{"items": [{"author": "Anna", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/contra-dance-unplugged/10150232373286213/?comment_id=10150232416791213", "anchor": "fb-10150232416791213", "service": "fb", "text": "You're making some good points.  I could see how it would be less intimidating to new callers and musicians with these parameters.", "timestamp": "1311018561"}, {"author": "Jean", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/contra-dance-unplugged/10150232373286213/?comment_id=10150232513176213", "anchor": "fb-10150232513176213", "service": "fb", "text": "Agree &amp; hope to get to an outdoor contra before the end of summer. Re being heard outside unamplified: my uncle remembered from the 1940s an older swing-band leader singing into a small megaphone during an outdoor dance.", "timestamp": "1311025805"}, {"author": "Jeff&nbsp;Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/contra-dance-unplugged/10150232373286213/?comment_id=10150232550786213", "anchor": "fb-10150232550786213", "service": "fb", "text": "@Jean: I've tried calling at these with a megaphone, but I find it really hard to call with my vision blocked like that.", "timestamp": "1311029267"}, {"author": "Kiran", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/contra-dance-unplugged/10150232373286213/?comment_id=10150232834341213", "anchor": "fb-10150232834341213", "service": "fb", "text": "I once went to the Montague Grange for an unamplified dance event, open music and open calling.  The music was in a bandshell that served as a natural amplifier, and was loud enough that I chose not to call since I didn't want to risk my voice that way.  I'd be willing to call without amplification in a Somerville living room, but not in a larger or noisier venue.", "timestamp": "1311067107"}, {"author": "Bennett", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/contra-dance-unplugged/10150232373286213/?comment_id=10151216321041213", "anchor": "fb-10151216321041213", "service": "fb", "text": "Jeff&nbsp;Kaufman and @Jean, the Maine Country Dance Orchestra played unamplified at the Bowdoinham dance for many years using a leather bullhorn that John Gawler still has here in Belgrade.  They had a reunion dance last month which was unamplified, and over the course of the night 4 or 5 people called dances but only some of the callers used the bullhorn.  I was on the floor for many of the dances, both bullhorn and non-bullhorn, and with the bullhorn the caller was a bit louder and - remarkably -  much more focused.  You could really hear the calls cut through the ambient noise.  It was an interesting, unexpected result.  <br><br>Also, Greg Boardman, who is a part of the MCDO, has told me some really interesting stories about how most dances in the 60s and 70s, when he started, were unamplified and the dancers were quiet in order to hear the caller and the music.  They just didn't talk/shout/shriek like they do these days and as such the balance of sound in the room consciously self-leveled and the connection between caller, band, and dancers was stronger.  Hearing these stories I think acoustic dances are something to be explored further.", "timestamp": "1360198389"}, {"author": "Bennett", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-kaufman/contra-dance-unplugged/10150232373286213/?comment_id=10151594965761213", "anchor": "fb-10151594965761213", "service": "fb", "text": "And also, Jeff, extra points for your joke in sentence 1.", "timestamp": "1380829663"}]}