WCOD - Jon Burr

Check out our Jon Burr Playlist

Prodigal 

If you're getting into the habit of visiting this blog for modern rock, underground hip-hop and eclectic electronica then you're in for a surprise today; because this WCOD is something entirely different.  Today, we're diving into the smokey cool jazz genre for the first time with an introduction to Jon Burr - a true legend of bass, a talent loved by many, and an important influence on Jazz music as we know and love it today.

Originally from Huntington, NY, Jon Burr was all but destined to make an impact on jazz, having studied music intensively under the direction of the late jazz genius, Clem DeRosa. He attended the Berklee School of Music and graduated from the University of Illinois having served as a teaching assistant leading the 4th Band. Since then, Burr has bounced through the music world like a ping pong ball covered in paint, leaving his distinct mark wherever he goes.  He is now known as a producer, an arranger, a composer an an author, famous for his own style of music that he continues to write and produce. 

Burr is a member of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet and has toured with many of the jazz big-shots, such as Roland Hanna and Buddy Rich.  In 2007, he released a self-produced CD of original work titled “Just Can't Wait,” and established a name for himself in the upper echelons of the competitive world of music.

Check out our Jon Burr Playlist

Most recently, Burr is known for being the star bassist in his band Jon Burr Big Band. It's a high quality, electrifying group that is dedicated to playing and performing jazz music, and is a sponsored section of the Fractured Atlas organization - a non-profit organization focused on advertising the arts and promoting them. They have some created some phenomenal sounds in pursuit of pushing the art form, all which can be heard on our wonderful playlist today.

Whether you're a music enthusiast or a passive listener, Jon Burr is guaranteed to get your toes tapping and head bopping.

Beyond the music, Jon Burr is also the owner of www.arrangerforhire.com, a web-based consulting business; and runs jbQ Media, which is a production firm. Being one of the best bassists alive clearly isn't enough!

A man clearly accomplished on many levels; for us here at Wave.cat, it's Jon Burr's music and his contribution to the art form that will be remembered the most. A great example of an artist dedicating his life to his creative love, Jon Burr – you are one very worthy WCOD!

The Snitch Role of the snitch runner - The role of the snitch runner is to prevent the snitch- a tennis ball inside a sock hanging from the back of the snitch runner’s shorts - from being snatched by either team’s seeker. The snitch runner is not a member of either team, and considered an additional assistant referee. Snitch runners are encouraged to be creative in their evasion tactics.

- The following restrictions are relatively loose to allow snitch runners to heighten the intensity of a snitch battle for spectators. Sometimes, a snitch runner brings a heightened level of spectacle into a match (say, by riding a bike or throwing water balloons at players). If the snitch runner intends to do something like this, the head referee must be informed before the game begins.

Boundaries - The snitch runner and seekers are not bound by the pitch. The tournament director and head referee must establish a perimeter for the snitch before a tournament or match. Snitch runners and seekers must adhere to this perimeter. Snitch runners are encouraged to be creative in their evasion tactics. The following restrictions are relatively loose to allow snitch runners to heighten the intensity of a snitch battle for spectators. Sometimes, a snitch runner brings a heightened level of spectacle into a match (say, by riding a bike or throwing water balloons at players). If the snitch runner intends to do something like this, the head referee must be informed before the game begins. Equipment - All snitch runners are required to wear appropriate attire as listed by the IQA. This includes; - regulation snitch shorts, with velcro patch on the back waistband - snitch sock with ball - appropriate running shoes (either running sneakers, rubber cleats, or cross country spikes) - snitch runners should dress all in yellow/gold - Any other accessories are encouraged, but may be asked to be removed at the discretion of IQA officials Reporting a Grab - If the snitch is grabbed off the pitch and is not seen by the snitch referee, the snitch runner is responsible for determining if the catch was good. The snitch runner must self-report a catch if the successful seeker does not return to the pitch before the snitch. Snitch code of conduct - Snitches are expected to abide by the following requirements and suggestions, in order to ensure the fairness of the match and the safety of the players and spectators. A snitch:

a. Must not intentionally injure anyone

b. Must not make play recklessly or dangerously

c. Must not play with a bias to one team, and as such:

1. Must not show a bias in staying near one team's side of the pitch intentionally 2. Must not move a hoop, which becomes unplayable when dislodged

