So, I've looked and looked, and can't find any session around this area. I've been thinking of contacting one of the local pubs and approaching them about the possibility. From what I've gathered, it would probably be best to begin a slow session (after all, I'm a cracker with the dots, but sometimes choke without). My question is, how would you suggest going about this? Is it good to advertise in a newspaper once the pub agrees? And should it be a slow session (after all, that might accomodate me, but not all the others lurking in the area)? Suggestions???
get friends/bandmates to agree on a night
get pub to agree
flyer at the entrance
put it up on thesession.org
have fun and let it become what it becomes
I wouldn't put too many rules to it if there's not that many players in your area. Be welcoming and friendly to all.
Find the players first and do a test run or two as a house session. You can put up posters at music stores, coffee shops, etc., in the area and see who bites. Be sure to get word out among all the old timey and bluegrass players--you'll often find Irish trad friends there. The point behind a house session is that if it doesn't gel, no one gets publicly hurt. Pubs don't want to lose customers because a bunch of people showed up one day with instruments and made a racket. The publican will more likely welcome you back if you show up with some group experience under your belt.
Or find one or two other players and start an informal session at your local pub (still helps to have an hour or two of tunes in common beforehand). Then see who comes out of the woodwork as word gets around that such-and-such pub has an Irish session going.
Or the round-a-bout route--send out feelers among any and all musicians you know to see who's interested in Irish music. Offer to host a tune-learning session at your house. Keep doing this till you have critical mass and a bunch of tunes you can play by heart. Then go looking for a pub to play in.
Or go to any old timey and bluegrass jams in your area and see if anyone joins in on Temperance Reel with more of an Irish feel.
Shanty's right--welcoming all comers (and a variety of musics) will help you get started, and then you can see if people want to focus more on Irish trad.
Then, once you get enough people interested you can start slagging the bodhran players, set fire to the sheet music, bending the spoons and if anyone dares open a banjo case you all can move on to the next pub!!!!
Great advice so far. will harmon is certainly one of the world authorities on getting an Irish session started in a somewhat unlikely place.
Also, you might visit other sessions, even if it takes a long drive, to get acquainted with those players and exchange referrals. Who knows, they might return the favor sometime, and visit your session.
But I think what you need most is at least a couple of regulars--decent players who share your enthusiasm, and show up regularly--to form a core. Our little session is coming up on its second birthday, and it could not have happened without the steady attendance of a couple of stalwarts. Oh, and the support of a generous landlord--if you're in somebody's business establishment, treat them right.
One other tip--sorry to be negative, but I think it needs saying--be welcoming and tolerant, sure, but have some tactful phrases ready, to keep the session from becoming a free-for-all of blues jams, pop songs, etc. Examples:
"We have a deal with management for an Irish session--if you want to play [whatever], you'll have to talk to the owner about starting your own session." (The owner of our venue told me straight out, "If anybody comes in and gives you a hard time, we will back you up 100 percent.")
"There are lots of open mics around, if you want to sing your original songs. This is our one chance to play our Irish tunes, and we want to keep it that way."
"Sorry, but too much percussion is making our session sound a bit like a marching band. In Irish music, the melody players generally determine the swing of the rhythm."
And of course, the Golden Rule: "In Irish sessions, you don't noodle around. If you don't know the tune, don't play."
But don't let me put you off. I'm really glad I started a session. We have all had a great time, and improved our playing, and made new friends, and the punters have enjoyed it too. Best of luck to you!
LOL, I was just thinking that some people are lucky enough to live where Irish sessions have run for decades and they never need to find out what goes into starting one up, especially starting one up in a small, far-flung town well removed from the music (and swamped by rock, pop, country, blues, etc.).
But I brought some session experience with me to the back of beyond here in Montana. I'd participated in sessions on the east and west US coasts, and sessioned with some great players who grew up in the music and the tradition.
A key point for me doing this in Helena Montana (where?) was realizing that a good session builds on the musical friends and neighbors of your local community, just as it does in Chicago, London, Galway, or Feakle. So instead of worry about whether your local session is "authentic" relative to some idealized session in Ireland (or London, NYC, Boston, and Chicago, where pub sessions originated), just be yourselves. Immerse yourself in the music and the tradition, yes, but don't beat yourselves up for living in Pennsylvania, and then enjoy the crack the bubbles up.
Do that and someday a visitor from Ireland (or London, NYC, Boston, or Chicago) will walk in the door and be overjoyed to find themselves in a session that feels "just like home."
