Category: WCS General

It certainly looks like I am not alone in my love for music that swings! The response I got from that last email was a little unexpected. Several emails, Facebook messages, and texts later the count is in and the vast majority of you voted for C when given these choices: A. Pop 0% B. Blues 5% C. It doesn’t matter as long as it swings 90% D. I have know Idea what the hell you are even talking about 5% Some of you were not sure what “Swing” is but voted for the most of the music you hear on Friday nights. This is not to say that you can’t have a great time on a Saturday night…of course you can. Most of the Boston DJs play a “mix” of music so if you don’t dig a certain song you can sit it out and wait for the next one. What is missing in this “Mix” takes more time and effort to develop than the average DJ is willing to spend which is time spent “digging” for new music. Gone are the days when night club DJs would “break” new music. In the late 70’s and early 80’s DJs in the night club would spend 3-4 hours a day “digging” through crate after crate of records to find that one song that would take the crowd to the next level. Crowds had longer attention spans back then and were conditioned to enjoy new music. The radio stations would call DJs to see what was hot in the club so they would know what to play on the radio. By the time music hit the radio the people that went clubbing all the time, were sick of that song and were hungry for the next and different tune. As technology improved and musical mediums got smaller and lighter (Tapes, CDs, Mp3s) the work it took to find the new music dropped dramatically and music producers began to bribe the radio stations to play the songs that the DJs in the clubs wouldn’t play. This caused a huge shift in how Jon Q Public became exposed to his weekly dose of music and it changed dramatically what people ended up considering good music.  When music broke in a club it was because it deserved to be played and earned its spot in the rotation. A good DJ would try out new stuff early on in the night and if it worked he would move it later and later into his set until it landed in the “peak hour”. If a record company could simply buy its record onto the radio and be heard by the listener 20-30 times a week, the song would eventually catch on for no other reason than everyone knew all of the words and could sing a long. Really lousy songs made it to the radio and charted very high in an Emperor has no cloths kind of way. If it could get on the radio it must be good. How does this effect West Coast Swing music? If a DJ that is playing a dance tonight, wants to guarantee a successful evening, he can simply download every song on the top 40, walk in, and play the set of his life. He no longer has to spend hours of his time “digging” for new music. Nor does he need to “test” out new music because “Westie” dance to “Contemporary” music. In fact 2 years ago, one of the better known Boston DJs asked me to lone him my collection of Top 40 music for an event that he was DJing that weekend.  Right now the “Westie” movement is pushing for “Pop” because they “…want to attract new and younger dancers”. For any of us that have been dancing West Coast Swing for more than 10 years we remember when you couldn’t wait to go dancing to hear what the DJ played that was new and exciting. You rewarded these new gems by rushing the floor and experimenting with your footwork, patterns, and partners. Ten plus people would rush the DJ’s table to ask what “That” song was so you could all try and hunt down the CD and practice to it at home. Music was the drug that drove us into the venues. My questions are: What will keep these new and younger dancers coming back if they can get their musical fix anywhere out side of West Coast Swing?  If we are all going to play the same music over and over again and only have something new when the radio introduces new music, then why do we need all of these DJs? This Friday  (Pizza Party and musicality 102) $10 Lesson 7:30-8:15  Dance 8:15-? DNE School of Dance 78 Princeton St. Chelmsford, Ma Sunday Night  $10 6-6:45 2-Step lesson 6:45-7:30pm WCS 7:30-? California Mixer Longfellow’s Club JoEllen 524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD (Rt 20) Wayland, MA

On one hand I am a very easy going guy who rarely lets anything bother him. Show up late to my class…no big deal…Dent in my fender from a run-a-way carriage…I am unfazed…Throw my cigar away before I am done and I will likely buy us each another one. There is one thing that puts the fork in my shrimp cocktail and that is people who refuse to edjucate themselves about what they are complaining about. Never be the person who requests “Stairway to Heaven” while its already playing…In fact never ask any DJ to play that song EVER!

