This came across my desk at work and I'm interested in your thoughts on it. I didn't write it but I'm working on a project for work on "recreational music making" (I work for a nat'l music retailer that is not professionally connected to this publication) so...just tell me what comes to mind if you've got the time to spare your thoughts.
fyi- so you know where I'm coming from- I'm a lifelong fiddler, just got back from St. Louis Tionol so my brain is spinning with reflections on the "unwritten" social rules of sessions.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
The article frequently uses the word "song" where "tune" would be more appropriate. I see the word "tune" used once, so the writer does apparently know it exists.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
I've got a couple of niggles - yes, the use of "song" for tune, perhaps the reporter should have read it back to see the inconsistency, as they got it right in the end; I've noticed a couple of newbie posters did the same recently - it's all from coming from the pop and rock worlds, I fear; and the fake blarneyisms, as I see them; it's just sloppy journalism, trying to appeal to a non-thinking audience through a nostalgic shorthand. I'd have hoped we were a lifetime away from that emotional tug on the heartstrings back to the auld countrie.
The rules of sessions aren't bad, but is there a leader at every session ? I'm the nominal organiser of a couple, but we're an oligarchial collective.
( Story from last night; hard-line paid-up communist goes to see an all-girl jazz-band; storms out on principal at the first solo; " They should all be playing all the time, it's a band ! ". )
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
"And if you’re a billiards player, dart thrower, stool squatter, or other pub dweller who recognizes the song, you are encouraged to sing, clap, or tap your glass as well!"
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
I found it was a pretty general article with some major errors (I really didn't like the use of the word song over and over again...gah). But I have to like it anyway...the pictures are of my session.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Is there a long tradition of sessions in pubs in Ireland? I was under the impression that the pub session evolved in North London after WW2 and then migrated to Ireland.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Well, Crysania, then you can tell us if he's sleeping on the bordhan ?
The origins of the session are drowned in the mist of time; and previous posters have put links through to interesting articles; but one thing I learnt was that the Church had promulgated laws that severelly restricted the playing of music in public places in Eire, on the grounds of reducing opportunities for fornication and promiscuity, which forced the music baclk into the peoples' homes.
Yes, the session scene was a meeting-place for ex-patriates,and drew much of its early life from that, as I understand it.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Yeah, that bit about the long tradition got me. It's not too bad an article in general, but I'm surprised sessions are still deemed to be newsworthy in an online music mag. I suspect John Otis is not from within the tradition (would he have been the eponymous rock guitarist from the 70's?)They make it out as if sessions are sweeping the country. That may be the case in the US (though I doubt it) but is definitely not so over here.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
I think it's quite a good article, considering it's target readership isn't us lot.
It does say that the rules vary between sessions, which excuses a few clangers. True, it is a little cloying but if that's what people go for...
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
By and large, the best thing you can hope for with these types of articles are that they are "gateways." Maybe, just maybe, someone will read them and either be inspired enough to go seek out a session to see for themselves what it's like -- or the story will stay in his or her head until lo and behold, opportunity falls from the sky (like a session happens to be taking place in the pub they walk into one night) and their interest is rekindled.
As with anything -- ITM, fantasy baseball, politics -- experienced vicariously through a newspaper story, the real-life version will have a certain learning curve: So the newbie will say, "Oh, so it's sort of like what I read -- but not really."
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
A "centuries-old tradition"? Well, how about decades-old? Even now it's changing as some sessions become elitist, only open to the most proficient musicians. A far cry from the céilí house or kitchen gathering of old. Several years ago I wrote about the history of "Irish Sessions" for the Victory Music Review http://www.stolaf.edu/people/hend/VictoryMusic/TheIrishSession1.html
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Nope -- he's not sleeping on his bodhran. It's how he plays. He leans in close to it and often shuts his eyes -- hearing the tonal variations and the like. Most of the pictures I have of him playing look a bit like that.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Giving credit (or blame) where due all of the references I saw to "song" were quotes. ' Tune emerges in the author's voice. I'm too lazy to go back and count, but "so it would appear".