I'm not Slainte, obviously, but I do attent a regular session at the County Clare Pub in Tachikawa-Tokyo, Japan. I use to live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where I started going to sessions regularly. I am really happy this session is here! I was worried I wouldn't be able to go to session for a long time. But, friends from the sessions I frequented in VA told me to look on this site for session venues. Anyway.....this session here in Japan is lots of fun! Jim Edinger runs the session. He was very welcoming to me when I first popped up there. A few of the Japanese musicians, I feel, really know what they are doing. They just love the music. Some even sing. Some speak some english some don't. But, it doesn't matter. Apparently, the session has been there for a long time. I think it's incredible how far reaching the music is! Even the folks in the bar area love what they hear. Sometimes they'll dance, and, if there is a good "groove" going, they'll clap along! It's all I have here for now, other then playing along to recordings. But, really enjoy going to this session!
I did try to start a session while I was in Virginia, along with an excellent flute and whistle playing friend, at a Pub near by where my pub band played. My friend, Susan, had started them before. When we approached the owner we made certain the owner knew we didn't want anything other then a place to play. No money, no free food, no free drinks; we just wanted a place to play. Getting musicians was not a problem, Susan knew many good players. That worked for a while, but since leaving, I was told the patrons in bar badgered the owners to turn the juke box back on. They would rather listen to 20 minute live versions of Free Bird. But, Susan moved the session to a different, more accepting place. It's still going well! I look forward to going back!
There isn't much I can add to what Will & Forrest have already written, but let me try anyway -- since my friends and I have some fairly recent experience on this...
We are fortunate to have some very experienced musicians in our area, of which I very much am *NOT*. So we consulted with some such folks, and they told us that in their opinion two key ingredients to a successful session are:
1) A critical mass of people who can be relied on to be there -- even when the thermometer hits minus-18 farenheit and road repairs force you to drive 10 miles out of your way to get there.
2) A critical mass of tunes that this critical mass of people can all play together at least reasonably well.
To accomplish this, we (who call ourselves the session's "humble hosts") had several kitchen sessions to establish our core sets (yes, we pre-learned our sets -- don't crucify me!) Even though the life-blood of sessions is spontaneity, we certainly did not want to start up a session where everyone just stared at each other, wondering, "Well, what are we going to play next?" and then having everybody play their own tunes solo because no one else had them in common.
The result: we're now going on our eight consecutive month, and our session draws not only learners like me, but also some of the best players in our area. They really like our session, and respect it as a place that they can play their repertoire at their level, and respect that we are open and inviting to newer players to play their tunes at their pace, as well. (Even the most experienced players are willing to play The Kesh Jig if it's started in the right context.)
It doesn't hurt that the sets that we practiced are also interesting tunes, beyond the workhorse standards. This keeps the advanced players interested, and exposes the newer folks to a broader repertoire of tunes that they can record and learn.
Without getting too bogged down in rules and lists, we did make a point to *kindly* express our session's "mission statement" (sort of, for lack of a better term). We take turns each month designating a de facto "leader" -- a term which we use loosely, but the leader typically sets the tone for the evening by leading the first set of the session, and also starting one of our "rehearsed" sets at various times throughout the evening.
We also take turns being the designated "greeter" -- the person who greets newcomers, introduces themselves, gets e-mail addresses for the mailing list, and loosely communicates the so-called "mission statement". We do send out short lists of "representative repertoire" to the newcomers -- with a subtle nod to our so-called "mission statement" by saying, "we are open to all Irish repertoire and players of all levels, and if you play any of these tunes, the chances of people joining in with you are pretty good."
I'm sure there are lots of things that we do wrong, and perhaps another one or three that we do right -- but so far the proof is in the attendance thus far.
Personally, I made a commitment to concentrate my practice hours solely on preparing for this session, and put most of my own repertoire on the back burner in favor of our critical-mass repertoire for several months. It is a small sacrifice that I'm glad I made, and would recommend to you, as well, Fiddlechick7.
Lastly, even now we still put in a lot of work (practice hours, kitchen session, e-mail lists) to keep it successful. Our insecurity of playing with and hosting such experienced musicians at our session drives us to improve as best as we realistically can.
Sorry for the long-winded reply. I didn't realize how long it had gotten until I went back and proofread it.
I started our session 10 years ago and the first couple of years weren't always fun. Don't expect too much right away but....
IMO the vital ingredients are.......
Two decent lead players who share at least two hours of materiel, if not, as Will pointed out, kitchen sessions until you're ready - no dots at the session, no decent players will join a session where people read from the dots.
Ask the landlord in the most likely looking pub if you can play on his quietest night of the week, then he has the least to lose it it doesn't prove popular. I did this and our session night is now the pubs busiest night with the exception of some Saturdays.
Try and add at least couple of new tunes every week to keep yourself fresh.
