Do families come to your sessions? Our local session
has been family-friendly from the start, and it is common to see parents and youngsters enjoying the music. I've heard comments to the effect of "this is how it is in Ireland" and I've wondered if that is true. Do families with kids show up at sessions just to listen to the music in Ireland?
Probably the time for our session is ideal for families - 5-8 PM on a Sunday and this affects the kid-friendliness.
The pub owner has to support this as well of course, and the families have to have the common sense to watch their kids closely, but it does add to the friendly relaxed atmosphere of the session. So, what happens where you live, especially in Ireland?
Well, the owner of The Burren pub in Somerville (part of Boston) several years ago asked a bunch of mainly high school age musicians to start a Saturday afternoon session...and it's still going mighty strong [http://www.burrenyouth.org/].
Agree with sbhikes that there's no problem with kids in sessions when they belong to someone there. I'd even go a stage further in saying that they are sometimes an essential element of the session (FIDDLE4 has already mentioned this) in that very often the younger musicians are often the most talented.
There is a family friendly session in our town - it runs from 3 until 6. Often we have a 14 year old fiddle player and a 13 year old bodhran player who attend and both are quite good. I've also seen a couple of youngsters playing the whistle. I am excited for the next generation of players in our area.
When I was in Tipperary last summer we went "sessioning" every night. I stayed at Theresa Bourke's Fiddler's Retreat with two other 16 year olds and we were all welcome to every session. At a couple of them, entire families, complete with whistling 5 year olds played with us past midnight.
I started a session that's on Sunday mornings starting at 10:30. There are many folks who bring their children to listen to the music. The session is at a coffee shop/expresso bar and is quite well attended. While no children have joined us yet, they are welcome as long as they can play the music.
I think my comments and questions above were mostly interpreted as asking whether kids actually play instruments or participate somehow in the session. I really am only asking if familiies with kids visit the pub with the main intention of listening to the music, with the goal of educating the kids about the music by letting them hear it played live. I'm wondering if this is typical in Ireland. I'm sure our hours, from 5-8, have a lot to do with this. Also, the families typically come in for dinner, so if there was no food available, then I'm sure it's less likely they would come. By the way, this is always very welcome in the pub, as long as the kids are minded very carefully by the parents.
Our 14 month old baby has been coming to monthly Sunday afternoon slow sessions since the English smoking ban last summer. She loves sitting in a highchair (provided by the pub which is pretty family friendly anyway), jiggling about and shaking her maracas, and has become something of a feature (if she isn't there, everyone asks why not).
We also often have families passing through (the pub is close to a popular walking route) who stop to listen for a while -- though their entertainment probably is probably not that great, it being a slow session and all!
My daughter was six days old when I started taking her to sessions - she slept in a moses basket under the table for most of the time! I took her to the Cambridge Folk Festival at 3 weeks of age and the Fleadh Nua in Ennis at 10/11 months of age. In England a fair few Comhaltas sessions are child friendly, both for participants and obervers, and I've started a Sunday afternoon session in a child friendly Irish club so that I can attend with my daughter. I simply can't get to and from the evening sessions around here and if I can't take my daughter, I can't go. The joys of being a lone parent.
At the Porterhouse in Montvale, NJ (USA) it is not unusual at all to find many families gathering around the session for a listen. As this session is hosted by the brilliant players in the area, who also tutor, it's very common to be joined by their students who generally have their parents and siblings in tow. They are brilliant young talents that have instilled in me great hope about tomorrow in many regards, not just the prospects for the music.
As long as "family friendly" doesn't mean kids running up and down,screaming and yelling, poking at your instrument(sounds nasty), I don't mind.
In fact, I like nice, well behaved children under proper supervision and the early introduction to the music can only benefit them(and us) in the long run.
A fella comes to our session sometimes and his whole family may play. His son is an excellent fiddler and his daughter plays the mandolin wonderfully. I don't know how old they are but they are definitely children, not college students or anything like that.
Also, Dow, not all sessions are held in bars with drunks and drug deals in the back. Some are held in nice coffeehouses with crackheads and drug deals in the back.
One of our local sessions is at a pub-slash-restaurant. We start around 6:30 pm, so families are common at that hour, dinner, etc. The music is particularly popular among babies and toddlers. They get into the rhythm, want to stand right next to the bodhran, and generally seemed mesmerized by all the noise coming out of our strange-looking instruments (either that, or they're just annoyed that all the hack musicians took the best seats are are hoping that a good glare will move one of us from our perch).
Later in the evening we attract more babes and tipplers....
Family friendly sessions
Family friendly sessions
Do families come to your sessions? Our local session
has been family-friendly from the start, and it is common to see parents and youngsters enjoying the music. I've heard comments to the effect of "this is how it is in Ireland" and I've wondered if that is true. Do families with kids show up at sessions just to listen to the music in Ireland?
Probably the time for our session is ideal for families - 5-8 PM on a Sunday and this affects the kid-friendliness.
The pub owner has to support this as well of course, and the families have to have the common sense to watch their kids closely, but it does add to the friendly relaxed atmosphere of the session. So, what happens where you live, especially in Ireland?
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by halfwaythere
Re: Family friendly sessions
Well, the owner of The Burren pub in Somerville (part of Boston) several years ago asked a bunch of mainly high school age musicians to start a Saturday afternoon session...and it's still going mighty strong [http://www.burrenyouth.org/].
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by sts
Re: Family friendly sessions
On holidays in Mayo or Donegal or whatever you will see youngsters playing along at the session to all hours. This is during school holidays.