Tap that glass, ram ba dam ba dam
Tap that glass, ram ba dam ba dam
Tap that glass, ram ba dam ba dam
Ever'body get yr car. KEYS!!!! ( repeat)
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
it strikes me that the article is intended for the same sort of people who like to go to Irish Theme Bar Pubs where they get to hear "Danny Boy" but couldn't discern between or care about the difference between a jig and a reel and a hornpipe.
The following claim i found somewhat grating: "[Larry Reynolds] characterizes sessions as laboratories for amateur musicians to experiment with their chops." That may very well be an accurate characterization of *his* session (which is a great one) at the Green Briar, but as we all know as a gerneral rule sessions are not a blanket invitation for amateur musicians to spread their wings and test their chops.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Yes- thanks. Off the cuff impressions were exactly what I was looking for and yours all helped me get a bigger picture- much appreciated.
I get this magazine every month and study it because it often reflects trends in music retail and my job involves product consultation related to the retail end. More on that in a minute.
I brought it up here because I cringed a couple of times reading it: “laboratories for amateur musicians to experiment with their chops” and “being green is an endearing quality for a musician at one of these spirited gatherings”, not because I wouldn’t welcome an “amateur” but because I would hate to see some bright-eyed well meaning individual get crushed if she or he stumbled in to a less “open” session after reading this article and dusting off a long neglected fiddle from the depths of their closet.
At the same time, I have often had less than charitable thoughts about people showing up at sessions and joining in immediately when they have clearly never even listened to traditional music.
The article does reflect that viewpoint too though: “Experienced session musicians say that, in order to understand what’s going on at a given session, the best thing to do is attend a few as a listener and observe before jumping in.”
This article came my way at work because it is known that I am a regular at sessions and it was asked of me if this (recreational music as experienced in Irish sessions) is a market for us to explore as a company (selling books, instruments, mp3 recorders etc).
I was surprised that my gut reaction was “NO!” and I was hoping to figure why I responded in that way. I think it’s a mixture of protectiveness and…something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Anyway- thanks for the discussion. I’m still pondering over here so keep your comments coming if you’ve got em.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
"I see the word 'tune' used once..."
In fact, the only time it was used, it was in connection with 'songs'.
One point I would call into serious question is the very confident assertion that, "The difference between traditional Irish music and folk music is the presence of lyrics." The F-word is notoriously hard to define and is prone to taking on associations that have little to do with its original usage - such as its popular meaning in Ireland of (very briefly and broadly) 'a genre of music characterised by a voice accompanied by acoustic guitar'. Furthermore, since when did 'Irish Traditional Music' (or 'Traditional Irish Music') preclude all *songs* (i.e. tunes with words)?
Apart from this, it's just a harmless, marginally informative article, aimed at those uninitiated into the world of Traditional Music. As for the style, I think it would make most British people, initiates and non-initiates alike, whince. But, perhaps it's what a certain section of the US public likes. No disrespect to our transoceanic cousins, but in certain respects, we're an ocean apart. I say Potahto...
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
"it was asked of me if this (recreational music as experienced in Irish sessions) is a market for us to explore as a company (selling books, instruments, mp3 recorders etc)." This comes from the idea that music is a commodity, and has to be marketed. Just the opposite of what a session should be about.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Stewart- I think you might have nailed the source of my negative reaction to this coming across my desk at work. If I had picked it up at home, I might have had a more positive reaction.
Aside from that, the session pictured looks like a really nice one. Alas, my pub session days are limited now with a baby at home...
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
no, i think your right, spoon. i'd say most of the American Public when it comes to irish music only want the "Wonder Bread" version: soft, tastless, lacking in substance, and reminiscent of some commercial or movie they've seen somewhere on TV. but hey, if people like wonder bread, have at it, just don't ask me to play danny boy.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Didn't somebody say there's no such thing as bad publicity? Anything that helps give the general public some sort of a clue about Irish sessions is a good thing, IMHO.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
The sessions a great one Tara. We have a lot of fun there -- share a lot of tunes, play hard, and generally enjoy each other's company. It's a small session (usually about 6 people there) and all are great musicians with a drive to get even better. It's definitely the best session around town and I love playing at it!