If you and your friends are still playing from the dots, I agree with Will, start a house session first. Then, once you have developed more playing skills, and a good deep repetoire of tunes, you can move out into public. You don't want to try to start your public session too soon, and create a bad impression up front.
House sessions can be lots of fun--enjoy!
It's not much of "mission statement", really... I just used that term loosely because I couldn't think of anything else to call it.
Basically we just set the tone in the first few installments of our session by saying that it was an "Irish Traditional Music" session (we felt we had to say this in case there were opportunistic bluegrassers, old-timers present), and that it was open to all players to record and learn the repertoire, and to introduce their own repertoire, as well. (I even made a point to go home and learn several tunes that other people brought -- as a way of showing my commitment to them, because I feel that respect is a two-way street).
So it's not a silver bullet, amyamanda, just a few subtle hints to indicate that we don't want our session to be a cacophonous free-for-all, but that we invite, welcome, and respect all players who in turn respect what we're trying to accomplish, as well.
And we also follow Bogman's advice of trying to "add at least a couple of new tunes every month to keep ourselves fresh".
Thanks for all the pointers. There are some decent musicians around that don't play fiddle.... know a grand piper. I wanted it to be different from a gig in a bar, like my band will do. So, while I'd like my bandmates to be welcome, and they certainly would be encouraged to come, I am a little afraid of the "band" taking over. I'll put out some feelers. There are a few youngins in my dance class that have diddled around with fiddle, but I don't want to become a "teacher"... I don't think I'm qualified to teach the tradition as I'm rather new to it myself (not the instrument, just the style). My house won't work.... it's a zoo. And a small one, but I'm sure someone in the community might be up for it!
• Discuss with the venue what a session actually is. (It's not a free performance. It's really for the musicians, although, you hope that the punters enjoy it too. You will often spend as much time talking as you do playing. It's not a free-for-all jam session, etc.)
• Get to know the pub manager and staff. Support their establishment, even when you're not playing.
• Tip well. If the staff is glad to have you there, life will go much smoother. But if you're seen as an annoyance or hinderance to the staff, you won't be there for long.
Agreeing vehemently with Browndog's statement, "...take turns being the designated "greeter" -- the person who greets newcomers, introduces themselves, gets e-mail addresses for the mailing list, and loosely communicates the so-called "mission statement". "
YES! I've tried to visit several sessions where I felt really unwelcome because no one bothered to greet or introduce. If you want to have a growing session, be friendly and welcoming.
Also, "We do send out short lists of "representative repertoire" to the newcomers -- " YES, that also helps newcomers feel more welcome and more secure on joining in, if they know a bit of what to expect.
Thank you for starting this thread, Fiddlechick 7! There are no sessions around Tulsa, OK and the rest of the Irish music scene is really closed and unfriendly. Now if we wanted to travel 3 hours to OKC we could! As a lowly bodhran player (one who knows WHEN to NOT play!) and a band-member without a local session, I've thought of trying to start one here in Tulsa. This gives me the information I need to do so. Now to talk the hubby into it...
You do have to be careful sharing the load though. Some people will chase newcomers away to protect their turf, or because they have different ideas about what instrument's are welcome at the session. Don't assume that everyone shares your expectations of what the session is to be.
See if you can get a sesh started in The US Hotel in Hollidaysburg, Fiddlechick7 -- the perfect venue. Plenty of atmosphere, good food and drink, haunted back rooms.
One of the great things about starting a session is getting the visiting musicians in. They often bring new tunes and sets or different takes on well-known tunes and it can make for a great session. A few of us recently resurrected an Irish session near where I live and they've generally been pretty good so far.
Always be friendly and warm to strangers is great advice.
Well now, greg n'sheils, you know I said we try not to get too bogged down in lists...
Nevertheless, here is a sample of our "representative repertoire" -- I think you'll find all or most of these on will cpt harmon's "Must-Have 300" lists, as well...
Glen Allen (Kilmaney)/The Old Copperplate
Cronin's/Murphy's
The Galway Rambler/The Ivy Leaf
The Road to Lisdoonvarna (reel)/Imelda Rowland's
The Lilting Banshee/The Old Favourite
Dunphy's/Chief O'Neill's
The Wise Maid/Toss the Feathers
Wicklow (Delahunty's)/Kilcooley Wood
Moll Roe/Hardiman the Fiddler
The Green Mountain/The Man of the House
George White's Favourite/The Humours of Tulla
The Maid of Mt. Kisco/Come West Along the Road
Cuil Aodha/Tatter Jack Walsh
Paddy Taylor's #1/The Black Rogue
I Buried My Wife and Danced On Her Grave/Will You Come Home With Me?