3. Must not unequally rearrange the balls before the match begins

4. Must not rearrange players’ headbands before the match begins

5. Must never score with the quaffle (a goal intentionally scored by the snitch runner does not

count)

d. Must obey the head referee regarding unusual spectacles

e. Must not intentionally go to the ground, so as to be ruled “down,” unless injured or unable to play

Here is the link to the Referee Guidebook:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zjIeFIELOl2MxjP6MYvtKFj1ys40DsI-9YsUbwWE5qM/edit

Here is a preliminary link to gifs of all the hand signals:

http://demo.vaquidditch.com/

Introduction

  Excerpts from Eitan Levine’s introduction to the original IQA Announcer Handbook:

  “Muggle Quidditch was founded several years ago in Middlebury college by improv comic Xander Manshel. Xander was a member of one of Middlebury’s premier improv groups and arranged that the matches be called by improv teams in order to add an extra level of entertainment to matches. Improv comedians add a unique feel to the sport that no other sports can claim to have….”

“The handbook is here to give you a background on the history of the sport, a basic understanding of the rules, and a brief guideline about what your duty is as an announcer…. Announcing is one of the most important parts of Quidditch as it keeps the games flowing and the tournament moving faster. You have a big job ahead of you as an announcer and I am sure you will do great.”

“On behalf of myself and the entire IQA I welcome you into our family and look forward to hearing your lovely voices.”

  Eitan Levine

Announcer Coordinator for the IQA

Rules

"Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me."- Lee Jordan

The Basics

Introduction - The game of quidditch features four different types of players (beaters, keepers, chasers, and seekers), two different types of balls (quaffles and bludgers), and one snitch. Two teams of seven players compete to get the most points. Teams get points by putting the quaffle through one of three of their opponent’s goal hoops, and by catching the Snitch. The game is ended when the Snitch is grabbed and the win is given to the team who has amassed the most points.

The Balls

Quaffle- Only controlled by the chaser. This ball (usually a partially inflated volley ball) is the main offensive weapon that a team uses during the course of play. When a team puts the quaffle through a goal hoop, it is awarded ten points. After every score the quaffle switches possession to the other team. Bludgers - Only controlled by the Beaters. Any of these three balls (usually dodgeballs) can be thrown at any player on the field. If it touches the body of a player on the opposing team then that player is “knocked out” and must 1) drop any balls they have and 2) “reset” which involves going back and touching the post of one of their own goal hoops.

The snitch- The snitch is a team unto himself and one of the most unique things to Quidditch as a sport. The snitch is a person dressed in yellow with a “snitch ball” attached to the back of her pants. The snitch’s job is to evade the Seekers by any means necessary. Snitches can grab, yank, and tackle seekers as much as they want. The game is over when the “snitch ball” is grabbed from the back of the snitch.

The Players Chasers - There are three chasers per team on the pitch at any time. A chaser’s main goal is to throw the quaffle through his opponent’s goal hoop. A good chaser is fast and has the ability to dodge bludgers. A chaser who puts the Quaffle through the front or back side of one of his opponents’ hoops is awarded ten points for his team. Beaters - There are two beaters per team on the pitch at any time. The beaters’ main purpose is to impede the opposing chasers and seekers from doing their respective jobs. A beater uses the bludger by throwing it at members of the opposite team. If a beater successfully hits a player of the opposite team with a bludger then that player must drop any balls she had and “reset” by touching one of her own goal hoops. The keeper- There is one keeper per team on the pitch at any time. The keeper’s job is to keep the Quaffle from going into the goal hoop. The keeper is the only player on the field that has immunity from a bludger hit. A keeper may run up the field acting as an offensive tool, but losing immunity from bludger hits when she does so. The seeker – There is one seeker per team on the pitch at any time. The seeker’s job is to snatch the snitch. More specifically, the seeker’s job is to grab the “snitch ball” located on the back of the snitch. The seeker must also do this while the Snitch is standing, meaning that a snitch snatch done while the snitch is on the ground is not considered a legal grab. A legal snitch snatch is worth 30 points and signals the end of the game. Starting the Game Upon arrival - When you get to the field the FIRST thing you should do is put your stuff down. The second thing you should do is find the microphone and call the head referee over to talk. Announcers need to maintain a good relationship with the referees throughout the game so your first priority should be to make sure you guys are on the same page. Starting procedure - To start the game the head referee will blow his whistle to get everyone's attention. You then will hand the referee the microphone, and he will follow this procedure:

a.     Tell both teams “Brooms down, eyes closed.” At this time, both teams will put their heads down and go on one knee, as if they were “Tebow-ing”.

b.     Yell “The snitch is loose!” At this point the snitch will leave the playing field (usually not before doing some “snitch mischief”).

c.     Once the snitch has left the pitch the referee will wait a little longer and then yell “BROOMS UP!” signaling the start of play.

