Friendship Set To Music-Show History
Modern American square dancing airs somewhere on Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, New Jersey, Missouri, Kansas, and Hawaii public
access TV stations everyday of the week. Two shows are produced each month and
distributed to seventy cable stations that reach over 250 communities. Most
stations give the show, entitled "Friendship Set to Music," a "series" time slot
so it runs at the same time each day or each week. Some stations air the show
daily; some air it several times a week; some air it once a week.
"Friendship Set to Music" is an hour-long, square-and-round-dance show created
on a storyboard, then filmed, and finally mailed or delivered by square
dancers--all volunteers. This show is done by volunteer square dancers and is is
a very low-budget effort to promote dancing. No one is paid and costs are
minimal.
Because the show is done by square dancers who are "certified, community,
television producers" for the Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission (LMCC)
TV studio in Spring Park, Minnesota, the use of the studio for the production of
the show is free. The biggest asset to the show is station manager Jim Lundberg,
who has encouraged and advised the group since the idea was suggested by
square-dancer Dee Scott, director and producer of the show.
Dick Rueter, a member of the American Callers Association and
the MSDCA, is the regular caller; Ray Belanger, a member of the Minnesota Round
Dance Council, Roundalab, and Universal Round Dance Council (URDAC), is the
regular cuer. Volunteer guest callers include Larry Johansen, Chuck Bowes, Larry
Fruetel, Ernie Auringer, Dean Fishel, Myron Hollantz, Mike Driscoll, Tom Allen,
Roger McNeil, Richard Miller, Dean Libby, Dan Sahlstrom, CJ Amweg, Ben Gieske,
Jim Lizakowski, and Wayne Kubicek, Abe Maier, Royce Nelson, and Al Block;
volunteer guest cuers include Ed Rust, Mike and Edie Kirsch, Robin Fryman, Ken
LaBau, Daryl Beberness, Ed Rust and Dan Sahlstrom. The bluegrass band "Timbre
Junction" provide "live" music on several shows.
During each show, two phone numbers appear on the screen--one
is a phone line (952-472-0006) that is dedicated to the show; the other is the
Minnesota Square Dance Federation phone number(763-557-5113). Hundreds of phone
calls have come in from viewers wanting to learn more about square and round
dancing. Questions and comments range from "We love the show. Keep it coming."
to "Please run the show two hours in a row." to "How can I host a square dance
for my friends?" to "Where can we take lessons?" Many viewers are referred to a
caller or club in their area who can give specific answers about times and
places. Folks seeking lessons are sent a list of the upcoming dances and
complimentary free passes to visit clubs and dances to learn more about this
great hobby.
The basic production costs for tapes are insignificant when compared to the cost
per viewer. Currently, the seventy cable stations have a grand total of over a
million subscribers. If just 25,000 of that million watch the show, the cost is
less than a penny per viewer!
Start-up funds for this show were donated by the Central East Region and
Westonka Whirlers. By the end of the year, eight more clubs plus the NW, the SE
Region, the SW Region, the CW Region, the NE Region and the Federation donated
money to the show's costs. Two very successful silent auctions raised enough
additional money for the tapings to continue.
In 2006, the show was invited to perform all twelve days of
the Minnesota State Fair. Three shows a day were performed on the Heritage Stage
in Heritage Square. Regular hosts on the show, Ardus and Bob, with Dick and Ray
hosted the 36 shows. Over 600 square and round dancers participated in this
adventure. Most of the state's callers and cuers were guests on the shows.
Hundreds of dancers wore the special blue t-shirts that were created especially
for the fair with the list of all the dancers on the back.
Tapes or DVDs of the individual shows are available from Dee.
Each show spotlights a different square dance club or region in Minnesota
dancing eight tunes plus includes three to four round-dance numbers. From fifty
to a hundred square and round dancers participate each Saturday morning. If you
wish to dance on the show, check the schedule and show up at the studio. If you
need directions, call Dee at 952-472-0006.
Readying the studio's lights, cameras, and microphones,
putting up the set and club banners, and entering graphics into the character
generator for each show requires six to eight square dancers who volunteer at
the studio for about three hours each on Friday afternoon before the
Saturday-morning shoot. During the hour-long, non-stop taping of each show,
square dancers (Bill, Ed, Ron, John, Mel, Shirley, Wayne, Richard, Rylan, Roger,
Jordan, Keith, or Chuck) operate the cameras, Ken does the floor directing
(providing cue cards for the hosts and Dick and Ray), Bruce or Barb or Judy
generates graphics on the screen as the show tapes, Dee operates the switcher,
and Jim operates the sound board. Troubleshooting the whole studio is station
manager Jim Lundberg.