Little Fair Canavans/A Fig for a Kiss
Mrs. Crotty's/The Humours of Tullycrine
Ballydesmond Polkas
The Goat On the Green/The Pipe On the Hob/Johnny McGreevy's (a.k.a. Jimmy Neary's)
O'Connell's Trip to Parliament/The Torn Jacket
The Wise Maid/Toss the Feathers
The Mist-Covered Mountain/The Spotted Dog
Slides from Mick O'Brien
The Good Natured Man/The Fairy's Hornpipe
Bunker Hill/The Old Bush
Limestone Rock
Lucy Campbell
Cooley's/The Earl's Chair
The Hare's Paw/Knocknagow (Scotch Mary)/Templehouse (from "Live at Mona's")
The Cup of Tea
Down the Broom
The Ash Plant/The Black-Haired Lass
Scatter the Mud (Coen/Rafferty setting)/The Legacy
Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel
Great stuff here, little to add coming in late as I’ve done.
Just highlights, from Will:
“…a good session builds on the musical friends and neighbors of your local community…”
Boy, is that the truth. Friends and the music, really, is what it’s all about. I can’t imagine, nor do I wish to ever be a part of, a session group that isn’t friends with each other. I’ve seen that undercurrent of ego and nonsense and it’s just a total turn off. How do you have any sense of community that way?
Browndog’s essentials, really all you need, the rest are details, as they say:
“1) A critical mass of people who can be relied on to be there -- even when the thermometer hits minus-18 farenheit and road repairs force you to drive 10 miles out of your way to get there.
2) A critical mass of tunes that this critical mass of people can all play together at least reasonably well.”
…and of course, like Reverend says, TIP THE STAFF! If the staff loves you, you’re in like Flynn.
...though in Florida, browndog's #1 reads as follows:
“…a critical mass of people who can be relied on to be there -- even when the thermometer hits 95 Fahrenheit with a heat index of 105 and half the locals are on summer vacation in Maine or Michigan somewhere…”
Cheers, browndog. I'm just sitting here waiting for our session & was looking over your tunes.
Hope you don't mind them being alphabetized;
The Ash Plant/The Black-Haired Lass
Ballydesmond Polkas
Bunker Hill/The Old Bush
Cooley's/The Earl's Chair
Cronin's/Murphy's
Cuil Aodha/Tatter Jack Walsh
The Cup of Tea
Down the Broom
Dunphy's/Chief O'Neill's
The Galway Rambler/The Ivy Leaf
George White's Favourite/The Humours of Tulla
Glen Allen (Kilmaney)/The Old Copperplate
The Goat On the Green/The Pipe On the Hob/
~ Johnny McGreevy's (a.k.a. Jimmy Neary's)
The Good Natured Man/The Fairy's Hornpipe
The Green Mountain/The Man of the House
The Hare's Paw/Knocknagow (Scotch Mary)/Templehouse (from "Live at Mona's")
I Buried My Wife and Danced On Her Grave/Will You Come Home With Me?
Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel
The Lilting Banshee/The Old Favourite
Limestone Rock
Little Fair Canavans/A Fig for a Kiss
Lucy Campbell
The Maid of Mt. Kisco/Come West Along the Road
The Mist-Covered Mountain/The Spotted Dog
Moll Roe/Hardiman the Fiddler
Mrs. Crotty's/The Humours of Tullycrine
O'Connell's Trip to Parliament/The Torn Jacket
Paddy Taylor's #1/The Black Rogue
The Road to Lisdoonvarna (reel)/Imelda Rowland's
Scatter the Mud (Coen/Rafferty setting)/The Legacy
Slides from Mick O'Brien
Wicklow (Delahunty's)/Kilcooley Wood
The Wise Maid/Toss the Feathers
Advice on putting together a session?
Advice on putting together a session?
So, I've looked and looked, and can't find any session around this area. I've been thinking of contacting one of the local pubs and approaching them about the possibility. From what I've gathered, it would probably be best to begin a slow session (after all, I'm a cracker with the dots, but sometimes choke without). My question is, how would you suggest going about this? Is it good to advertise in a newspaper once the pub agrees? And should it be a slow session (after all, that might accomodate me, but not all the others lurking in the area)? Suggestions???
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by Fiddlechick7
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
get friends/bandmates to agree on a night
get pub to agree
flyer at the entrance
put it up on thesession.org
have fun and let it become what it becomes
I wouldn't put too many rules to it if there's not that many players in your area. Be welcoming and friendly to all.
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by shanty
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Several options on doing this.
