What is your session like?

[Mr.Gumby]

This used to be my sort of kitchen music, a few tunes, tea and sandwiches and the latest stories. Sustained me for a good while.

[Steve Bliven]

I get the impression that there are at least three general sorts of sessions:
- the type Gumby describes - a few friends or musical acquaintances playing in the corner of a pub or a kitchen
- the Comhaltas group sessions - with lots of people, tunes, and socializing as in the "seeing John off to Alabama" celebration
- the Learner/Slow Session that functions as a combination class/learning experience and a gateway to the Gumby-described sessions. I play in one of these each week that often has up to 20+ participants. The music isn't the greatest-we're still learning-but it's a good chance to hear better players (last night Brendan Tonra and Helen Kisiel stopped by) and new tunes. We regularly see the more advanced folks spin off to the smaller sessions after they increase in skill and repertoire.

Are there other models/types of sessions that folks participate in?

Best wishes.

Steve

[Mr.Gumby]

The most common one is the regular where one or two musicians are hired to play and draw people into a pub, visitors may join. That would I think be the majority of regular sessions in Ireland. It would also cover all advertised festival sessions, like the presently ongoing Fleadh Nua in Ennis with it's seventy or so scheduled sessions. The pro is you know roughly who'll you be playing with, one of the cons can be the hired musicians have their own routine and set ways and can sometimes be not too keen on all comers. On the other hand you can have friends doing a regular so you join them for some nice music, with other friends doing the same. It can work very well if you find your niche.

[Jan >^..^<]

I get the impression that there are at least three general sorts of sessions:
- the type Gumby describes - a few friends or musical acquaintances playing in the corner of a pub or a kitchen
- the Comhaltas group sessions - with lots of people, tunes, and socializing as in the "seeing John off to Alabama" celebration
- the Learner/Slow Session that functions as a combination class/learning experience and a gateway to the Gumby-described sessions.

I think I need a learner/sloth speed session!

[ytliek]

like this sometimes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R6DpY_Ww8k

I like that group. Do they play east coast?

Thanks for posting that one... now that's a session worth going out for!

[ytliek]

But maybe not so much cultural as situational? I'd guess club type sessions (e.g. Comhaltas) or festival sessions may be large and unwieldly anywhere

Probably true although I cannot really imagine finding a regimented setup like that in the OP's pictures. But then, I would an unlikely candidate to turn up at a Comhaltas do so maybe that sort of thing just isn't part of my musical landscape.

It's an alternative to the pub session... and with a lot less alcohol consumption emphasis mainly.

What I notice is that over a long period of time I have become less interested in session playing, I suppose as you understand more about this music you become more sensitive about the interactions, especially if they don't work satisfactory, as well ass the whole politicking atmosphere in the background.

Yes, the pub sessions here can become just noise, especially when the pub refuses to turn off house music speakers and the tv broadcast sports programs while the session players are playing. It's a different environment and most of audience don't understand/appreciate the music anyway other than to say its Irish.

[It's hard to beat a few tunes with friends you share an understanding with, knocking ideas off each other and responding to those ideas on the fly. It will keep you walking on air for days.

Now that is a good experience.

[Mr.Gumby]

It's a different environment and most of audience don't understand/appreciate the music anyway other than to say its Irish

That really depends on where you are I suppose. Drinkers do tend to get increasingly noisy as the night progresses and it's not much fun just to make noises for people to drink to. The quiet nights during the winter are probably the best although I remember going out every night during periods over the summer maybe a decade ago and having tremendous music night after night, despite the noise, and with different people dropping in all the time.

[ytliek]

I get the impression that there are at least three general sorts of sessions:
- the type Gumby describes - a few friends or musical acquaintances playing in the corner of a pub or a kitchen
- the Comhaltas group sessions - with lots of people, tunes, and socializing as in the "seeing John off to Alabama" celebration
- the Learner/Slow Session that functions as a combination class/learning experience and a gateway to the Gumby-described sessions. I play in one of these each week that often has up to 20+ participants. The music isn't the greatest-we're still learning-but it's a good chance to hear better players (last night Brendan Tonra and Helen Kisiel stopped by) and new tunes. We regularly see the more advanced folks spin off to the smaller sessions after they increase in skill and repertoire.

Are there other models/types of sessions that folks participate in?

Best wishes.

Steve

One of the purposes of invited guest player(s) are to introduce maybe a few new tunes or playing style. And then again, invited guest(s) may be just an old friend coming to play. Different experiences each time though and always learning experience.

Along the "kitchen" session line, here... we have "house concerts" where the session is much more intimate, limited audience (friends), and maybe one or two musicians. Kevin Burke (fiddle) was the last house concert last month even though it was a somewhat anniversary celebrating the 200th house concert. Kevin Burke was the first and the 200th player.

[Jayhawk]

Sessions in a city with a Comhaltas group must be different...I bet they have an influence on the local scene.

Our sessions are not paid - just friends getting together to play in various venues that will allow us to be there. We buy our own drinks (once in a blue moon a pub owner will buy us a round), and we tend to play at off hours when the pub is slow anyway. In KC, we often pull in a crowd of folks who like ITM - dancers, AOD folks, unaffiliated trad fans, Irish expats.

My favorites are always when less folks show up, because then you get a situation like Mr. Gumby describes - friends playing off of each other as we mess with the tunes a bit, try something different, etc.

Terrible rumor swirling on FB that our main session pub might be closing, and the guy who owns it owns two more pubs (one our band plays at). If he shuts his doors, we'll be back to hunting for locations. When I first started playing in sessions, we only had a coffee shop that would let us play twice per month.