  Penalties - Just like any sport, quidditch has its share of penalties. Quidditch is a contact sport and can get pretty intense unless the referees keep some sort of control over the teams. Quidditch has a penalty system similar to soccer in that there are warnings, yellow cards, and red cards.

  Goals – When a goal is scored, especially during a close game, it’s a big deal! Whenever a good goal is scored, a referee behind the goal will raise his hands and the head referee will blow his whistle. Whenever a goal is no good, the referee behind the goals will wave her arms in the “no good” signal from football. Make sure to let everyone know whether a goal was scored or not! The fans rely on you to know when the score changes. Penalties - It is YOUR job as an announcer to make sure the audience (and most of the players) are aware of which penalty has been awarded. This is where having a good relationship with the head referee comes in handy. When a penalty is called the referee should yell to you what the penalty is and on which player. You then simply announce the penalty into the microphone and carry on. Ending the game - The game ends when the Snitch is caught. The winner is the team with the most points. Postgame - Your job as announcer is to run a post game show. Get interviews with any MVPs of the game; these may include the seeker that snatched the snitch, an interesting-looking player from the winning team, or the snitch herself. Postgame is also a time to talk about the highlights of the game and be sure to talk about the significance of the game going forward (“With this win Florida secures a bid to the first round of the playoffs”). Announcer Etiquette

"I could hear the match commentary from here. I hope Luna always commentates from now on... Loser's Lurgy…” – Ron Weasley

Preparing for the Game Arrival - As an announcer, it is your job to get the the pitch 30 minutes before the game. When you get to the pitch you should do the following:

a.     Make sure you are in dress code! Announcer dress code is regular clothes with at least a sports blazer and preferably a tie. Feel free to add any other clothing you find appropriate to announcing a quidditch match.

b.     Get a relationship with the referees! Go over to the head referee and introduce yourself. You will be relying on him throughout the game to relay any penalties and other information to you. Since your job is to keep both teams and the crowd informed, it is crucial that you stay on the same page as the referee.

c.     Find out who is playing and make sure to get information about both teams. Go over to the captains and find out any important players, recent games, and anything else interesting about the team. This will help you call a more informed game.

The announcers - Each game of quidditch is called by two announcers. Games should be called by one comic and one announcer with sports calling experience when possible, although two comics or two sports announcers is fine.

Etiquette Have fun - The most important rule when announcing is. “Have fun!” Announcing is awesome and I guarantee you will have a better time if you don’t take it super seriously; just have fun and play around. General advice – Here are some tips that will help you announce a better game:

a.     Try not to say things like “OOOOHHH” or “AHHHHHH” during exciting plays. Describe the play. Say “He takes it to the key! Makes a move! Pulls the trigger! Goal!” rather than, “OOOOOOOHHHH! A GOAL!!!” As a word of advice, pretend you are describing the game to a blind person… you never know, you may be doing just that!

b.     Use names instead of numbers when available. Feel free to play around with this and give players nicknames. Some of the funniest announcing moments come from announcers piling on references when a player reminds them of someone else. Example: There was a player at World Cup IV who looked identical to Dr. House. The announcers made sure to pile on the “House” references throughout the match.

c.     Give the score early and often. You should be announcing the score anytime a team scores, and at least every other minute.

d.     Don’t make fun of quidditch itself. Yes, quidditch is a crazy game and the players are kind of eccentric but we are all here to have fun. Saying things like “Look at all these losers on brooms” is just mean and can give a tournament a negative feeling. Make fun of players and teams all you want, but make sure it is done in a positive and non-hurtful way.