Find the players first and do a test run or two as a house session. You can put up posters at music stores, coffee shops, etc., in the area and see who bites. Be sure to get word out among all the old timey and bluegrass players--you'll often find Irish trad friends there. The point behind a house session is that if it doesn't gel, no one gets publicly hurt. Pubs don't want to lose customers because a bunch of people showed up one day with instruments and made a racket. The publican will more likely welcome you back if you show up with some group experience under your belt.
Or find one or two other players and start an informal session at your local pub (still helps to have an hour or two of tunes in common beforehand). Then see who comes out of the woodwork as word gets around that such-and-such pub has an Irish session going.
Or the round-a-bout route--send out feelers among any and all musicians you know to see who's interested in Irish music. Offer to host a tune-learning session at your house. Keep doing this till you have critical mass and a bunch of tunes you can play by heart. Then go looking for a pub to play in.
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Or go to any old timey and bluegrass jams in your area and see if anyone joins in on Temperance Reel with more of an Irish feel.
Shanty's right--welcoming all comers (and a variety of musics) will help you get started, and then you can see if people want to focus more on Irish trad.
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Then, once you get enough people interested you can start slagging the bodhran players, set fire to the sheet music, bending the spoons and if anyone dares open a banjo case you all can move on to the next pub!!!!
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by shanty
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Great advice so far. will harmon is certainly one of the world authorities on getting an Irish session started in a somewhat unlikely place.
Also, you might visit other sessions, even if it takes a long drive, to get acquainted with those players and exchange referrals. Who knows, they might return the favor sometime, and visit your session.
But I think what you need most is at least a couple of regulars--decent players who share your enthusiasm, and show up regularly--to form a core. Our little session is coming up on its second birthday, and it could not have happened without the steady attendance of a couple of stalwarts. Oh, and the support of a generous landlord--if you're in somebody's business establishment, treat them right.
One other tip--sorry to be negative, but I think it needs saying--be welcoming and tolerant, sure, but have some tactful phrases ready, to keep the session from becoming a free-for-all of blues jams, pop songs, etc. Examples:
"We have a deal with management for an Irish session--if you want to play [whatever], you'll have to talk to the owner about starting your own session." (The owner of our venue told me straight out, "If anybody comes in and gives you a hard time, we will back you up 100 percent.")
"There are lots of open mics around, if you want to sing your original songs. This is our one chance to play our Irish tunes, and we want to keep it that way."
"Sorry, but too much percussion is making our session sound a bit like a marching band. In Irish music, the melody players generally determine the swing of the rhythm."
And of course, the Golden Rule: "In Irish sessions, you don't noodle around. If you don't know the tune, don't play."
But don't let me put you off. I'm really glad I started a session. We have all had a great time, and improved our playing, and made new friends, and the punters have enjoyed it too. Best of luck to you!
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by John Galt
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
LOL, I was just thinking that some people are lucky enough to live where Irish sessions have run for decades and they never need to find out what goes into starting one up, especially starting one up in a small, far-flung town well removed from the music (and swamped by rock, pop, country, blues, etc.).
But I brought some session experience with me to the back of beyond here in Montana. I'd participated in sessions on the east and west US coasts, and sessioned with some great players who grew up in the music and the tradition.
A key point for me doing this in Helena Montana (where?) was realizing that a good session builds on the musical friends and neighbors of your local community, just as it does in Chicago, London, Galway, or Feakle. So instead of worry about whether your local session is "authentic" relative to some idealized session in Ireland (or London, NYC, Boston, and Chicago, where pub sessions originated), just be yourselves. Immerse yourself in the music and the tradition, yes, but don't beat yourselves up for living in Pennsylvania, and then enjoy the crack the bubbles up.
Do that and someday a visitor from Ireland (or London, NYC, Boston, or Chicago) will walk in the door and be overjoyed to find themselves in a session that feels "just like home."
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
I'd like to hear from slainte about sessions in Japan, and what happened to Matti, down in South Africa?
# Posted on July 25th 2009 by Will Harmon
I thought Helena Montana was an american singer popular with young girls ?
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by bazouki dave
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
I'm not Slainte, obviously, but I do attent a regular session at the County Clare Pub in Tachikawa-Tokyo, Japan. I use to live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where I started going to sessions regularly. I am really happy this session is here! I was worried I wouldn't be able to go to session for a long time. But, friends from the sessions I frequented in VA told me to look on this site for session venues. Anyway.....this session here in Japan is lots of fun! Jim Edinger runs the session. He was very welcoming to me when I first popped up there. A few of the Japanese musicians, I feel, really know what they are doing. They just love the music. Some even sing. Some speak some english some don't. But, it doesn't matter. Apparently, the session has been there for a long time. I think it's incredible how far reaching the music is! Even the folks in the bar area love what they hear. Sometimes they'll dance, and, if there is a good "groove" going, they'll clap along! It's all I have here for now, other then playing along to recordings. But, really enjoy going to this session!
