Anonymous ask

I gotta admit that I’m just using you to pass the message on to the rest of the filk community on tumblr. I noticed that due to the covid-19 situation, there was a virtual filk con earlier this summer. I’d like to suggest that there would be more virtual filk events (cons or even just small filk circle type things) in the future, too, even after the covid-situation has passed. As a broke younger generation nerd from a country where filk has never been a thing, getting into the filk community 1/3

2/3 and getting to know filkers, has been very hard to me, and I feel like if there were more virtual filk events, it would be easier to me at least to meet more filkers (even if I can’t even write good poetry in English or any other language, let alone make music, I can’t play any instrument, and my singing voice is about as good as a crow’s,

3/3 so I know I don’t really bring anything into the filk community to be honest), and I’d really like that! And I’m guessing I can’t be the only one with this problem? Please tell me I’m not?

Hey Nony! I know filkers are already talking about the prospect of continuing to do online filk events after the pandemic has passed, precisely because of the wider participation they allow. Even those of us who regularly go to filk conventions have been enjoying the chance to see and hear people from farther off than we usually get to travel – and for those who almost never get the chance at all, virtual events are that much more important. Personally I’m hoping that the virtual events do outlast the pandemic, and I suspect they will.

For now, there are definitely more events planned while the pandemic is still ongoing! Here’s some ways to find them:

  • Filkstreams.org is a repository of sorts for tracking upcoming virtual filk events, including concerts, conventions, and open circles. It’s not always comprehensive but people are working on that.
  • Friends of Filk is a Pacific Northwest filk organization that hosts monthly filk circles (now virtual for the duration of the pandemic), and their website hosts a very useful event calendar.
  • F Is For Filker is a Facebook group for filkers – I’m not on Facebook so I don’t know very much about it, but it was recommended through …
  • #filkhaven is a Discord server for the filk community, and an excellent place to meet filkers. The #schedules channel there is a place where people often post news about upcoming events.

Also, to address your parenthetical, for you and for anybody else reading this who’s wondering the same thing: please don’t feel like you need to “bring something” to the filk community in order to join it! The community exists for the people in it, not the other way around; if you want to be part of it, it doesn’t matter if (or how well) you sing or play or compose, you’re still welcome.

Hope to see you at some of the upcoming events!

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