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
On the topic of the word "amateur" perhaps we ought to take it in the sense of "peoplke who play it because they love it"?
The alternative is "people who are not good enough to play professionally." But, barely anybody makes a living doing this, and in a positive sense, I;d guess most of us are amateurs, regardless of experience level.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
On my first visit Stateside, back in '77, we went up to visit Margaret MacArthur in Marlboro, Vermont, and happened to have picked the weekend of a morris meet. Watching the finale, all the teams together on the green, I heard someone in the audience, having enjoyed the event, discuss it in pure market/business/managementspeake, about how you could sell this to people.
There is a peception that if you have anything good, then it can be sold, with no perception of how it got to be that way in the first place, the enthusiasm that comes from an event both spontaneous in its pleasure yet planned in the practice and enthusiasm and so on that goes into making it happen.
Tara, you're right, tell them "No", sessioning is a grass-roots movement that can't be exploited without destroying it.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
tara, i wouldn't cringe at the prospect of marketing to the ITM community. Just keep in mind who your target customers are. Are you trying to connect to the recreational (read: wonder bread ITM enthusiasts) musicians or to the musicians who are living, loving and learning in the spirit of the tradition. Being a memeber of the latter group of course, I for one would like to find out about products that serve my ITM pursuits.
I ain't no marketeer, but you're going to want to do some market research/testing with your anticipated customer base. I mean, if you're looking at selling MP3 recorders, you could do a search on this site and you'll find alot of helpful discussions (I for one am on the prowl for an MP3 recorder) Needless to say, there ain't no dearth-o-opinions on this site...
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Small world, Guernsey Pete. Margaret MacArthur is an old family friend. I was certainly inspired in a lot of my musical interests by Margaret and spent ten happy years in southern Vermont (5 of those in Marlboro).
I'm also the guitar and banjo player in the photos in Making Music. I wish the author had passed the article our way. Crysania is the official organizer of the session, but the session itself runs by consensus. Certainly Crysania or I could have steered them away from calling tunes songs and the like. In fact, the session they photographed should have threatened some of their assumptions. We do have songs, although the woman who sings ballads in a lovely style doesn't appear in the article. Nor does the man from Derry who stopped by and gave us a nice version of something like "Dirty Old Town."
The implicit identity politics is also something that our session works against. The sleepy bodhran player is the only one of us from Ireland. A couple of us are descended from 19th century immigrants (although playing triplets on the banjo demands enough attention that I don't have time to worry about ethnicity), and a couple of us have no Irish background at all. The music, the craic, and the kindness and generosity of the bar owner keep us together.
We do, however, struggle with these issues of commodification and keeping the session at the grassroots level. There has been a tendency in Syracuse to market an organization called the Syracuse Irish Session as a big band, with people drumming up gigs at a local casino as well as a furniture store ("Irish Bargain Parties are the best kind of parties!"). Yes, the tendency toward marketing ourselves does threaten the vitality of the session.
That said, I have no problem with people selling tools of the trade. Crysania can tell stories of my internet searches for the perfect banjo, and I search for mp3 recorders and other musical gadgets. I just don't want the session to be packaged and sold.
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
helo everybody..can u help me about this tehnique??I'm from Indonesia .. and now I am conducting research on this technique .. Can you help me in doing my job in college ..
I want to ask
Which one of the origins of chop technique?
2 whether this is an ornament or a style of traditional music sbuah?
Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Hi folks,
,
This came across my desk at work and I'm interested in your thoughts on it. I didn't write it but I'm working on a project for work on "recreational music making" (I work for a nat'l music retailer that is not professionally connected to this publication) so...just tell me what comes to mind if you've got the time to spare your thoughts.
http://www.makingmusicmag.com/Secondary%20Pages/features/06mar02.html
fyi- so you know where I'm coming from- I'm a lifelong fiddler, just got back from St. Louis Tionol so my brain is spinning with reflections on the "unwritten" social rules of sessions.