I did try to start a session while I was in Virginia, along with an excellent flute and whistle playing friend, at a Pub near by where my pub band played. My friend, Susan, had started them before. When we approached the owner we made certain the owner knew we didn't want anything other then a place to play. No money, no free food, no free drinks; we just wanted a place to play. Getting musicians was not a problem, Susan knew many good players. That worked for a while, but since leaving, I was told the patrons in bar badgered the owners to turn the juke box back on. They would rather listen to 20 minute live versions of Free Bird. But, Susan moved the session to a different, more accepting place. It's still going well! I look forward to going back!
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by cfmgeek
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
There isn't much I can add to what Will & Forrest have already written, but let me try anyway -- since my friends and I have some fairly recent experience on this...
We are fortunate to have some very experienced musicians in our area, of which I very much am *NOT*. So we consulted with some such folks, and they told us that in their opinion two key ingredients to a successful session are:
1) A critical mass of people who can be relied on to be there -- even when the thermometer hits minus-18 farenheit and road repairs force you to drive 10 miles out of your way to get there.
2) A critical mass of tunes that this critical mass of people can all play together at least reasonably well.
To accomplish this, we (who call ourselves the session's "humble hosts") had several kitchen sessions to establish our core sets (yes, we pre-learned our sets -- don't crucify me!) Even though the life-blood of sessions is spontaneity, we certainly did not want to start up a session where everyone just stared at each other, wondering, "Well, what are we going to play next?" and then having everybody play their own tunes solo because no one else had them in common.
The result: we're now going on our eight consecutive month, and our session draws not only learners like me, but also some of the best players in our area. They really like our session, and respect it as a place that they can play their repertoire at their level, and respect that we are open and inviting to newer players to play their tunes at their pace, as well. (Even the most experienced players are willing to play The Kesh Jig if it's started in the right context.)
It doesn't hurt that the sets that we practiced are also interesting tunes, beyond the workhorse standards. This keeps the advanced players interested, and exposes the newer folks to a broader repertoire of tunes that they can record and learn.
Without getting too bogged down in rules and lists, we did make a point to *kindly* express our session's "mission statement" (sort of, for lack of a better term). We take turns each month designating a de facto "leader" -- a term which we use loosely, but the leader typically sets the tone for the evening by leading the first set of the session, and also starting one of our "rehearsed" sets at various times throughout the evening.
We also take turns being the designated "greeter" -- the person who greets newcomers, introduces themselves, gets e-mail addresses for the mailing list, and loosely communicates the so-called "mission statement". We do send out short lists of "representative repertoire" to the newcomers -- with a subtle nod to our so-called "mission statement" by saying, "we are open to all Irish repertoire and players of all levels, and if you play any of these tunes, the chances of people joining in with you are pretty good."
I'm sure there are lots of things that we do wrong, and perhaps another one or three that we do right -- but so far the proof is in the attendance thus far.
Personally, I made a commitment to concentrate my practice hours solely on preparing for this session, and put most of my own repertoire on the back burner in favor of our critical-mass repertoire for several months. It is a small sacrifice that I'm glad I made, and would recommend to you, as well, Fiddlechick7.
Lastly, even now we still put in a lot of work (practice hours, kitchen session, e-mail lists) to keep it successful. Our insecurity of playing with and hosting such experienced musicians at our session drives us to improve as best as we realistically can.
Sorry for the long-winded reply. I didn't realize how long it had gotten until I went back and proofread it.
Cheers, and best of luck to you!
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by browndog
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
I started our session 10 years ago and the first couple of years weren't always fun. Don't expect too much right away but....
IMO the vital ingredients are.......
Two decent lead players who share at least two hours of materiel, if not, as Will pointed out, kitchen sessions until you're ready - no dots at the session, no decent players will join a session where people read from the dots.
Ask the landlord in the most likely looking pub if you can play on his quietest night of the week, then he has the least to lose it it doesn't prove popular. I did this and our session night is now the pubs busiest night with the exception of some Saturdays.
Try and add at least couple of new tunes every week to keep yourself fresh.
Good luck.
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by bogman
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
browndog, I'm interested in hearing your "mission statement," if you're willing to share it.
Your session sounds healthy and you clearly did a lot of thoughtful planning that paid off. Thanks for sharing your insights.
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by worthy
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
If you and your friends are still playing from the dots, I agree with Will, start a house session first. Then, once you have developed more playing skills, and a good deep repetoire of tunes, you can move out into public. You don't want to try to start your public session too soon, and create a bad impression up front.
House sessions can be lots of fun--enjoy!
