We've got all sorts of exciting things already planned for Consonance, just as we do every year [grin]. Here's what?s on tap:

• Concerts (of course!) Concerts are the centerpiece of Consonance. They will be ongoing in Champagne II&III throughout the con.
• More filking. We will have all the function space in the hotel from 10am Friday through 11 pm Sunday, plus we will have the Dead Mosquito filk room until 6am Monday, so we will have more time to filk, filk, and filk.
• A Megillah Reading. This year Purim and Consonance collide, so we'll be holding a Megillah reading in one of the function rooms Saturday in the tail end of the dinner hour. Bring your noisemakers!
• Some out-of-area performers we either haven't had in a while or have never heard, including Escape Key from the Seattle area, Ju and Katy, and Steve Macdonald, who'll be hosting a Beatles and Beyond circle Friday night.
• Local Yokels: We'll also be having terrific Californians performing. Four Shillings Short will be making their Consonance debut Saturday, and Scott Snyder, Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff, Tony Fabris, Windbourne, and Barry Gold are scheduled to perform.
• Special Saturday Fare: On Saturday morning, Dave and Tom (our GOHs) will be hosting "stretching for comfort," and our Interfilk guest, Franklin Gunkelmann, will be hosting a medieval dancing workshop.
• Theme Circles: Dave and Tom will be hosting a Stan Rogers theme circle, and Steve Macdonald will be hosting a Rock Jam after the last concert Sunday.
• Sign-up-and-sing concerts & Two-fers: You'll find a limited number of slots in the event you'd like to give a concert or just present a song or two. Sign-ups at InfoDesk.
• Radio 8-Ball: Due to popular demand (or was that screams of pain in the hallway?), we'll once again have "Radio 8-Ball." We're not sure yet who the Oracles (singers) will be; we know we've got our token radio professional (Lynn Gold) as one of the "interpreters." Come prepared with questions to be "answered."

• Open filking begins at 10 am Friday. Other programming, such as workshops, circles, and concerts, begins at 6:30pm Friday and ends at 6pm Sunday.
• Dead Mosquito Filk: After programming ends on Sunday, there will be a dinner run followed by the Dead Mosquito filk
• Interfilk Auction: Enjoy the luscious Interfilk wenches and he-wenches! Help support Interfilk! Bid early and often!
• Dr. Who and the Torians, a filk musical, will be performed on Sunday at 2pm. Come if you dare.
• Release parties: There is at least one CD release party this year. Storming Heaven will be in release as of Friday at 7:00 pm -- the party is in a private room.  Also if you ask Jeff or Maya Bohnhoff, they may be able to give you a preview listen to their upcoming filk release Aliens Ate My Homework.

 

About Theme Circles

While we have a number of theme circles already scheduled, please consider hosting one yourself! Simply go to the InfoDesk table and find the schedule. Pick a free time slot, and write in your name and your theme and/or style. In addition:

·         You get to pick a theme, such as "Monsters" or "Computers" or "Bawdy Songs." 

·         You get to pick a style, such as "Chaos" or "Bardic" or "Poker Chip Bardic."

·         You get to pick your time slot so that the programming or sleep you miss is something you can live without.

·         You do not get to pick performers. This is open filking, not a concert!

·         Check the programming grid for current themes.

Workshops

This year we have a number of musical and non-musical workshops. Workshops will be held in the Korbel and Krystall B rooms. Check the programming grid for the current schedule.

Open Filking & Dead Mosquito

What would a filk convention be without Open Filking? Come swap songs and jam with other folks, or just listen to whatever's going on.

Open Filking will be available continuously from 10 am Friday until 11 pm Sunday in any function rooms that don't have something else scheduled. The Dead Mosquito filk will begin in the Krystall Ballroom after the Sunday dinner run and will end at 6 am Monday.

For those of you who don't start filking until after the concerts are over in the evening, feel free to bring your instruments down ahead of time so you can spring into action as soon as the concerts end.

For Little Filkers

First, we'd like to thank Lindy Laurent for having done Children's Programming for so many years. Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way of her doing it again this year.

Second, parents, please note: We're doing something different this year.

In place of children?s programming, there will be a children's play space in the Board Room on the main function floor. Parents are asked to either stay with their children or appoint a "responsible person" to watch them there, and we'll have a Roadie Runner present in the room in case a parent needs to go to the "Little Filkers' Room."

Consonance is a child-friendly con. We encourage children of all ages to sing and listen to music. However, if a young child becomes genuinely disruptive, we expect the child's parent(s) to use good judgment and remove them from the programming area if appropriate.

If you are having problems with a particularly noisy or obnoxious child or adult, notify a member of the concom (designated by special badges). We will evaluate the situation and deal with the offending party if necessary. If a member of the concom is not available, a performer in concert (on stage) or a circle leader is authorized to eject a disruptive individual.

Huckster's Room

Krystall A is the Dealers' Room. John and Mary Creasey are the Keepers thereof.

Hours:

Friday, 4pm to 6pm

Saturday, 11am to 6pm/9:30pm to 11:00pm

Sunday, 11am to 3pm

Internet Lounge

Once again this year, our filk-first Internet Lounge will be maintained by the members of the local Federation Starship, U.S.S. Augusta Ada and will be overseen by Heather Stern, We'll have the bookmarks tuned up with a few places of filkish interest on the wild, wild web. Any traveling silicon life forms will find a comfy haven with power and Ethernet connectors. Anyone who loses their guitar on the Information Highway will be encouraged to visit http://www.lostandfound.com.