Looking forward to your wit and wisdom
Tara
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by FiddleMama
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
The article frequently uses the word "song" where "tune" would be more appropriate. I see the word "tune" used once, so the writer does apparently know it exists.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Martin Milner
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
I've got a couple of niggles - yes, the use of "song" for tune, perhaps the reporter should have read it back to see the inconsistency, as they got it right in the end; I've noticed a couple of newbie posters did the same recently - it's all from coming from the pop and rock worlds, I fear; and the fake blarneyisms, as I see them; it's just sloppy journalism, trying to appeal to a non-thinking audience through a nostalgic shorthand. I'd have hoped we were a lifetime away from that emotional tug on the heartstrings back to the auld countrie.
The rules of sessions aren't bad, but is there a leader at every session ? I'm the nominal organiser of a couple, but we're an oligarchial collective.
( Story from last night; hard-line paid-up communist goes to see an all-girl jazz-band; storms out on principal at the first solo; " They should all be playing all the time, it's a band ! ". )
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
"And if you’re a billiards player, dart thrower, stool squatter, or other pub dweller who recognizes the song, you are encouraged to sing, clap, or tap your glass as well!"
Ah yes.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by grego
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
I found it was a pretty general article with some major errors (I really didn't like the use of the word song over and over again...gah). But I have to like it anyway...the pictures are of my session.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Crysania
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
There's also the subtle implication that this music is primarily/exclusively for those of Irish ancestry. Which certainly isn;t true in these parts.
But not bad on the whole.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by wormdiet
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Is there a long tradition of sessions in pubs in Ireland? I was under the impression that the pub session evolved in North London after WW2 and then migrated to Ireland.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Compo
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Well, Crysania, then you can tell us if he's sleeping on the bordhan ?
The origins of the session are drowned in the mist of time; and previous posters have put links through to interesting articles; but one thing I learnt was that the Church had promulgated laws that severelly restricted the playing of music in public places in Eire, on the grounds of reducing opportunities for fornication and promiscuity, which forced the music baclk into the peoples' homes.
Yes, the session scene was a meeting-place for ex-patriates,and drew much of its early life from that, as I understand it.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Yeah, that bit about the long tradition got me. It's not too bad an article in general, but I'm surprised sessions are still deemed to be newsworthy in an online music mag. I suspect John Otis is not from within the tradition (would he have been the eponymous rock guitarist from the 70's?)They make it out as if sessions are sweeping the country. That may be the case in the US (though I doubt it) but is definitely not so over here.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
I think it's quite a good article, considering it's target readership isn't us lot.
It does say that the rules vary between sessions, which excuses a few clangers. True, it is a little cloying but if that's what people go for...
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
By and large, the best thing you can hope for with these types of articles are that they are "gateways." Maybe, just maybe, someone will read them and either be inspired enough to go seek out a session to see for themselves what it's like -- or the story will stay in his or her head until lo and behold, opportunity falls from the sky (like a session happens to be taking place in the pub they walk into one night) and their interest is rekindled.
As with anything -- ITM, fantasy baseball, politics -- experienced vicariously through a newspaper story, the real-life version will have a certain learning curve: So the newbie will say, "Oh, so it's sort of like what I read -- but not really."
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by sts
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
A "centuries-old tradition"? Well, how about decades-old? Even now it's changing as some sessions become elitist, only open to the most proficient musicians. A far cry from the céilí house or kitchen gathering of old. Several years ago I wrote about the history of "Irish Sessions" for the Victory Music Review
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/hend/VictoryMusic/TheIrishSession1.html
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Stewart
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Nope -- he's not sleeping on his bodhran. It's how he plays. He leans in close to it and often shuts his eyes -- hearing the tonal variations and the like. Most of the pictures I have of him playing look a bit like that.
He does look asleep though!
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Crysania
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Giving credit (or blame) where due all of the references I saw to "song" were quotes. ' Tune emerges in the author's voice. I'm too lazy to go back and count, but "so it would appear".