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by AlBrown
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Hi amyamanda,
It's not much of "mission statement", really... I just used that term loosely because I couldn't think of anything else to call it.
Basically we just set the tone in the first few installments of our session by saying that it was an "Irish Traditional Music" session (we felt we had to say this in case there were opportunistic bluegrassers, old-timers present), and that it was open to all players to record and learn the repertoire, and to introduce their own repertoire, as well. (I even made a point to go home and learn several tunes that other people brought -- as a way of showing my commitment to them, because I feel that respect is a two-way street).
So it's not a silver bullet, amyamanda, just a few subtle hints to indicate that we don't want our session to be a cacophonous free-for-all, but that we invite, welcome, and respect all players who in turn respect what we're trying to accomplish, as well.
And we also follow Bogman's advice of trying to "add at least a couple of new tunes every month to keep ourselves fresh".
Cheers.
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by browndog
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Thanks for all the pointers. There are some decent musicians around that don't play fiddle.... know a grand piper. I wanted it to be different from a gig in a bar, like my band will do. So, while I'd like my bandmates to be welcome, and they certainly would be encouraged to come, I am a little afraid of the "band" taking over. I'll put out some feelers. There are a few youngins in my dance class that have diddled around with fiddle, but I don't want to become a "teacher"... I don't think I'm qualified to teach the tradition as I'm rather new to it myself (not the instrument, just the style). My house won't work.... it's a zoo. And a small one, but I'm sure someone in the community might be up for it!
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by Fiddlechick7
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Some other pointers that I might add:
• Discuss with the venue what a session actually is. (It's not a free performance. It's really for the musicians, although, you hope that the punters enjoy it too. You will often spend as much time talking as you do playing. It's not a free-for-all jam session, etc.)
• Get to know the pub manager and staff. Support their establishment, even when you're not playing.
• Tip well. If the staff is glad to have you there, life will go much smoother. But if you're seen as an annoyance or hinderance to the staff, you won't be there for long.
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by Reverend
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Agreeing vehemently with Browndog's statement, "...take turns being the designated "greeter" -- the person who greets newcomers, introduces themselves, gets e-mail addresses for the mailing list, and loosely communicates the so-called "mission statement". "
YES! I've tried to visit several sessions where I felt really unwelcome because no one bothered to greet or introduce. If you want to have a growing session, be friendly and welcoming.
Also, "We do send out short lists of "representative repertoire" to the newcomers -- " YES, that also helps newcomers feel more welcome and more secure on joining in, if they know a bit of what to expect.
Thank you for starting this thread, Fiddlechick 7! There are no sessions around Tulsa, OK and the rest of the Irish music scene is really closed and unfriendly. Now if we wanted to travel 3 hours to OKC we could! As a lowly bodhran player (one who knows WHEN to NOT play!) and a band-member without a local session, I've thought of trying to start one here in Tulsa. This gives me the information I need to do so. Now to talk the hubby into it...
RowanGolightly
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by RowanGolightly
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Very nice Reverend Pete!
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by Ben Steen
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
"If you want to have a growing session"
Not always the case, though, eh?
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by Nico
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
You do have to be careful sharing the load though. Some people will chase newcomers away to protect their turf, or because they have different ideas about what instrument's are welcome at the session. Don't assume that everyone shares your expectations of what the session is to be.
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
See if you can get a sesh started in The US Hotel in Hollidaysburg, Fiddlechick7 -- the perfect venue. Plenty of atmosphere, good food and drink, haunted back rooms.
# Posted on July 26th 2009 by fidkid
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
"It doesn't hurt that the sets that we practiced are also interesting tunes, beyond the workhorse standards."
Browndog, I'd be interested in knowing what some of these sets are!
# Posted on July 27th 2009 by greg sheils
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
One of the great things about starting a session is getting the visiting musicians in. They often bring new tunes and sets or different takes on well-known tunes and it can make for a great session. A few of us recently resurrected an Irish session near where I live and they've generally been pretty good so far.
Always be friendly and warm to strangers is great advice.
# Posted on July 27th 2009 by Sugarfoot Jack
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Well now, greg n'sheils, you know I said we try not to get too bogged down in lists...
Nevertheless, here is a sample of our "representative repertoire" -- I think you'll find all or most of these on will cpt harmon's "Must-Have 300" lists, as well...
Glen Allen (Kilmaney)/The Old Copperplate
Cronin's/Murphy's
The Galway Rambler/The Ivy Leaf
The Road to Lisdoonvarna (reel)/Imelda Rowland's
The Lilting Banshee/The Old Favourite
Dunphy's/Chief O'Neill's
The Wise Maid/Toss the Feathers
Wicklow (Delahunty's)/Kilcooley Wood
Moll Roe/Hardiman the Fiddler
The Green Mountain/The Man of the House
George White's Favourite/The Humours of Tulla
The Maid of Mt. Kisco/Come West Along the Road
Cuil Aodha/Tatter Jack Walsh
Paddy Taylor's #1/The Black Rogue
I Buried My Wife and Danced On Her Grave/Will You Come Home With Me?
