If so, you really have to provide some incentive if you wish musicians to come to your pub and play on a regular basis either in the form of payment or free drinks.
It's good when pubs are welcoming to musicians and it's a place for us to go if we wish to "have a tune" sometime. However, you can't rely on musicians to turn up on a regular basis just because you provide a venue.
When I say "Us", I mean musicians in general including those like myself who enjoy going to sesssions without expecting payment.
However, I usually like to know that something will be happening before I go along there and if the management pay two or three "core musicians" (not me personally) a token amount to guarantee this then I am more likely to go along.
Of course, I could round up one or two people and go along for a tune if I fancied or even play a few tunes on my own if I "happened to be passing".
It wouldn't be on a regular basis though and no pub manager would have the right to expect it.
Come to The Eddie Duffy & Mick Hoy festival in Derrygonnelly this weekend, more good sessions than anyone could need. Anyone going? What about you, BB, its only down the road.
Make friends for Irish music whenever you can. If somebody shows interest, encourage that--even if they seem, er, particularly uninformed, or misinformed about it. Be flattered that they take an interest, and gently educate them. Go to other sessions in your general area--even if it takes some traveling--to get acquainted with other players in your region, for your mutual education.
Make friends with pub owners and managers. Hey, we're all in this together, let's all do what we can to make it tolerable for everybody--including the punters. You need those punters too, to keep the pub in business. And that is usually the bottom line, after all--making everything (including the money) work out, so you can have a place to play.
In other words, make it a priority to do what you can *for* the tradition. Be an ambassador for it, and try to make it welcome everywhere.
Free beer all night, a nice table reserved for us, a friendly welcome from the bar staff who know all our names (and we theirs), pleasant surroundings (not a bar full of old lags), a blackboard outside publicising the session, jukebox in the adjacent bar turned off. That's what works round these parts! And I think we give back in terms of playing well, not sitting around for great stretches of time not playing though not feeling as if we're on a treadmill, being friendly with the customers and all that. Pub, sessioneers and fellow drinkers all conspiring to make it a good night.
Sometimes we have too many sessions here! This are some of the things we have done:
Our ambassador, Paul, is always looking for possible locations. when he finds a suitable pub, brewery, restaurant, etc, he makes the pitch. He does a fine, fine job.
Then, we have a web site that has many functions. We give out business cards with the web address to all interested, publicans, onlookers, musicians, etc.
We take lots of pictures to give participants a sense of community, and post them on the site.
An experiment that has certainly paid off is our attendance page. Friends can go up on the site and indicate where they will be, when, and what they will be playing. We all can go up as time permits to see who is going to be there. Not everyone uses it, however, but one can get a good idea what the turn-out will be before a wasted trip is made. The backbone melody types are faithful in its use, which is most important. To encourage its use, we have a "green elephant" drawing ofttimes. To be included, one must sign up.
Listed on the site are tunes commonly heard in our area, midi and/or You Tube links, tune books, calendars and maps. One can sign up for a e-newsletter. There is also a link to a GoogleGroup.
In sum, we have created a community that is truly growing in strength, skill, and numbers.
Where are you based, Cairan? Ireland? UK? USA? Europe? Antipodes? Whereabouts is your pub? In a city? Suburbs? Town? Village? Countryside? And what kind of pub? Freehouse? Tied? etc. Maybe as players we could offer some advice if we knew these facts. And any other details you may consider relevant. Also, is your pub listed here in the sessions section? That might be a start - as a "virtual" session. All you'd need then would be regular players. (I'm not being facetious BTW)
I kinda wish cairan would get back with us. There are other things one can do to increase sessions that we can share. But as KML pointed out, we need more info.
Are there music shops or schools in the area where flyers could be left? How about Irish organizations or newsletters (cultural clubs, etc.)? How about parellel groups like old timey, dulcimer societies where musicians can be recruited?
Are there sessions already but due to attitude people have been driven away? If so, are there, as I have discovered here, smaller groups gathering who are refugees from unwelcoming sessions? finding them and inviting them to participate, making a positive experience.
Are there any open mikes where a few performances can be shared to strike up interest? Book stores that invite cultural activities? Art festivals? Presentations in schools or colleges?
If you just expect people to come and play in your pub because you have a dedicated session night then it's not going to work, you really need to develop a reputation as being a good session venue.