Tap that glass, ram ba dam ba dam
Tap that glass, ram ba dam ba dam
Tap that glass, ram ba dam ba dam
Ever'body get yr car. KEYS!!!! ( repeat)
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Owell Mabee
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
it strikes me that the article is intended for the same sort of people who like to go to Irish Theme Bar Pubs where they get to hear "Danny Boy" but couldn't discern between or care about the difference between a jig and a reel and a hornpipe.
The following claim i found somewhat grating: "[Larry Reynolds] characterizes sessions as laboratories for amateur musicians to experiment with their chops." That may very well be an accurate characterization of *his* session (which is a great one) at the Green Briar, but as we all know as a gerneral rule sessions are not a blanket invitation for amateur musicians to spread their wings and test their chops.
anyway, just my off-the-cuff impressions.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Well, it's just a warm fuzzy feel-good-but-no-real-content sort of article. As stated, enough errors to sink a canoe. Why are we discussing it?
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by kris
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
i think we're discussing it because tara the fiddler wanted some reactions to the article.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Yes- thanks. Off the cuff impressions were exactly what I was looking for and yours all helped me get a bigger picture- much appreciated.
I get this magazine every month and study it because it often reflects trends in music retail and my job involves product consultation related to the retail end. More on that in a minute.
I brought it up here because I cringed a couple of times reading it: “laboratories for amateur musicians to experiment with their chops” and “being green is an endearing quality for a musician at one of these spirited gatherings”, not because I wouldn’t welcome an “amateur” but because I would hate to see some bright-eyed well meaning individual get crushed if she or he stumbled in to a less “open” session after reading this article and dusting off a long neglected fiddle from the depths of their closet.
At the same time, I have often had less than charitable thoughts about people showing up at sessions and joining in immediately when they have clearly never even listened to traditional music.
The article does reflect that viewpoint too though: “Experienced session musicians say that, in order to understand what’s going on at a given session, the best thing to do is attend a few as a listener and observe before jumping in.”
This article came my way at work because it is known that I am a regular at sessions and it was asked of me if this (recreational music as experienced in Irish sessions) is a market for us to explore as a company (selling books, instruments, mp3 recorders etc).
I was surprised that my gut reaction was “NO!” and I was hoping to figure why I responded in that way. I think it’s a mixture of protectiveness and…something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Anyway- thanks for the discussion. I’m still pondering over here so keep your comments coming if you’ve got em.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by FiddleMama
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
"I see the word 'tune' used once..."
In fact, the only time it was used, it was in connection with 'songs'.
One point I would call into serious question is the very confident assertion that, "The difference between traditional Irish music and folk music is the presence of lyrics." The F-word is notoriously hard to define and is prone to taking on associations that have little to do with its original usage - such as its popular meaning in Ireland of (very briefly and broadly) 'a genre of music characterised by a voice accompanied by acoustic guitar'. Furthermore, since when did 'Irish Traditional Music' (or 'Traditional Irish Music') preclude all *songs* (i.e. tunes with words)?
Apart from this, it's just a harmless, marginally informative article, aimed at those uninitiated into the world of Traditional Music. As for the style, I think it would make most British people, initiates and non-initiates alike, whince. But, perhaps it's what a certain section of the US public likes. No disrespect to our transoceanic cousins, but in certain respects, we're an ocean apart. I say Potahto...
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
"it was asked of me if this (recreational music as experienced in Irish sessions) is a market for us to explore as a company (selling books, instruments, mp3 recorders etc)." This comes from the idea that music is a commodity, and has to be marketed. Just the opposite of what a session should be about.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Stewart
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
....or perhaps I just overestimate the British public.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Stewart- I think you might have nailed the source of my negative reaction to this coming across my desk at work. If I had picked it up at home, I might have had a more positive reaction.
Aside from that, the session pictured looks like a really nice one. Alas, my pub session days are limited now with a baby at home...