Recently I was called by a promoter (who will remain nameless) about DJing for a local West Coast Swing event. Everything was going well until they voiced their only concern: They heard that I only play blues when I DJ. When I asked who this person’s “source” was (because they have not been to something that I have DJed in more than 2 years) they mentioned that it was another promoter and gave me the run around, ending the call before I got a definitive answer as to whether or not I am in fact DJing for said event. 

For the record I play several genres of music when I DJ but it did get me thinking that perhaps I play so much blues that someone could misconstrue the data, so I began to look through my play history and I discovered something. I don’t play nearly enough blues! On an average night only 10% of my music falls into the genre “Blues”. Most of it falls into R&B or Soul and its not me naming the Genre its the record company putting their best foot forward to try and sell as many records as possible as they try to nail down what the listener might be searching for. I did find a similarity in the music that I choose for West Coast Swing…A vast majority of it swings! 

Without getting too into the long history of BS that has plagued this dance for the last decade I do want to let my readers know about a fracture that has happened musically in West Coast Swing (WCS). WCS is being split into 2 major camps: The “Westies” and the people who still refer to themselves as “Swing Dancers”. Sometime I will write out the difference in the actual dancing, but for now lets just say that 4 out of the 5 dances that happen on Saturday nights in the greater Boston area are starting to refer to them selves as “Westie” events and are leaving the “Swing” out of more than just the name of the dance. 

Regardless of what the song’s genre actually is, I think that the dancers that are coming up through the “Westie” program are hearing swing rhythms in the music and thinking it must be blues because it doesn’t sound “contemporary”. “Westie” dancers often use the word “Contemporary” when they are describing the type of music they dance to. For some reason it has become misconstrued as a genre of music when it actually refers to a time period. For example Elvis would have been considered contemporary music in the 50’s, as well as the Beatles in the 60’s, Hendrix in the 70’s, Blondie in the 80’s, Toni Tone Tony in the 90’s, Timbaland in the 2000’s, and Pink now. What ever music falls in the top 40 at any given time is that time period’s “Contemporary” music. The Genre they are looking to describe is called “Pop” (short for popular aka top 40). 

The question I have for you is what do you prefer?

A. Pop

B. Blues

C. It doesn’t matter as long as it swings

D. I have know Idea what the hell you are even talking about

Saturday I am the DJ at NHABDA’s Monthly Dance

Pinkerton Academy, Derry, NH

Lesson at 6:30 

Dance at 7:30

Details at: http://www.nhabda.com/

 – See more at: http://www.mrjonathanismydj.com/#sthash.H5X1ZEkA.dpuf

I was checking emails this morning after my long weekend away in Tampa, you are ALL welcome, by the way, for the warm weather we just had (I brought it with me), when I came across what would have otherwise seemed like junk mail. Imagine if your sneakers could take advantage of the strides (pun) we have made in the athletic footwear department, while being as easy on your lower extremities as your dance shoes. What if the soles could with stand walking about on asphalt as well as a competition dance floor while still giving you the support of a tennis or basketball shoe? Well I found a shoe that can do it all and their is a pair coming my way!

Check this link out:

Pretty cool huh?

For years I have tried to figure out how to get a shoe like this on my foot. I tried everything from glueing leather patches on the soles of my shoes to making exact cut outs of duct tape and sticking them on…What a mess! I can’t wait to be able to swing inside and outside with the same amount of ease without the mess!

See you all this Friday for our first swing class back in 2 weeks. This week is a return to the basics for everyone then towards the end we are going to get a little into some footwork variations. 

After I am playing my NEW MUSIC…it is so good and so soulful that you may never want to leave! Lucky for all of us I only have about 18 songs to show you so we won’t be there all night…for a while though!

This Friday  (Pizza Party)

$10

Lesson 7:30-8:15 

Dance 8:15-?