Little Fair Canavans/A Fig for a Kiss
Mrs. Crotty's/The Humours of Tullycrine
Ballydesmond Polkas
The Goat On the Green/The Pipe On the Hob/Johnny McGreevy's (a.k.a. Jimmy Neary's)
O'Connell's Trip to Parliament/The Torn Jacket
The Wise Maid/Toss the Feathers
The Mist-Covered Mountain/The Spotted Dog
Slides from Mick O'Brien
The Good Natured Man/The Fairy's Hornpipe
Bunker Hill/The Old Bush
Limestone Rock
Lucy Campbell
Cooley's/The Earl's Chair
The Hare's Paw/Knocknagow (Scotch Mary)/Templehouse (from "Live at Mona's")
The Cup of Tea
Down the Broom
The Ash Plant/The Black-Haired Lass
Scatter the Mud (Coen/Rafferty setting)/The Legacy
Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel
# Posted on July 27th 2009 by browndog
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Nothing wrong with the occasional list, especially if it's a good list. Thanks
# Posted on July 28th 2009 by greg sheils
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Great stuff here, little to add coming in late as I’ve done.
Just highlights, from Will:
“…a good session builds on the musical friends and neighbors of your local community…”
Boy, is that the truth. Friends and the music, really, is what it’s all about. I can’t imagine, nor do I wish to ever be a part of, a session group that isn’t friends with each other. I’ve seen that undercurrent of ego and nonsense and it’s just a total turn off. How do you have any sense of community that way?
Browndog’s essentials, really all you need, the rest are details, as they say:
“1) A critical mass of people who can be relied on to be there -- even when the thermometer hits minus-18 farenheit and road repairs force you to drive 10 miles out of your way to get there.
2) A critical mass of tunes that this critical mass of people can all play together at least reasonably well.”
…and of course, like Reverend says, TIP THE STAFF! If the staff loves you, you’re in like Flynn.
# Posted on July 28th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
...though in Florida, browndog's #1 reads as follows:
“…a critical mass of people who can be relied on to be there -- even when the thermometer hits 95 Fahrenheit with a heat index of 105 and half the locals are on summer vacation in Maine or Michigan somewhere…”
# Posted on July 28th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Cheers, browndog. I'm just sitting here waiting for our session & was looking over your tunes.
Hope you don't mind them being alphabetized;
The Ash Plant/The Black-Haired Lass
Ballydesmond Polkas
Bunker Hill/The Old Bush
Cooley's/The Earl's Chair
Cronin's/Murphy's
Cuil Aodha/Tatter Jack Walsh
The Cup of Tea
Down the Broom
Dunphy's/Chief O'Neill's
The Galway Rambler/The Ivy Leaf
George White's Favourite/The Humours of Tulla
Glen Allen (Kilmaney)/The Old Copperplate
The Goat On the Green/The Pipe On the Hob/
~ Johnny McGreevy's (a.k.a. Jimmy Neary's)
The Good Natured Man/The Fairy's Hornpipe
The Green Mountain/The Man of the House
The Hare's Paw/Knocknagow (Scotch Mary)/Templehouse (from "Live at Mona's")
I Buried My Wife and Danced On Her Grave/Will You Come Home With Me?
Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel
The Lilting Banshee/The Old Favourite
Limestone Rock
Little Fair Canavans/A Fig for a Kiss
Lucy Campbell
The Maid of Mt. Kisco/Come West Along the Road
The Mist-Covered Mountain/The Spotted Dog
Moll Roe/Hardiman the Fiddler
Mrs. Crotty's/The Humours of Tullycrine
O'Connell's Trip to Parliament/The Torn Jacket
Paddy Taylor's #1/The Black Rogue
The Road to Lisdoonvarna (reel)/Imelda Rowland's
Scatter the Mud (Coen/Rafferty setting)/The Legacy
Slides from Mick O'Brien
Wicklow (Delahunty's)/Kilcooley Wood
The Wise Maid/Toss the Feathers
http://alphabetizer.flap.tv/
# Posted on July 29th 2009 by Ben Steen
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
music stands...a necessity!
# Posted on August 4th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: Advice on putting together a session?
Still around, Will. Just not playing much - I'm in Johannesburg now, and there's no session in town. Bit of heartache at that. I misses me my tunes.
# Posted on September 21st 2009 by Q