In Belfast however it would be very rare due to harsh licensing hours, rigorously enforced by pub owners who just want to hear the music of the till.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Family friendly sessions
I use to go down south alot and some of the kids they brought
or just showed up,,Where better musicians than we Adults
lol- but true,
jim,,,
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by FIDDLE4
Re: Family friendly sessions
Based on my own experiences, BB, not all pubs in Mayo and Donegal are child friendly after 9pm, which, of course, is a good thing.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by strayaway
Re: Family friendly sessions
Yes its all changed Now - For the better I think..
jim.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by FIDDLE4
Re: Family friendly sessions
Our session is early and kids often come. Most of them belong to someone playing in the session, though.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by sbhikes
Re: Family friendly sessions
Agree with sbhikes that there's no problem with kids in sessions when they belong to someone there. I'd even go a stage further in saying that they are sometimes an essential element of the session (FIDDLE4 has already mentioned this) in that very often the younger musicians are often the most talented.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Family friendly sessions
Kids don't belong in pubs. If they want to learn the music let them learn it in their bedrooms out of harm's way.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Dow
Re: Family friendly sessions
By "harm", I mean of course harm to my drinking and socialising me-time, not harm to them.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Dow
Re: Family friendly sessions
There is a family friendly session in our town - it runs from 3 until 6. Often we have a 14 year old fiddle player and a 13 year old bodhran player who attend and both are quite good. I've also seen a couple of youngsters playing the whistle. I am excited for the next generation of players in our area.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: Family friendly sessions
When I was in Tipperary last summer we went "sessioning" every night. I stayed at Theresa Bourke's Fiddler's Retreat with two other 16 year olds and we were all welcome to every session. At a couple of them, entire families, complete with whistling 5 year olds played with us past midnight.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by girlwiththegreenfiddle
Re: Family friendly sessions
I started a session that's on Sunday mornings starting at 10:30. There are many folks who bring their children to listen to the music. The session is at a coffee shop/expresso bar and is quite well attended. While no children have joined us yet, they are welcome as long as they can play the music.
It's a nice way to start a Sunday.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Celtic Guitar
Re: Family friendly sessions
This from our local's website. Click on "Sample the Music" link in the left column: lots of kids. The session is from 2-5 p.m.
http://www.theblacksheep.com/events.html
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by jtrout
Re: Family friendly sessions
I think my comments and questions above were mostly interpreted as asking whether kids actually play instruments or participate somehow in the session. I really am only asking if familiies with kids visit the pub with the main intention of listening to the music, with the goal of educating the kids about the music by letting them hear it played live. I'm wondering if this is typical in Ireland. I'm sure our hours, from 5-8, have a lot to do with this. Also, the families typically come in for dinner, so if there was no food available, then I'm sure it's less likely they would come. By the way, this is always very welcome in the pub, as long as the kids are minded very carefully by the parents.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by halfwaythere
Re: Family friendly sessions
Our 14 month old baby has been coming to monthly Sunday afternoon slow sessions since the English smoking ban last summer. She loves sitting in a highchair (provided by the pub which is pretty family friendly anyway), jiggling about and shaking her maracas, and has become something of a feature (if she isn't there, everyone asks why not).
We also often have families passing through (the pub is close to a popular walking route) who stop to listen for a while -- though their entertainment probably is probably not that great, it being a slow session and all!
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by robharper
Re: Family friendly sessions
My daughter was six days old when I started taking her to sessions - she slept in a moses basket under the table for most of the time! I took her to the Cambridge Folk Festival at 3 weeks of age and the Fleadh Nua in Ennis at 10/11 months of age. In England a fair few Comhaltas sessions are child friendly, both for participants and obervers, and I've started a Sunday afternoon session in a child friendly Irish club so that I can attend with my daughter. I simply can't get to and from the evening sessions around here and if I can't take my daughter, I can't go. The joys of being a lone parent.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by SineadE
Re: Family friendly sessions
At the Porterhouse in Montvale, NJ (USA) it is not unusual at all to find many families gathering around the session for a listen. As this session is hosted by the brilliant players in the area, who also tutor, it's very common to be joined by their students who generally have their parents and siblings in tow. They are brilliant young talents that have instilled in me great hope about tomorrow in many regards, not just the prospects for the music.
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by ejsant
Re: Family friendly sessions
As long as "family friendly" doesn't mean kids running up and down,screaming and yelling, poking at your instrument(sounds nasty), I don't mind.
In fact, I like nice, well behaved children under proper supervision and the early introduction to the music can only benefit them(and us) in the long run.
# Posted on February 27th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: Family friendly sessions
A fella comes to our session sometimes and his whole family may play. His son is an excellent fiddler and his daughter plays the mandolin wonderfully. I don't know how old they are but they are definitely children, not college students or anything like that.
Also, Dow, not all sessions are held in bars with drunks and drug deals in the back. Some are held in nice coffeehouses with crackheads and drug deals in the back.
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by sbhikes
Re: Family friendly sessions
One of our local sessions is at a pub-slash-restaurant. We start around 6:30 pm, so families are common at that hour, dinner, etc. The music is particularly popular among babies and toddlers. They get into the rhythm, want to stand right next to the bodhran, and generally seemed mesmerized by all the noise coming out of our strange-looking instruments (either that, or they're just annoyed that all the hack musicians took the best seats are are hoping that a good glare will move one of us from our perch).
Later in the evening we attract more babes and tipplers....
# Posted on February 28th 2008 by Will CPT