is there any reason why anyone wouldn't want their session in the listings here?
the reason i ask.
my favourite session in london has alot going for it; good musicians, appreciative crowd, good venue, quite central, and is well established.
but its not listed here.
perhaps a session that is established and running smoothly doesnt need the extra publicity, which might upset the balance, or increase the risk of being gatecrashed etc,
i was just wondering...
by the way, i havent yet asked the chap who runs it if he wants the publicity here, so i wont be listing it .
This is something we considered, but before a decision was reached someone else (an out-of-town visitor) listed our session without asking us. This is not a problem in our case, as the poster got the details right. However, if you don't do it yourself you run the risk that someone will post without knowing enough about your session to do so accurately, and create problems for the participants as a consequence.
If there is a "gatekeeper" for your session you should consult them before listing the session. They may have details or protocols they want mentioned, or might wish to remain "under the radar" for their own reasons.
<delurk> I think most of the central London sessions are aware of theSession, and may have debated whether to list or not. And there are plenty of reasons they might decide not to ;) <lurk>
<delurk> I think most of the central London sessions are aware of theSession, and may have debated whether to list or not. And there are plenty of reasons they might decide not to ;) <lurk>
leave it be. if nobody wants it to be found, then leave it unfound! if someone is passing through town, there is somewhere else they can go. if someone is active in the community, they'll find out about it.
I would agree - if they haven't listed it, then leave it alone - a friend of mine listed a session he had visited once - I knew the main players well enough to realize that they regarded him as a young turk, and he was ostracised on future visits. Best intriduce yourself slowly, and see how things go.
as i said in my OP, i have no intention of listing this session.
i was really pondering on why people might want a session to stay below the radar.
if i was a visitor to london, looking on this site for a session, i would see two active london sessions on the same night as my mystery session; one is a trek from the centre of town, the other is in the middle of nowhere. which would probably mean no session for our visitor. Yet there is this lovely session within easy reach of the centre of town, which isnt listed here. and for the visitor at least thats a shame.
i have always thought that one of the great powers of this site is to be able to quickly check if there is a session on in any given town (i work away from home alot).
speaking with that "visitors" perspective, i would like the listings database to be as comprehensive as possible.
I like the fact that there are session listings for other states on this web site in case I might want to play some music while we are on vacation and traveling.
However, although I enjoy playing music too much for my own good, there are rare occasions when I actually want a vacation from playing music also.
Sometimes I don't bring my instruments along when we go on a trip and sometimes I do bring them along.
Part of enjoying a session for me is not knowing who will turn up so if you hide away then this will never happen.
Ok sometimes it someone I would rather not meet with a shakey egg but othertimes its a great player you are glad came . But on the whole it works well
I listed a session in Sydney on here years ago. And that is how I met my now Husband, his band were on tour here from Canada and they looked up session listings on the session.org, found our session and then came down, Who knows if I would have met him otherwise. And also - we get lots of people who come through sydney and have never had a problem with hacks destroying the balance. I think it is importand to make sure you put details...is it a beginner or beginner friendly session, what the standard is like etc.
Yes, Cruella, including the details in the information about your local session can be a lot of help for someone from out-of-town or somewhere further away.
I don't what London's like, but around here there's no point in trying to hide a session since everyone who's local will hear about it eventually anyway. If they're not showing up, it's either out of respect or spite (or both) or because they find you and your friends tedious. And I agree with everyone who said it's fun (and occasionally matrimonially advantageous) to let travelling musicians know what's up.
I'll second what everyone else has said about checking with the session host/leader before listing the session on here. However, since I travel quite a bit (and with a flute), I find it very helpful to be able to look up sessions in the towns I'm visiting. I've always found people to be very welcoming of newcomers, and it seems most people appreciate finding more musicians in the tradition.
After participating in the local session for a year or two, I began traveling to sessions in other states so I could compare them to the local session. I did this because before some other local musicians started an Irish Session here in 1995, I didn't even know that there were such things as Irish Jam Sessions (yes I was that culturally deprived). Participating in sessions in other states was interesting and I enjoyed most of my experiences. I still visit sessions in other states but not as much or as often as I used to because I think I now have enough experiences for comparison and contrast.
I can see both why someone might not want a session listed and why it is preferable to list a session. If you want it to be more of an invite-only, tight sort of session wherein you and your mates control who shows up, you might not choose to list it. Fair enough If you want people to find you and you are willing to accept the bad with the good (and usually it's good), then you'd probably want it listed.
I support the idea of the listed sessions because I love it when a random musicians visiting town show up at your session and add something new to it. I've met some really cool, or at least interesting, people that way. Sometimes it gets crazy (my favourite nutty night being when a group of Basque guys on accordion and percussion things showed up in Sandy Bells, all bearing ETA on their T-shirts, and took over the session for while playing Basque music. We understandably let them play) but sometimes you hear amazing music.
If you want it to be an invite-only session why don't you do it in one of the 'invitees' homes? A 'session' where only invitees get to play isn't a session. It's a gig.
submitting a session listing, or not
submitting a session listing, or not
is there any reason why anyone wouldn't want their session in the listings here?
the reason i ask.
my favourite session in london has alot going for it; good musicians, appreciative crowd, good venue, quite central, and is well established.
but its not listed here.
perhaps a session that is established and running smoothly doesnt need the extra publicity, which might upset the balance, or increase the risk of being gatecrashed etc,
i was just wondering...
by the way, i havent yet asked the chap who runs it if he wants the publicity here, so i wont be listing it .
