To Francis
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TennyoCeres84
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To Francis
What is your history with cantors/bards? Given your job at the university, I'm sure they're probably a dime a dozen, or are they? What stands out about them, though?
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IamLEAM1983
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As Amazo
"I'm not much of a bard, myself. I'd love to cast spells with a few taps, some cane swings and maybe some hat flourishes, though - but most people who actually have it in their mind to try and kill me wouldn't exactly wait for me to finish making like Fred Astaire... For the same reason, I doubt anyone would actually have the courtesy to let me try charming opponents away with a few heartfelt notes. Not that I'd trust myself, though - I'm not much of a singer to begin with.
Magic that's channeled through song is something that requires some exclusive channels and a lot of personal development. The same goes for people who want to upgrade from chi-using martial artists to actual quasi-Avatar elemental wranglers. It's not something that's obtainable in a book or a seminar, at least in its intrinsic form. Even if I had the skills to help a Cantor or a martial artist get a little more mileage out of their effects, I couldn't actually contribute. The reason behind this is the fact that, well, your singing voice is yours, and yours alone. A Cantor needs to draw on his or her life experiences, on things that symbolize healing or regained strength or bolstered courage. There aren't any templates for this, not like there is for elemental effects or wards. Nobody could impart specific mnemonic links that would make a Cantor go Yes, that's it! That's how I'm going to shunt more healing power through my voice!
The sad truth is that Cantors tend to walk a mostly lonely road - if you exclude contemporary additions like singing coaches or the more widespread distribution of things like poetry or art. Cantors have to channel their faith in something strong and primal, something deeply aligned with the powers of Good. They have to touch the hearts and minds of those they sing to, and have to reach deep - deep enough to heal wounds of the soul, instead of the body. I couldn't teach that, even if you gave me centuries to get acquainted with Meris' own experiences.
On the flipside, Cantors can hone their craft with more pleasurable ways than simply raw study or research. All it takes is another artist's work, like a painting, a movie, someone's recorded album; literally anything of some artistic value, that actually does touch you. A Cantor's magic tends to feed and grow off of other Cantors' efforts, and they all learn to recognize strong inspiration and the desire to uplift or support others as soon as they sense its presence in a work of art.
I'm not sure I could adequately describe it, not being exactly like Meris... You know how certain songs might make your skin crawl in a good way, how certain arrangements can make you a little giddy or light-headed? Or, well, have you ever read a book that contains a passage or a chapter you just can't get enough of? That's Cantor fluid. In the olden days, you'd look for anything between Tibetan throat singers to Gregorian choirs or even really bawdy mead-hall chants more roared than actually sung by a gaggle of half-drunk Wyrm. Nowadays, you'll find Cantors working with turntables and computers, or maybe electric guitars and a set of stupidly rousing lyrics based off of their latest Dungeons and Dragons run - basically Dragonforce material. Anything that feels good and that triggers that spark of via in the practitioner, that extra reserve that makes them an actual mage, works.
So, to answer your question, I haven't really taught any Cantors since I've started teaching. I cross paths with a couple every now and then, sure - I figure you're familiar with Iscariot Renfyld at least by name, or maybe Clem Billings, the Orc bluesman... Things are a little too shaded and complex, nowadays, for anyone to really come across as a Celine Dion type, what with Power Ballads about healing and the unending power of Love with a Capital L and standing tall for the significant other and so on and so forth...
Out-and-out Cantors aren't too popular, largely because people more or less tuned out on the notions of Good and Evil, over the years. Modern types adapted to that by learning to stack other effects on their listening crowds, besides basic healing or supportive auras."
Magic that's channeled through song is something that requires some exclusive channels and a lot of personal development. The same goes for people who want to upgrade from chi-using martial artists to actual quasi-Avatar elemental wranglers. It's not something that's obtainable in a book or a seminar, at least in its intrinsic form. Even if I had the skills to help a Cantor or a martial artist get a little more mileage out of their effects, I couldn't actually contribute. The reason behind this is the fact that, well, your singing voice is yours, and yours alone. A Cantor needs to draw on his or her life experiences, on things that symbolize healing or regained strength or bolstered courage. There aren't any templates for this, not like there is for elemental effects or wards. Nobody could impart specific mnemonic links that would make a Cantor go Yes, that's it! That's how I'm going to shunt more healing power through my voice!
The sad truth is that Cantors tend to walk a mostly lonely road - if you exclude contemporary additions like singing coaches or the more widespread distribution of things like poetry or art. Cantors have to channel their faith in something strong and primal, something deeply aligned with the powers of Good. They have to touch the hearts and minds of those they sing to, and have to reach deep - deep enough to heal wounds of the soul, instead of the body. I couldn't teach that, even if you gave me centuries to get acquainted with Meris' own experiences.
On the flipside, Cantors can hone their craft with more pleasurable ways than simply raw study or research. All it takes is another artist's work, like a painting, a movie, someone's recorded album; literally anything of some artistic value, that actually does touch you. A Cantor's magic tends to feed and grow off of other Cantors' efforts, and they all learn to recognize strong inspiration and the desire to uplift or support others as soon as they sense its presence in a work of art.
I'm not sure I could adequately describe it, not being exactly like Meris... You know how certain songs might make your skin crawl in a good way, how certain arrangements can make you a little giddy or light-headed? Or, well, have you ever read a book that contains a passage or a chapter you just can't get enough of? That's Cantor fluid. In the olden days, you'd look for anything between Tibetan throat singers to Gregorian choirs or even really bawdy mead-hall chants more roared than actually sung by a gaggle of half-drunk Wyrm. Nowadays, you'll find Cantors working with turntables and computers, or maybe electric guitars and a set of stupidly rousing lyrics based off of their latest Dungeons and Dragons run - basically Dragonforce material. Anything that feels good and that triggers that spark of via in the practitioner, that extra reserve that makes them an actual mage, works.
So, to answer your question, I haven't really taught any Cantors since I've started teaching. I cross paths with a couple every now and then, sure - I figure you're familiar with Iscariot Renfyld at least by name, or maybe Clem Billings, the Orc bluesman... Things are a little too shaded and complex, nowadays, for anyone to really come across as a Celine Dion type, what with Power Ballads about healing and the unending power of Love with a Capital L and standing tall for the significant other and so on and so forth...
Out-and-out Cantors aren't too popular, largely because people more or less tuned out on the notions of Good and Evil, over the years. Modern types adapted to that by learning to stack other effects on their listening crowds, besides basic healing or supportive auras."