

Mundane filk: "'39" from Queen's Night at the Opera. James Taylor's "Frozen Man". "Major Tom" might be pretty close, though I've never heard it done in circle. Bob Rivers' stuff comes close, as does Weird Al, but I've never heard anyone pull that out in circle and do it....

Personally I'm a fan of "if it gets done in circle or at a concert, it's filk" definition. Dasn't have to be space or little people or even cats or knitting... I've heard "Closer to Fine" done more than once straight up, not even the filked version. There are subtle differences in gradation, though; there's found filk (ordinary commercial artists doing SF or fantasy material), there's the novelty stuff (Weird Al, Dr. Demento, Bob Rivers), there's parody filk (of which the Bohnhoffs and Kanef are probably the two biggest), and then there's original stuff.

Oooooh. There's an aspect that nobody seems to touch on when writing up definitions: Filk as community. A lot of folks are in bands, but from what little I know of that, they don't hang out with their bandmates except after practice. Filk forms communities that keep up with each other, help each other through tough times, even track down people in times of need. Talk to runnerwolf about this... or heck, talk to your mom. She would definitely be a primary source about the filking community, and she's right there.

I'd want to vet anything you quoted me on to make sure the sense of it is right, but I wouldn't really consider myself to be a primary source anyway; you'd want someone who's done this a heck of a lot longer than me to be considered a real primary authority.

(Oh, don't forget in performance genres, signing to filk; Judi Miller has a Pegasus for doing just that. For that matter, cover "what is a Pegasus"?)

Pressed for time

[capplor.livejournal.com]

kid is bored dog need walk

Elton John's "Rocket Man" as an example.

Remember the "Road Kill Cafe" slide show & the TTTR

"I was filking before I knew what filk was" -- a common refrain. Don't you think "Glory Halelujah, teacher hit me with a ruler" is filk?

As for definitions, there's the classic "folk song for folk who ain't born yet", but I like to define filk as "music to PLAY with, especially, but not exclusively playing with the lyrics"

[chaoswolf]

You're forgetting that I have a few shots on the ChaosCam I took, and I'm not sure I can incorporate the video clip into my powerpoint presentation.

[redrob.livejournal.com]

Definitions:

The folk music of the science fiction fan community.

And the ever popular:

filk music: Music sung at a filksing.
filksing: a gathering of filkers.
filker: one who writes, sings, or listens to filk music.

As for mainstream examples of filk, while not entirely mainstream, you might reference the recent popularity of 'wizard rock' such as Harry and the Potters.

What can be done with it? filk videos (Boy and his Frog, probably others)

Feel free to cite me, although I'm pretty sure none of this is original to me.

Alex

Re: Pressed for time

[eleccham.livejournal.com]

That's actually a fairly apt description of one aspect of filk: "Kids write new lyrics to songs they know all the time. Some of them just don't stop."

[mdlbear]

That'll work. Feel free as far as Tres Gique is concerned.

Oops

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Ordinarily, I wouldn't correct someone's spelling in a post, but I gather this is for a class and if it isn't just a typo, you'll never catch it yourself. In this context, you "cite" a source.

Homophones are a bear.

Now, knock 'em dead.

[jenkitty.livejournal.com]

You're welcome to use any of those pictures you see fit for this, although I advise against pastie shots.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Dunno if this is useful to you, but mentioning "literesry works" reminded me of the first place I encountered filk -- both the word and, really, the concept. In HS, haunting the local used book store, I came acroos the anthology Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station Three, which is stories inspired by that song, and includes some explanation of what filk is.