This Just In!

True Aplomb

Ya know, it’s nice to get an attaboy. It’s even better when the event producer is also a Poet Laureate. Man, can this guy do a recommendation, or what? Thanks Joe, right back atcha!

True wins the Crystal Flute Bardic at the Estrella SCA War

I was lucky enough to join the Barony of Tir Ysgithr for their fireside Bardic Competition this year. There were a good number of very honorable competitors and the competition was well run (they stayed to time limits and had food and beverages and everything.) I have to say, I was truly honored and the flute is a beautiful prize. I won by only 2 points! I think this will be the last bardic competition I enter in the SCA. (although I might judge, etc.)

I was stumped as to what to enter, as many of the competitions want period material and those tend not to be too moving for modern audiences. Likewise as a storyteller, that whole six minutes was a challenge. At the last minute, I did a first person storytelling piece, where I turned a person into Sean, a boy who had been ridiculed for having a bard for a grandfather. Then I had the grandfather explain some of the bardic tradition, lapsing into traditional scots-gaelic mouth music, accompanied by the bones, finishing up back in the story.

It was a risky gambit that could have gone horribly wrong. I came up with the idea at the very last minute. Like some of my other gigs, inspiration comes to the rescue.