One of the best sessions I know has been run successfully for years and no one gets paid. The reason musicians (some of them professional) consistently turn up is because the landlord is hugely welcoming, if you walk in the door with an instrument on session night the landlord will be the first to greet you, find you a seat and then offer you a drink.
This landlord will then continue to provide drinks for the players, you won't even have to ask for a drink, he'll see when you are nearly finished a pint and before you even think of asking there'll be another pint on your table.
It doesn't matter whether there are 3 or 20 musicians at this session, he will always offer the same hospitality to each musician (provided of course the musicians are genunely contributing to the sessions, chancers get thrown out!)
More than anything I think this landlord just loves the music and he ensures musicians of all levels are made welcome at the session. If you are genuinely interested in the music for the love of it then I'm sure you'll have no trouble convincing people to play without pay in your pub, so long as you always provide them with the kind of welcome and respect the landlord I mentioned does.
If however you just want a session to boost business then you've no right to expect musicians to play for free or even just free drinks. It is situations like this where musicians really should get paid to play in pubs.
So bottom line if you want more sessions and more people playing in sessions at your pub without payment then provide a welcome, friendly environment with free drinks and maybe even food (the landlord in the pub I mentioned sometimes provides take-away for the musicians!)
No payment but free drinks. With the cost of Guinness in bars over here, someone pointed out that two pints put you over the minimum wage already.
With the vast majority of bars in this area being sports bars with big screen TVs, chances are hosting a session (and turning down the TV volume) will cause a drop in revenue, or be revenue neutral if it's a Saturday afternoon.
increase sessions
increase sessions
how do you get more sessions
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by tank
Re: increase sessions
Are you still talking from a publican's point of view?
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/15118
If so, you really have to provide some incentive if you wish musicians to come to your pub and play on a regular basis either in the form of payment or free drinks.
It's good when pubs are welcoming to musicians and it's a place for us to go if we wish to "have a tune" sometime. However, you can't rely on musicians to turn up on a regular basis just because you provide a venue.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by Johnny Jay
Re: increase sessions
Welcome the musicians as your friends, not as customers. They'll come back.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by Will Harmon
Re: increase sessions
typical reply from "us "musicians dont do it for money "BUT"
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by tank
Re: increase sessions
When I say "Us", I mean musicians in general including those like myself who enjoy going to sesssions without expecting payment.
However, I usually like to know that something will be happening before I go along there and if the management pay two or three "core musicians" (not me personally) a token amount to guarantee this then I am more likely to go along.
Of course, I could round up one or two people and go along for a tune if I fancied or even play a few tunes on my own if I "happened to be passing".
It wouldn't be on a regular basis though and no pub manager would have the right to expect it.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by Johnny Jay
Re: increase sessions
Come to The Eddie Duffy & Mick Hoy festival in Derrygonnelly this weekend, more good sessions than anyone could need. Anyone going? What about you, BB, its only down the road.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by strayaway
Re: increase sessions
Here's how to increase the number of sessions:
Make friends for Irish music whenever you can. If somebody shows interest, encourage that--even if they seem, er, particularly uninformed, or misinformed about it. Be flattered that they take an interest, and gently educate them. Go to other sessions in your general area--even if it takes some traveling--to get acquainted with other players in your region, for your mutual education.
Make friends with pub owners and managers. Hey, we're all in this together, let's all do what we can to make it tolerable for everybody--including the punters. You need those punters too, to keep the pub in business. And that is usually the bottom line, after all--making everything (including the money) work out, so you can have a place to play.
In other words, make it a priority to do what you can *for* the tradition. Be an ambassador for it, and try to make it welcome everywhere.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by John Galt
Re: increase sessions
Good stuff mickray.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: increase sessions
Free beer all night, a nice table reserved for us, a friendly welcome from the bar staff who know all our names (and we theirs), pleasant surroundings (not a bar full of old lags), a blackboard outside publicising the session, jukebox in the adjacent bar turned off. That's what works round these parts! And I think we give back in terms of playing well, not sitting around for great stretches of time not playing though not feeling as if we're on a treadmill, being friendly with the customers and all that. Pub, sessioneers and fellow drinkers all conspiring to make it a good night.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by Steve Shaw
Re: increase sessions
Sometimes we have too many sessions here! This are some of the things we have done:
Our ambassador, Paul, is always looking for possible locations. when he finds a suitable pub, brewery, restaurant, etc, he makes the pitch. He does a fine, fine job.
