Progressive Diary
Fiddles and Democracy—March 2011
By John Clay
Twelve musicians sat in a circle, fiddles in hand, as the instructor played a tune with short shuffle strokes and then with long saw strokes. I sat across the room with pen in hand, watching and listening as a lesson in democracy began to unfold. It was MooseJaw Dance Weekend, a yearly gathering of folk dancers and musicians at the Maplelag Resort way up north in Callaway, Minnesota.
These fiddlers would be playing together with a host of other musicians for the big dance later that evening, so this was half workshop and half rehearsal. Most of all, they had to be clear on which style they were playing. They had to decide whether to shuffle or saw. "Let's take a vote", the instructor said after his brief demonstration. "We'll go with the majority. How many for shuffle?"
A few raised hands. There were looks of hesitation all around. One fiddler spoke up. "I would need to play it myself each way to know." Animated conversation broke out, with laughs and gestures. The instructor called again for a vote. A few raised hands again. One fiddler asked a clarifying question, and more questions and answers followed. Someone pointed out that they might as well all learn it sawed first, and then it would be easy to add shuffle strokes later. There was general agreement, and the rehearsal began.
This is what real democracy looks like. Democracy is a shared process of deliberation and decision. It's participatory thinking, with multiple minds sorting through intentions and facts and prospects and consequences and then, and only then, deciding the matter. It's not just a question followed by a vote. It's question, deliberation, and vote. Voting without discussion is mindlessness. Real democracy takes some fiddling around.
Email reactions to director@democraticpromise.org.
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