Eric

[ytliek]

Our sessions are not paid - just friends getting together to play in various venues that will allow us to be there.

The monthly Comhaltas sessions are free although donations kindly accepted. Many folks just bring pot luck type food. It's more about socializing.

The gigs Comhaltas session players regularly attend at the local pubs nights/weekends usually receive a small stipend for playing. None of the musicians are paid individually and the stipend is donated back for future invited guests to the monthly session. The invited guests can travel quite some distance to play so the least the group can do is offer "gas" money or train expense.

We buy our own drinks (once in a blue moon a pub owner will buy us a round), and we tend to play at off hours when the pub is slow anyway.

Many players here have weaned themselves off the bottle thru the years so many of the drinks on the pub tables are just polite rounds sent over. Often left behind untouched.
(should've been a monetary donation)

In KC, we often pull in a crowd of folks who like ITM - dancers, AOD folks, unaffiliated trad fans, Irish expats.

My favorites are always when less folks show up, because then you get a situation like Mr. Gumby describes - friends playing off of each other as we mess with the tunes a bit, try something different, etc.

Same for this area.

[ytliek]

- the Learner/Slow Session that functions as a combination class/learning experience and a gateway to the Gumby-described sessions. I play in one of these each week that often has up to 20+ participants. The music isn't the greatest-we're still learning-but it's a good chance to hear better players (last night Brendan Tonra and Helen Kisiel stopped by) and new tunes. We regularly see the more advanced folks spin off to the smaller sessions after they increase in skill and repertoire.

Are there other models/types of sessions that folks participate in?

Comhaltas is one method.

Another method. There is a fairly active way to hear/learn ITM around here besides the pub sessions. And there is even a tiny effort to play at the local schools (even classes). Schools present a whole new issue with security though.

The Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society offers a Monday night practice session with individual instruction as well as group immersion playing (which I attend). Lots of discussion about the tunes, instruments, and playing styles. STIMS has sponsored many workshops thru the years. STIMS supports Comhaltas and supports the Catskills Irish Arts Week as well as local Irish events.
http://www.shamrockirishmusic.org/id97.html
http://www.catskillsirishartsweek.org/

STIMS also offers an intermediate monthly slow session.
http://www.shamrockirishmusic.org/id81.html

[MTGuru]

That was some guitar Guru there!

And some whistle guru a bit later ...

I like that group. Do they play east coast?

Thanks for posting that one... now that's a session worth going out for!

Funny, I'd forgotten that clip. But not that session, which I still remember. Playing with Joey Abarta, and with friends like those, is always a treat.

Sure, if you want to pay us to tour, we'll be there!

[Mr.Gumby]

Along the "kitchen" session line, here... we have "house concerts"

The thing about kitchenmusic is though you have no interference, no onlookers, you just play what and when you feel like, you can chat and have endless cups of tea and not play at all for a while or play a tune twenty times to explore it a bit further (or just to learn a new one). There's in other words, no obligation to anyone but eachother, no distractions or stress.

Sessions in a public space can have a different focus, listeners or a publican wanting his money's worth,. the need to entertain, unless ofcourse you park yourselves in a pub where there wouldn't be punters, some of the nicest sessions I have played in pubs would be either those after a chance meeting (one that stands was in 1989 when I ran into Micho Russell and Joe Ryan in 1989. on a weekday after noon around two and the three of us played in C for a few hours in, of all places, O'Connor's without interference) or phone around ones where you get the call to meet up at a time you'd be likely to find the place empty like this one :



which started on a saturday afternoon around five or so, an occasion I did bring the camera for, and the Sindt B.

Concerts are different again although you can find yourself on stage with an improvised band mostly unrehearsed with only a rough idea what you're going to play and fly through it. Session on steroids.
Here's one from a festival in Bantry House, taken during the soundcheck:

Schools present a whole new issue with security though.

You're really in a different world there I am afraid.

Secondary school age is really the time children either stick with it or drop out of music, my son and several friends dropped their concertinas midway through but some friends really threw themselves into it to develop into great players. I photographed one girl from that group who kept at it last week with a table full of All Ireland trophies (she'll be in Cape Cod for the summer and will teach and play on request. I'll pass on messages.).





There's a thing about playing in big sessions all the time though. Six or seven years ago I had sat in with some people played tunes during the Willie week. The next day I met two women who also played fiddle in that session and asked if they were up for a tune. As it turned out, in a smaller setting they couldn't hold a rhythm or a tune (not to mention tone), they'd scrape away happily in a crowd but could in fact barely hold it together without that support. They themselves however felt they were very experienced sessionplayers, playing a few nights a week. Happens a lot. The only way to play sessions really is from the position of solid solo playing, the other way around doesn't work so well.

[Steve Bliven]

And here's a quick clip of our session on the 17th May with guests Brendan Tonra et al.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbYcJTm8Ok8

Best wishes.

Steve

[Jayhawk]

Steve - which one is Brenda Tonra? I play one of his jigs that I love (being a creative bunch, we call it "Brendan Tonra's Jig" around here) - didn't know the gentleman was still around.

Mr. Gumby has a good point about a session covering up less than stellar playing. I'm willing to bet we all have some tunes we've just picked up in sessions, never really practiced at home, and that would fit in this category. There are just so many tunes that I find it impossible to practice them all, and the tunes I've just learned in sessions I often don't know the name and only dust off when someone else starts it. Leading this new session the past few weeks really made me realize some of the tunes I thought I knew well...well, they needed a little polish. A good lesson in humility.

Eric