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by FiddleMama
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
no, i think your right, spoon. i'd say most of the American Public when it comes to irish music only want the "Wonder Bread" version: soft, tastless, lacking in substance, and reminiscent of some commercial or movie they've seen somewhere on TV. but hey, if people like wonder bread, have at it, just don't ask me to play danny boy.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Didn't somebody say there's no such thing as bad publicity? Anything that helps give the general public some sort of a clue about Irish sessions is a good thing, IMHO.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by John Galt
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
“I say Potahto…”
I say “tater”.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
The sessions a great one Tara. We have a lot of fun there -- share a lot of tunes, play hard, and generally enjoy each other's company. It's a small session (usually about 6 people there) and all are great musicians with a drive to get even better. It's definitely the best session around town and I love playing at it!
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Crysania
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
On the topic of the word "amateur" perhaps we ought to take it in the sense of "peoplke who play it because they love it"?
The alternative is "people who are not good enough to play professionally." But, barely anybody makes a living doing this, and in a positive sense, I;d guess most of us are amateurs, regardless of experience level.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by wormdiet
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
On my first visit Stateside, back in '77, we went up to visit Margaret MacArthur in Marlboro, Vermont, and happened to have picked the weekend of a morris meet. Watching the finale, all the teams together on the green, I heard someone in the audience, having enjoyed the event, discuss it in pure market/business/managementspeake, about how you could sell this to people.
There is a peception that if you have anything good, then it can be sold, with no perception of how it got to be that way in the first place, the enthusiasm that comes from an event both spontaneous in its pleasure yet planned in the practice and enthusiasm and so on that goes into making it happen.
Tara, you're right, tell them "No", sessioning is a grass-roots movement that can't be exploited without destroying it.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
tara, i wouldn't cringe at the prospect of marketing to the ITM community. Just keep in mind who your target customers are. Are you trying to connect to the recreational (read: wonder bread ITM enthusiasts) musicians or to the musicians who are living, loving and learning in the spirit of the tradition. Being a memeber of the latter group of course, I for one would like to find out about products that serve my ITM pursuits.
I ain't no marketeer, but you're going to want to do some market research/testing with your anticipated customer base. I mean, if you're looking at selling MP3 recorders, you could do a search on this site and you'll find alot of helpful discussions (I for one am on the prowl for an MP3 recorder) Needless to say, there ain't no dearth-o-opinions on this site...
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
Small world, Guernsey Pete. Margaret MacArthur is an old family friend. I was certainly inspired in a lot of my musical interests by Margaret and spent ten happy years in southern Vermont (5 of those in Marlboro).
I'm also the guitar and banjo player in the photos in Making Music. I wish the author had passed the article our way. Crysania is the official organizer of the session, but the session itself runs by consensus. Certainly Crysania or I could have steered them away from calling tunes songs and the like. In fact, the session they photographed should have threatened some of their assumptions. We do have songs, although the woman who sings ballads in a lovely style doesn't appear in the article. Nor does the man from Derry who stopped by and gave us a nice version of something like "Dirty Old Town."
The implicit identity politics is also something that our session works against. The sleepy bodhran player is the only one of us from Ireland. A couple of us are descended from 19th century immigrants (although playing triplets on the banjo demands enough attention that I don't have time to worry about ethnicity), and a couple of us have no Irish background at all. The music, the craic, and the kindness and generosity of the bar owner keep us together.
We do, however, struggle with these issues of commodification and keeping the session at the grassroots level. There has been a tendency in Syracuse to market an organization called the Syracuse Irish Session as a big band, with people drumming up gigs at a local casino as well as a furniture store ("Irish Bargain Parties are the best kind of parties!"). Yes, the tendency toward marketing ourselves does threaten the vitality of the session.
That said, I have no problem with people selling tools of the trade. Crysania can tell stories of my internet searches for the perfect banjo, and I search for mp3 recorders and other musical gadgets. I just don't want the session to be packaged and sold.
# Posted on April 4th 2006 by dwdeacon
Re: Irish sessions in the U.S.- an article- comments?
helo everybody..can u help me about this tehnique??I'm from Indonesia .. and now I am conducting research on this technique .. Can you help me in doing my job in college ..
I want to ask
Which one of the origins of chop technique?
2 whether this is an ornament or a style of traditional music sbuah?
help me ..
# Posted on August 27th 2010 by romello