  Comedy - Quidditch announcers have historically been comics with improv experience. This is one of the most interesting aspects of Quidditch that really makes this game unique. As a comic, keep the following in mind when calling a game:

a.     Quidditch is a family sport. There are families and kids that attend games and announcers must be sensitive to this fact. Announcers have a pretty loose leash, but must show some restraint with their language. As a general rule try to keep your language at a “PG-16” level; not quite R-rated, but you can often go above PG-13. Evaluate your audience, and then use your own discretion.

b.     Try to balance the comedic and the serious announcing of the game. This is up to your discretion, but try to keep the ratio around 70% play calling and 30% comedy. This isn’t an exact science and rules are meant to be broken, but this ratio serves well to keep the audience informed and amused. Don’t neglect either aspect of announcing.

Downtimes - Announcers have the job of making the game and tournament go smoothly. There is downtime between games and it is the job of the announcers to keep the crowd entertained. Feel free to do some “crowd work” or to interview random people walking by. You are all funny and creative; I’m sure you’ll keep them entertained. Injuries - When an injury happens it can be a difficult time for the announcers. If announcers say nothing, it can be awkward, but if they continue talking it can be seen as rude. Here is the IQA-approved protocol to follow after an injury occurs:

a.     Tell everyone there has been an injury, and instruct all players to take a knee and stop play.

b.     Take a moment to assess the situation. If it looks serious then DO NOT CONTINUE TO TALK. Keep in mind that a referee and/or paramedics should be by the injured player. The referee may require that you stop talking if it is serious so you need to keep an eye on him during this time.

c.     If it looks somewhat less serious then wait a moment. Then say something like “We would like to remind you all that although quidditch is a fun sport, there are some dangers involved with the game. The IQA does its best to ensure that the safety of its players is taken into full account when preparing for tournaments, and we make sure to have full medical personnel on standby.”

d.     Wait another moment and if the player is still being worked on then start pushing anything you may have been told to push: for instance, Quidditchphotos.com. Also talk about upcoming games, tournament info, upcoming matches and championship game info.

Upon receiving all snitch applications, the snitch team will follow these guidelines in order to choose the snitch runners for WC VI.

(It is our intention to accept as many qualified snitch runners as possible, but to sort them based upon ability into two tiers: Primary Snitches and Rotational Snitches)

Primary Snitches will be used in division 1 matches while rotational snitches will be scheduled where needed.

did you attend an academy?

if yes, which academy, and what standard did you receive, if any?

do you plan on playing with a team in addition to snitching?

If you are going to be splitting your time between playing for your team and snitching, it is going to be very difficult to schedule you accordingly.

what feedback have other teams and organizers given about you?

If you are a new snitch runner and do not have much experience, you will not automatically be given less matches. For example, a person with multiple negative reviews from teams and organizers is more likely to get scheduled for less matches and/or put on the rotational list than a new snitch with little tournament experience.

Are you available for a possible interview following application to explain why you want to snitch?

Scorekeepers

Recording accurate scores of games was something that was an issue at World Cup V, but at recent tournaments the issue seems to have been mostly resolved. We are going to keep the trend going at World Cup VI. We are looking to get 10-12 non-player volunteers to be scorekeepers on both days of the tournament that way scorekeeping will be their main focus and they will be very capable and aware of their duties. Scorekeepers tasks are: -Keeping game time. -Tallying scores throughout a match on a score sheet. -Updating the score on the scoreboard.

-Filling out a score card at the end of a match and obtaining all necessary information and signatures.

More information about volunteering to become a scorekeeper will be provided when all World Cup VI volunteer applications are released. Scoreboards

Another issue that came up after last World Cup was that of the visibility of scoreboards. To resolve this issue you all will be happy to know that the park is allowing us to use its electronic scoreboards for each field. These scoreboards are essentially the same kind of scoreboards at the end of a high school football or soccer stadium, so scores should be very easy to see. The park has its own maintenance crew on call all day so any technical issues with these scoreboards should be resolved quickly. We will have some flip scoreboards as back up for when any of these technical issues arise. Data Storage

Keeping with the theme of maintaining highly accurate records for each game, we will have 3 places the scores for every game will be kept. The first place is the score sheet which is going to be a simple sheet that Clay Dockery has designed that allows for tallies of every score during the game to filled out by the scorekeeper. The second place is a score card which is going to have the final score, time, officials of the match, captain signatures, etc. At the end of each match the scorekeeper will transfer the scores on their score sheets to the scorecards where the head ref and team captains of the match will verify the score and all other information before signing as a confirmation. If there were any discrepancies the score sheet will need to be updated to reflect the final score that was confirmed, and then the sheet will be given to the field manager to keep as a record. The score card will then be run to the main headquarters where the scores will be input into an excel spreadsheet or other computer data storage area. The score cards will then be kept at headquarters for records as well. That leaves 3 places where all scores will be kept to mitigate the risk of losing scores or inputting wrong data. As always feel free to ask us any questions you may have!