Distribution of the show is done by Dee and Ken . Dee
initially contacted all the cable stations to learn their individual rules and
requirements for airing a new show. Some stations require a local resident, a
"contact," to sign the forms and deliver the tapes; most stations jumped at the
chance to air an entertainment show for their viewers at no cost or effort on
the part of their public access station.
Decision-making for "Friendship Set to Music" is done by a
committee of square dancers. The invitation to help create the show went out to
the local club, Westonka Whirlers, and to many other dancers in the CE Region.
The committee that formed elected Bob and Ardus to host the show.
Working together with the square dancers in Minnesota, they filmed 25 shows each
year: 2004, 2005, and 2006. Another 25 are being planned for 2007.
Some clubs have tried producing a local square-dance show right before their
lessons begin and have been disappointed with the lack of response from viewers.
This disappointment is predictable because the show is airing on cable TV, and
viewers often find the show only when flipping channels. After three years, our
feedback says we have a gigantic audience that watches regularly.
"Friendship Set To Music" has many viewer-response callers who are seeing the
show for the first time and it may be the 75th show! Thus, it is important that
the show air at least weekly in the same time slot, giving viewers the chance to
find it one week and then watch it again the next week. Since most of the
stations keep the tapes, they seldom play the same show week after week.
"Prime-time" slots between 6 and 10 p.m. yield the most phone calls but are also
the most difficult slots to get.
Questions and Answers:
How can dancers get on the show?
Call Dee and get directions to the studio.
Can dancers from anywhere be on the show? Yes. In August, 2006,
Caller Al Block brought a busload of dancers from Missouri to the studio and
taped two shows. Their bus trip was a dance party! They left Missouri and danced
with a club in Iowa that night; the next night they danced in Fargo, North
Dakota. Friday night the Minnesota square dancers hosted a "Minnesota Meets
Missouri" dance at the Harmonies Dance Place in Bloomington, Minnesota. Saturday
morning Al and his Missouri clubs taped two shows at the LMCC Studio and then
spent the rest of the day at the Mall of America!
What was your main purpose when you started producing this show? To
educate the viewers about square and round dancing, i.e., to let people know
that their neighbors and friends and relatives are dancing all over the world
and that they can join by simply making a phone call.
Are there viewer-response phone numbers on the screen? Yes, there
are two phone numbers that are frequently flashed on the screen so viewers can
call with questions or comments. The website is also flashed occasionally. Lots
of other graphics give details about square and round dancing and encourage the
viewers to join the fun.
Will these phone numbers get the viewer in any of the fifty states local
information for their areas? Yes. Both phones have a national
directory beside them so viewers will be referred to a club or caller or dancer
near their homes.
How do we get these tapes on the air in our area?
You need to contact your local, public-access, cable TV
station (not usually the cable company) and ask if they will air the show if you
bring tapes to them or if the tapes are mailed to them. If they say “yes,” they
will air tapes you bring them, you need to contact Dee for tapes or DVDs. Or,
you need to get a crew together and start making your own shows for airing in
your area. The purpose of cable TV is to serve the local subscribers--play what
they request or what they create. Most stations eagerly accept good, clean,
entertaining programming. Many have enthusiastic station managers (like our Jim
Lundberg) who will be more than willing to help your club make your own shows
for the local viewers.
What is the content of the show?
For the first year, we did an educational format combined with lots of square
and round dancing. In the hour-long format, there were three or four round
dances, six or seven singing calls, and three segments when the hosts
interviewed the square dancers on the show about attire at a dance, when, where
and how often a person can dance, how long it takes to learn to dance, the
purpose of angels and queens, memorable experiences such as conventions or
special dances, and details about the club or region being spotlighted. All
shows except one use mainstream calls. One show is a "plus" show; three have a
live band on the show. As we added new ideas to the show, we spotlighted the
"red hats" and did a purple and red show with square dancers who belong to the
"red hats." Currently we're doing theme shows: patriotic music, train songs,
Hawaiian, barn dance, boots, rock and roll, polka, gospel, western hats,
Halloween, Christmas, and a "Happy Everything" show that covers all the holidays
in a year.
What is the current format?
More dancing, less talking; more guest callers and cuers; more youth on the
shows. Almost all shows are timeless: they can air any day, any time. Three
shows are extra special because the music is "live" by Timbre Junction. We have
four shows that feature the youth; the theme: "Square dancing is for the whole
family!"
How can any of the shows be used to promote square and round dancing? First
and foremost: get them on the public-access cable station that you watch. You
want your area to know that square dancing is alive and that you hope the
viewers will join the fun.
If you have more questions about "Friendship Set to Music" or want tapes or DVDs
or would like help starting your own show, call Dee at 952-472-0006 or contact
her via the email link on the left.