I have been meaning to write this for about a month.  I have been trying to figure out how to thank the people who have been in my corner since I decided to become a caller.  I figure the best was is to say it in public so here goes……………….

First and foremost, to my better half of 27 1/2 years, Debbie,  Thanks for letting me persue another dream.  Not that bookings are coming in every day but someday when they do I promise not to put calling above family.  You are the best thing that ever happened to me. 

Next I have to say “Thank You” to Mike Driscoll, you have been a good friend and you continue to be my mentor.  I know I have told you before that I can never repay you for all you have done for me but I will become the best caller that I can be and I hope that does it.

I have also gotten a lot of encouragement from the local callers up here in Minnesota so thank you to the callers of MSDCA and the callers of Swingmasters for the help and the guest tips you have given me.

I do have to thank fellow caller, Bob Maiden, who along with his wife, Jeanine, run the TTT Square Dance Club.  You have given me a chance to call with Bob and Mike at your monthly dances and that gave me something to put on my schedule on my web site.  I have a good time calling at your club and I hope the feeling is mutual.

I have to thank the Ar-Dales Square Dance Club.  They called me on a Monday evening and asked if I could come and teach 8 new dancers the mainstream program starting on the next night.  Of course I said yes and  even though I had never taught a class of square dancers before they let me grow as a caller.

I want to thank Dee who is the producer of Friendship Set To Music and to Dick Rueter who is the show’s host for the chance to call on the show.  It is a whole lot different to call on the show then it is to dance but both Dee and Dick have always made me feel comfortable about calling on the show.  I am usually behind the scenes running the graphics for the show so I don’t have a lot of time to worry about the song I am doing.  I just make sure I have practiced the song so I can deliver it.

And finally to the dancers that have come to my dances and continue to support me and the clubs that I have called for.  Debbie tells me you are saying nice things about me and I appreciate that.

That’s about it.  This year will bring me to calling at my first two state conventions, Iowa and Minnesota and my first National Convention, Louisville.  Take care of yourselves and we’ll see you in a square sometime

Caller Brian

Last Saturday I was calling with Mike Driscoll at TTT’s dance and when I was calling the singing call “Next Door to Alice” I got to thinking, how did I wind up standing in front of 5 squares of dancers.

I always call the song “Next Door to Alice”, which the original was written by Chris Norman, the song that launched my calling career.   I got this song in my head while on a trip to Branson, MO.  One of the other people on the trip and I got to trying to name songs that you could not get out of your head, when I looked at her and said “Alice, who the heck is Alice?”  That song did it. For the rest of the trip it was non stop,  “Alice, who the heck is Alice”.

Every dance we went to that week I asked the callers if they had it and would they call it?  Nobody did.  When I got back I was talking to Mike and when I told him about the song he pulled it up on his laptop and played the music for me.  By this time he and I had talked about me becoming a caller.  Mike told me he thought it was a good song for me to learn so he got me a copy that I could pratice with and two weeks later he brought me up on stage and I performed it.

And as they say, the rest is history and I must say I am having a great time.  So, if your ever at one of my dances then by all means ask me if I can do it.  I probably will.

I have been home close to a week after attending the Pride Caller’s School in North Carolina.  I had a great time.  It was a lot of hard work but the work is designed to make you a better caller and I came home with a wealth of information that will make me a better caller. 

Jerry Story, Tony Oxendine, Jon Jones and Deborah Carroll-Jones were great to work with.  Although since they divided the class into two, I was in the new callers class and spent more time with Jon and Deborah.  I learned a lot of tricks and twists.  I look forward to the next time I get to attend a school like this.

Me and Tony O

I hit a wall at the Ar-Dale lessons tonight.  It wasn’t them, I think it was me and I think the reason was I was not explaining the calls well enough.  We had a hard time with Square Through.  Maybe this is just part of the learning process that it takes to teach someone to square dance.  I think I am trying so hard to do this right that I am not paying attention to the details.  Or maybe I am paying too much to the details  and forgetting to make it fun.

I have a week off now, I am off to North Carolina on Saturday to give Jerry Story, Tony Oxendine, Jon Jones and Deborah Carrol-Jones some grief and I hope learn a lot from them.  I have another caller coming in to teach the lessons next Tuesday so I will check with him when I get home.  Square dancing has always come easy to me so I just hope I don’t hit too many more walls, or at least I am wearing my helmet when I do.

I’ll post some pictures from callers school next week.

Keep dancing

Caller Brian

I was afraid that no one would show up but six squares came to the dance at TTT Dance in Roseville, MN including friends from theBloomington Swirlers (the club we dance with).  I had a blast calling with Bob Maiden.  My patter still needs a lot of work but the singing calls are getting easier.  No one walked out and most people stayed to the end.  Thanks to Charyl Anderson for the pictures. 

I had fun at the Minnesota State Fair Today.  The Square Dance Federation of Minnesota was asked to do some dancing for 10 out of the 12 days this year.  We are at the stage right outside the Education Building a couple times per day.

Mike Driscoll, Bob Maiden and I were the callers today and it was not only great to call with them but we had fun inviting people to give square dancing a try.

It was at the fair today that two things happened.  The first was that Dee, who is the producer of Friendship Set To Music-The TV Show came up to me and asked me to have two singing calls ready for the September 12 taping.  I have been proud to be part of the production staff of the show for the last few years but now I’m really nervous.  I had said that when I decided to start calling, it would be great to call on the show.  One of my dreams has come true.  Now can TV survive Caller Brian?  You should be able to see the show starting in November and December. Just check your local cable access channel to see when the show is on.

My second surprise of the night came when I was asked to call a dance with Bob.  So on September 26 Bob and I are the callers for TTT Squares in Roseville, MN.  Life is GOOD!  Take care and we’ll see you in a square.

Brian

Thanks to good friends,  Ken and Dee I got the chance to call in Hollywood (MN that is) today.  They hosted a squre dance for new callers and Dee called me to see if I could come over.  I got to try out a lot of new patter and some new singing calls also.  Bob Maiden joined me on stage today.

I got the opportunity to call in Mankato, MN with Ernie, Steve, Larry and Dean on Sunday May 31.  This was a fund raiser dance for the American Cancer Society.  4 squares and a lot of fun

Here’s a link to all the photos

Photo Link

Brian

I know it’s been awhile since I wrote.  I got some help from Mike Driscoll and a few friends, Don & Jane, Bob and JoAnne, Elaine & Gene and Karen & Jim.  I cleaned out my garage and got to pratice calling some patter.  For non-dancers out there.  Patter calling is using any and all of a square dance level’s program to get the dancers from their home position through a series of calls to get them back to their home position.

Thanks to the my friends, I was able to pratice the patter side of calling.  No one walked out and except for one couple who has a previous commentent, they will be back next Tuesday to help me again.  This week I have to write some modules that will make things easier.

Till next time,

Brian

I am getting used to the mic.  have this habit of turning my head and leaving the mic pointed straight ahead.  They tell me that will come in time to keep the mic up close to my mouth.  I think there will be a head set in the future. 

Anyway, I got to call “Next Door to Alice” on Friday night with Mike Driscoll.  Thanks Mike!  I now have two singing calls that I can do fairly well.  Now I have to start tackling the Patter.

See you later,

Brian