DNE School of Dance

78 Princeton St.

Chelmsford, Ma

Sunday Night 

$10

6-6:45 2-Step lesson

6:45-7:30pm WCS

7:30-? California Mixer

Longfellow’s Club JoEllen

524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD (Rt 20)

Wayland, MA

 

 Robert Frost wrote about two paths diverged in the woods and about how taking the one less traveled made all of the difference in his life. In the grand scheme of things taking the one less traveled is how I think we should all live our life in and out of swing. The tough part is that Mr. Frost didn’t mention the propensity for paths to split into more and more forks making the choices much harder each time we take a step down said path. Each time you choose the less traveled path you loose people along the way and bring your self closer and closer to being alone in the end.  

 Faster or slower…Slower 

Swung or Unswung…Unswung

Pop or Blues…Pop

Dance to the beat or the Words…The Beat

Straight timing or Syncopation…Syncopation

The choices go on forever and in the end we all end up in just about the same place convinced that we worked harder, bleed more, and are more deserving of that location than the guy or gal standing to our right or left. The truth (in my opinion) is that the road less traveled although tougher to navigate is easier to get bated into believing you are somehow better than the rest. The road with the beaten path may be easier to tread but may cause an inner struggle with not loosing who you are in the crowd. 

The difference is what you make of it. If you choose to go down the beaten path don’t just blindly follow that crowd…push the pace. If you choose the road less traveled do so with a humble spirit and make sure the trail you blaze is never over someone else.

Tuesday Night (Every Tuesday the Proceeds go to Youth Storm’s Church)

$10

7:30 Beginner/Advanced Beginner

Dance 7:30-?

124 N. Lowell Rd 

Bingo Hall in Windham, NH

(the light for the sign is out so look for the giant Silo and its across the street)

This Friday  (Pizza Party)

$10

Lesson 7:30-8:15 

Dance 8:15-?

DNE School of Dance

78 Princeton St.

Chelmsford, Ma

Sunday Night 

$10

6-6:45 2-Step lesson

6:45-7:30pm WCS

7:30-? California Mixer

Longfellow’s Club JoEllen

524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD (Rt 20)

Wayland, MA

What is flow? Flow is what happens in your brain when you are faced with a problem that is 10-25% greater than what you physically, mentally, or emotionally can handle and you are willing to face the problem head on with out allowing your self a way out. 

In sports Flow is often referred to as “Being in the Zone”. During the state of flow your brain releases a concoction of chemicals that produce a very euphoric level of focus. Did I just use the words Euphoric and Focus in the same sentence? Yes I did! Since you give your self no other choice because you either paid to be in class, your job is on the line, your boss handed you a dead line, or your life is on the line, your brain responds and rewards you for hanging in there with the extra focus you need to complete the task at hand and an over whelming sense of happiness to be there. Any thing learned while in a flow state is retained faster, held longer, and more easily built upon. Flow produces 5 times the results of non flow states.

The tough part isn’t being in flow its getting out of non-flow. In order for your brain to come to the rescue with its magic potion of brain stimulating chemicals it must be made to feel uncomfortable and you must have the resolve to continue past this lack of comfort. The best part is that it doesn’t just apply to dance…Flow can happen any time you are in a situation that requires you to be better than you are.

Lets be better this week!

Tuesday Night (Every Tuesday the Proceeds go to Youth Storm’s Church) $10 7:30 Beginner/Advanced Beginner Dance 7:30-? 124 N. Lowell Rd  Bingo Hall in Windham, NH (the light for the sign is out so look for the giant Silo and its across the street) This Friday  (Pizza Party) $10 Lesson 7:30-8:15  Dance 8:15-? DNE School of Dance 78 Princeton St. Chelmsford, Ma Sunday Night  $10 6-6:45 2-Step lesson 6:45-7:30pm WCS 7:30-? California Mixer Longfellow’s Club JoEllen 524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD (Rt 20) Wayland, MA