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by the_spelched_briar
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
Watch for the cosh as you go out of the door...
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by nicholas
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
This is something we considered, but before a decision was reached someone else (an out-of-town visitor) listed our session without asking us. This is not a problem in our case, as the poster got the details right. However, if you don't do it yourself you run the risk that someone will post without knowing enough about your session to do so accurately, and create problems for the participants as a consequence.
If there is a "gatekeeper" for your session you should consult them before listing the session. They may have details or protocols they want mentioned, or might wish to remain "under the radar" for their own reasons.
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by Jumper
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
<delurk> I think most of the central London sessions are aware of theSession, and may have debated whether to list or not. And there are plenty of reasons they might decide not to ;) <lurk>
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by Just a person
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I'd be hesitant to submit any session unless I knew it really well and knew for sure that the hosts were cool with it.
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
all the best restaurants have unlisted numbers...
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by greybeardd
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
John Gillard said:
<delurk> I think most of the central London sessions are aware of theSession, and may have debated whether to list or not. And there are plenty of reasons they might decide not to ;) <lurk>
<delurk>Well-put, John. I agree.<lurk>
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by coyotebanjo
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
Well, who woulda known that John and Chris were still lurking around in the shadows
# Posted on August 8th 2008 by Reverend
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
leave it be. if nobody wants it to be found, then leave it unfound! if someone is passing through town, there is somewhere else they can go. if someone is active in the community, they'll find out about it.
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by daiv
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I would agree - if they haven't listed it, then leave it alone - a friend of mine listed a session he had visited once - I knew the main players well enough to realize that they regarded him as a young turk, and he was ostracised on future visits. Best intriduce yourself slowly, and see how things go.
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
as i said in my OP, i have no intention of listing this session.
i was really pondering on why people might want a session to stay below the radar.
if i was a visitor to london, looking on this site for a session, i would see two active london sessions on the same night as my mystery session; one is a trek from the centre of town, the other is in the middle of nowhere. which would probably mean no session for our visitor. Yet there is this lovely session within easy reach of the centre of town, which isnt listed here. and for the visitor at least thats a shame.
i have always thought that one of the great powers of this site is to be able to quickly check if there is a session on in any given town (i work away from home alot).
speaking with that "visitors" perspective, i would like the listings database to be as comprehensive as possible.
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by the_spelched_briar
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I like the fact that there are session listings for other states on this web site in case I might want to play some music while we are on vacation and traveling.
However, although I enjoy playing music too much for my own good, there are rare occasions when I actually want a vacation from playing music also.
Sometimes I don't bring my instruments along when we go on a trip and sometimes I do bring them along.
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I suggest you be totally exclusive and do not list the session. In that furtive, exclusive way, you can help the tradition to survive.
The tradition of being exclusive that is.
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
Part of enjoying a session for me is not knowing who will turn up so if you hide away then this will never happen.
Ok sometimes it someone I would rather not meet with a shakey egg but othertimes its a great player you are glad came . But on the whole it works well
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by bazouki dave
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I listed a session in Sydney on here years ago. And that is how I met my now Husband, his band were on tour here from Canada and they looked up session listings on the session.org, found our session and then came down, Who knows if I would have met him otherwise. And also - we get lots of people who come through sydney and have never had a problem with hacks destroying the balance. I think it is importand to make sure you put details...is it a beginner or beginner friendly session, what the standard is like etc.
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by shoddy fiddle player
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
Yes, Cruella, including the details in the information about your local session can be a lot of help for someone from out-of-town or somewhere further away.
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I don't what London's like, but around here there's no point in trying to hide a session since everyone who's local will hear about it eventually anyway. If they're not showing up, it's either out of respect or spite (or both) or because they find you and your friends tedious. And I agree with everyone who said it's fun (and occasionally matrimonially advantageous) to let travelling musicians know what's up.
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by airport
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I'll second what everyone else has said about checking with the session host/leader before listing the session on here. However, since I travel quite a bit (and with a flute), I find it very helpful to be able to look up sessions in the towns I'm visiting. I've always found people to be very welcoming of newcomers, and it seems most people appreciate finding more musicians in the tradition.
# Posted on August 10th 2008 by ingridrt
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
After participating in the local session for a year or two, I began traveling to sessions in other states so I could compare them to the local session. I did this because before some other local musicians started an Irish Session here in 1995, I didn't even know that there were such things as Irish Jam Sessions (yes I was that culturally deprived). Participating in sessions in other states was interesting and I enjoyed most of my experiences. I still visit sessions in other states but not as much or as often as I used to because I think I now have enough experiences for comparison and contrast.
# Posted on August 11th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
I can see both why someone might not want a session listed and why it is preferable to list a session. If you want it to be more of an invite-only, tight sort of session wherein you and your mates control who shows up, you might not choose to list it. Fair enough If you want people to find you and you are willing to accept the bad with the good (and usually it's good), then you'd probably want it listed.
I support the idea of the listed sessions because I love it when a random musicians visiting town show up at your session and add something new to it. I've met some really cool, or at least interesting, people that way. Sometimes it gets crazy (my favourite nutty night being when a group of Basque guys on accordion and percussion things showed up in Sandy Bells, all bearing ETA on their T-shirts, and took over the session for while playing Basque music. We understandably let them play) but sometimes you hear amazing music.
# Posted on August 11th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: submitting a session listing, or not
If you want it to be an invite-only session why don't you do it in one of the 'invitees' homes? A 'session' where only invitees get to play isn't a session. It's a gig.
# Posted on August 11th 2008 by pinch of snuff