Then, we have a web site that has many functions. We give out business cards with the web address to all interested, publicans, onlookers, musicians, etc.
We take lots of pictures to give participants a sense of community, and post them on the site.
An experiment that has certainly paid off is our attendance page. Friends can go up on the site and indicate where they will be, when, and what they will be playing. We all can go up as time permits to see who is going to be there. Not everyone uses it, however, but one can get a good idea what the turn-out will be before a wasted trip is made. The backbone melody types are faithful in its use, which is most important. To encourage its use, we have a "green elephant" drawing ofttimes. To be included, one must sign up.
Listed on the site are tunes commonly heard in our area, midi and/or You Tube links, tune books, calendars and maps. One can sign up for a e-newsletter. There is also a link to a GoogleGroup.
In sum, we have created a community that is truly growing in strength, skill, and numbers.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by feardearg
Re: increase sessions
Amazing, feardearg! You guys should write the book!
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by oldstrings
Re: increase sessions
feardearg
fair play this is a great site ye have .
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by Saint
Re: increase sessions
Where are you based, Cairan? Ireland? UK? USA? Europe? Antipodes? Whereabouts is your pub? In a city? Suburbs? Town? Village? Countryside? And what kind of pub? Freehouse? Tied? etc. Maybe as players we could offer some advice if we knew these facts. And any other details you may consider relevant. Also, is your pub listed here in the sessions section? That might be a start - as a "virtual" session. All you'd need then would be regular players. (I'm not being facetious BTW)
# Posted on October 10th 2007 by Rudall the time
Re: increase sessions
Fantastic stuff there Gary. Amazing. Wouldn't even mind being a pet around your neck of the woods. Fun and room for everyone. Lovely.
# Posted on October 10th 2007 by Clear Drops
Re: increase sessions
I kinda wish cairan would get back with us. There are other things one can do to increase sessions that we can share. But as KML pointed out, we need more info.
Are there music shops or schools in the area where flyers could be left? How about Irish organizations or newsletters (cultural clubs, etc.)? How about parellel groups like old timey, dulcimer societies where musicians can be recruited?
Are there sessions already but due to attitude people have been driven away? If so, are there, as I have discovered here, smaller groups gathering who are refugees from unwelcoming sessions? finding them and inviting them to participate, making a positive experience.
Are there any open mikes where a few performances can be shared to strike up interest? Book stores that invite cultural activities? Art festivals? Presentations in schools or colleges?
# Posted on October 10th 2007 by feardearg
Re: increase sessions
If you just expect people to come and play in your pub because you have a dedicated session night then it's not going to work, you really need to develop a reputation as being a good session venue.
One of the best sessions I know has been run successfully for years and no one gets paid. The reason musicians (some of them professional) consistently turn up is because the landlord is hugely welcoming, if you walk in the door with an instrument on session night the landlord will be the first to greet you, find you a seat and then offer you a drink.
This landlord will then continue to provide drinks for the players, you won't even have to ask for a drink, he'll see when you are nearly finished a pint and before you even think of asking there'll be another pint on your table.
It doesn't matter whether there are 3 or 20 musicians at this session, he will always offer the same hospitality to each musician (provided of course the musicians are genunely contributing to the sessions, chancers get thrown out!)
More than anything I think this landlord just loves the music and he ensures musicians of all levels are made welcome at the session. If you are genuinely interested in the music for the love of it then I'm sure you'll have no trouble convincing people to play without pay in your pub, so long as you always provide them with the kind of welcome and respect the landlord I mentioned does.
If however you just want a session to boost business then you've no right to expect musicians to play for free or even just free drinks. It is situations like this where musicians really should get paid to play in pubs.
So bottom line if you want more sessions and more people playing in sessions at your pub without payment then provide a welcome, friendly environment with free drinks and maybe even food (the landlord in the pub I mentioned sometimes provides take-away for the musicians!)
# Posted on October 10th 2007 by The Tune Composer
Re: increase sessions
No payment but free drinks. With the cost of Guinness in bars over here, someone pointed out that two pints put you over the minimum wage already.
With the vast majority of bars in this area being sports bars with big screen TVs, chances are hosting a session (and turning down the TV volume) will cause a drop in revenue, or be revenue neutral if it's a Saturday afternoon.
# Posted on October 10th 2007 by grego