As a part of WCOT gameplay’s  ongoing effort to have World Cup VI follow the highest standards of professionalism and to foster competition at the highest level, we have been working with the Referee Development Team (RDT) to develop a formal system to select and assign referees.

Before getting into the details of the system, I think a personal anecdote is in order:

At World Cup V, IQA Head Ref Chris Beesley had been working with Cameron Kim in an attempt to improve the reffing at the cup. After long hours of work scheduling, and several training sessions there were nearly 200 of us on Chris’ master schedule. Then on the morning of the cup, nearly half of those people simply did not show up. This created a crisis on several fronts, both overworking those of us who did show up, which in turn led to more bad calls by even the best refs, and necessitating the pulling of less than qualified individuals for some positions.  Between my own games as a player and the games I reffed I was active for every single slot on Saturday, and lack of food and water had caused me to literally collapse at the end of the last match of the day.

We may be developing a system, but I implore everyone who reads this to keep in mind that getting the best quality takes every team and every individual following through. We are all in this together and want the best quidditch possible!

On to the selection process:

We are dedicated to having the best possible refs for every single position at WCVI. All Head Refs will be IQA certified and will have to have upheld a standard of quality reffing since the time of certification. In addition, we are making every effort to ensure that all Snitch Refs and at least one of the two Bludger refs positions for each match are also filled by IQA certified Head Refs. (The ability to do this may be limited by the number of certified refs who sign up, but this is the goal and will be done for every match that it is possible.) We also ask that every team assign 3 players, who are not certified head refs,  to fill the other positions for 2 matches each day. These additional players will need to attend at least one training session for Bludger and Goal refs before they are allowed to ref at the cup, these trainings will be set up by the RDT in each region during the spring.

We are also taking one additional measure to ensure that reffing at WCVI is done at the highest level- all of the head refs who apply will be assigned to teams. These teams will work together throughout the cup and by doing so should learn how to best work together to get the best views on calls, improve communication, and otherwise work as a well oiled unit at the highest level. These teams will only work one pitch, and will each be under the direction of a member of the RDT. These teams will be selected from the approved applicants by the members of RDT using a draft process in the spring and will be encouraged to communicate and coordinate before the cup.

Good day, Quidditch fans!  The launch of our volunteer application is quickly approaching, and we will, of course, be in need of Quidditch announcers during the entire World Cup VI weekend! Start thinking about applying as a volunteer now, so you can get your application in as soon as possible.  Here's the low-down on announcing: Announcer volunteers will not only get awesome T-shirts they can keep forever, but they will also be in charge of keeping spectators informed, entertained, and stoked on the tournament.  The World Cup VI announcer booths will be a little bit different than previous ones, thanks to feedback the IQA has received from the players and fans from last World Cups. We will be focusing a lot more on play-by-play commentary, and making sure that new and old fans of Quidditch understand what's going on at each moment of the matches with professional levels of commentary.  Don't fret, those of you who enjoy the comedy aspect of the announcer booth! That part will still be featured, and will add to the unique Quidditch experience that the IQA wants you to have.  That being said, for those of you who are interested in becoming an announcer, you will need to fill out the application once it is available. Please keep in mind that when you apply, you must choose if you want to be a Play By Play Announcer OR a Comedic Announcer.  PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT FOR ONE ANNOUNCER POSITION.  If you have already served as a Quidditch World Cup Announcer, you still need to reapply. In the application, we will be asking you about your experiences with Quidditch, as well as performance experiences. This will include any announcing you have done for sports teams at your schools, for intramural teams, etc. or any experience you may have with improv comedy, stand up, or hosting.  Interviews will be scheduled after the application deadline.  Good luck, everyone! "Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak." - Albus Dumbledore