What is Filk?
As I said on my home page, filk is the music of the fantasy/SF community. I hesitate offering a definition here, since several excellent definitions have previously been written by others people who began filking long before me. Instead, let me offer a few subjective memories and views.
First, I love music. My personal collection of CDs, tapes and vinyl LPs numbers well over a thousand titles, and encompasses rock, folk, jazz, classical (instrumental), meditation and 'space music', electronic and experimental music, flamenco guitar and corridos, film soundtracks and the world-spanning music available via Putumayo. (Go there! Go see!)
With interests like these, I was prepared to like any kind of music anyone cared to sing at me. The sound of filking caught my attention at the first SF/fantasy conference I ever attended. I opened the door of the room from whence the singing was coming, asked what was going on --- and promptly skedaddled. Why? Well, they told me it was a 'bardic circle'. That wasn't scary. Then, they told me everyone sat in a circle and took turns singing. Arrggghhh! I ran for dear life to the pool and hot tub room, and hid there for the rest of the evening.
Cowardice deprived me of what the kind filkers in DarkoverCon's circle didn't have a chance to demonstrate. Filkers have -got- to be the pleasantest, sweetest, most understanding people in the world of music. Great care is taken to insure that anyone who wants to participate can do so, and every performance is applauded. Equal care is taken to answer newby's questions and to assure them that no one is ever forced to perform. Just say 'pass' when your turn comes 'round, and you're off the hook.
All safe and sound, right? Well, …no.
While you're sitting in that courteous, hilarious and fascinating circle of new friends, terrible magicks are being performed. I cannot think of another group activity as addictive as filking. And, it's sneaky-addicting. You tell yourself you're staying until you get a handle on what this stuff is about. You get up to leave, but someone has just started a song, and it seems rude to walk out on them. You really must leave now but, darn it, you've got to hear about the time the police came while Heather was singing 'Cambreadth'. Oh, Oh! Someone's singing about - the shuttle, Trek, baseball, cats, the local political race, sex (under the guise of jalapenos), etc. Have to stay for that, at least… The next thing you know, it's dawn and everyone is yawning and scrambling up and out of the building to greet the new dawn with the "Interpolated Star Spangled Banner".
And, when you finally think you've got your wits about you, it's a decade later. You go through withdrawal without some filk music playing at least once a day. And now people are asking -you- for the lyrics to "My Alien One Night Stand".
Okay, for the reader who really, really wants a -definition- a'ready, I suggest the Interfilk site.
Look for the link to Jordin Kare's excellent article, reprinted from 'Sing Out' magazine.
Coming soon! Please check back.