Er, hi -- I've been lurking here for ages. I'm being finally driven out of lurkerdom because I'm sick and tired of playing alone and not having any sessions nearby. So, a quick intro: Johanna, 28, Finnish, flute player since early nineties; occupation: non-fiction writer & photographer; location: a small farm in Southern Finland.
Which brings us to the actual subject -- living in remote areas and finding playing company. The nearest decent sessions are 60 miles from us, I have no transport, and I can't leave the farm for long periods of time anyway, as there are animals to feed and take care of.
I suppose I'd mainly like to hear how others have solved the problem of not having playing company and/or sessions nearby: do you coax your friends to your place, teach the locals to play (a slow and time-consuming method, IMHO), or is there a way I haven't thought of yet?
Links to older threads on the subject are also appreciated, but I'm starting a new thread to get the intro over and done with.
I spent nearly a year in virtual isolation from the rest of the world's music playing population when I was sailing around the Southern Ocean and Antarctica - OK, mine is quite an extreme example compared to your situation, but having had the delightful company of likeminded musicians for most of my life I found it unbearable not to be able to go out for a play and a couple of beers.
May be there are some other "lurkers" close to you in Finland that you don't know about!
As a last resort, you could always invite all thesession members over to the farm in Finland for a session? Sounds like the ideal venue
Oh I couldn't get the www.kaarne.net link to work......is it me?
Can't help much with sessions in Finland - but mike I can sympathise - haven't made it to the Southern Ocean yet, have crossed the Atlantic and got several thousand other lonely none musical sea miles! Salt water and aluminium whistles - salt water wins eventually!!
Maybe we should start a session boat and sail round to all thesession members!!?
Would love to hear about your travels and I bet you've got some pretty hairy stories from the Southern Ocean! Get in touch...
Seems to work OK for me at the moment, although you can never be 100 % sure with my ISP
Sailing does sound a bit extreme when it comes to sessions (wish I had the chance to see Antarctica though -- lucky you). I've considered coaxing people to the farm, but most people simply don't have the time. They have homes and families in the city and all they often have time for is playing in a local session. Quite understandable, I think -- if I had to choose between playing for hours in a pub nearby or travelling for 2 hours, playing a bit and then travelling back for 2 hours, I'd probably choose the pub. But it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks it'd be nice to have a session in the countryside. Some of the nicest sessions I've played in took place in someone's home in the middle of nowhere.
(Please excuse possible typing errors and dreadful grammar, as English isn't my native language. If it's any consolation, at least my Finnish grammar is all right...)
the Session Boat . . . . . . did you ever read the bit in the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy about the flying party roaming round raiding for booze and cheesy dips?
"Arthur! It's me, Ford! They won't let us in without an instrument!"
brilliant fiddle player brian c. moved from dublin to finland last summer. I´m sure he checked out the finnish session opportunities quite well during the last four month.
He is not even a lurker at the session - so i have to ask him before I will give you his coordinates. But anyway I´m afraid he (as an it-administrator and programmer) is in the middle of some urban life and even more than 60 miles away from little remote farms. Be patient Ill check it all and write you a mail soon....
I do know what you are talking about. Though here there are probably a few more musicians. What I did and do is organicing a session now and then. It is some work but it was always worth it. About once a month I invite some good musicians (and friends) to my mother's house (my flat would be too small) which really has become the meeting place for musicians. We go to the local Irish pub and play there. Afterwards we all return to the house, have sandwiches and more tunes. Most of the musicians live at least 2 - 3 hours away so they stay the night (airbeds are not so bad) and they leave after breakfast (next afternoon). Since these are really really good sessions people are really pleased to be invited and they all come. It is work, I admitt but these sessions are great.
Sabine's idea sounds good - can't you entice your friends out to the farm, if you put them all up overnight and make a house-party of it?
Don't apologise for your English! I never would have known you were not a native speaker. Your grammar is absolutely spot-on and your 'voice' is completely natural...
Johanna, welcome to The Session and out of lurkhood! (Your English is excellent, by the way; much better than my Finnish would ever be, I'm quite sure!) If it's any comfort, I live in a town that's considered "the middle of nowhere" and have a hard time getting people out to play, and it's only 20-40 minutes from the larger cities. I only get into the cities for sessions occasionally as there's always something else to do around the house...if I didn't lead a session, I'd rarely get out, I'd think!
Anyway, if you teach others to play, you'll learn a lot more about playing this stuff, and you'll have someone to learn along with, and you'll have ready made sessions available to you. It may feel like it may take a long time, but it's a lovely way to go in the long run. Impatience with the learning curve is counter-productive for you and the rewards of teaching others in your local area are many.
When I first began playing, I learned a bit from a local fiddler and than was lucky enough to have Shannon and Matt Heaton as my teachers. They started up a tune learning session, and then moved to Boston, asking me to keep it up - they had to talk me into it, as I felt I was too much a beginner to lead a session in any reasonable manner. Dirk Mewes, a local piper who started roundabout the same time I did, and I ended up co-leading the thing and learning along the way (and formed a band as well). We've learned a lot about the music and such as we've gone. We now play roughly at the same level and enjoy a musical partnership that is so close, we often spontaneously play the same variations and ornaments and will sometimes even turn into the same tune without consulting each other, all on the fly. (Funnily enough, sometimes we even make the same mistakes in the same places.) We're very lucky, most people play for their entire lives without having such a close musical partnership.
So don't be too quick about discounting the time it'd take to teach others in your area.
Thanks for all the suggestions -- a house-party would be lovely, if and when people find the time and the motivation to come over. (What a shame I'm just moving out from a small farm with a huge house to a large farm with a small house. I'd be happy with even one guest though, so I suppose we won't be needing the enormous 19th century school building after all.)
Zina, I've had a few pupils years ago, and I think it's always positive when people want to learn to play. I just haven't found any suitable locals even remotely interested in any kind of traditional music As much as I'd like to turn the place into a kind of traditional music village, I can't force anyone to learn something they dislike. I'm naturally trying to convince more like-minded people to move here, but the process takes its time...
Kaarne, you might also consider the option of meeting your city friends halfway. Find a town with a friendly pub (or other music-appropriate public place) that's only a 30 mile commute "in" for you and 30 miles "out" for the folks in the city. Borrow or steal a car, or hitch hike (is that safe in Finland?) and meet there once a month for tunes and craic.
Also, you only need yourself and one other player to have a session, so figure out how to invite the city session players to your farm. Let them know that you have a warm barn for them to sleep in if one or two come out for the weekend now and then. Feed them and play lots of tunes, and soon word will spread, and the session will be coming to you.
Here in Montana USA (purported to be the center of the middle of no where, at least in terms of Irish music , we've tried to do an annual state-wide session. The first one brought in close to 40 musicians and we played from noon till midnight non-stop. But it's hard to find someone else to take the responsibility for organizing the next one. We had hoped to move it from one town to the next in coming years, but I think I'm stuck with it, if I want it to continue. Which I do. So....
This next tip is more for people who already have a session going, albeit in a remote locale. The other thing we do to encourage good players to travel here to play is use the tip jar from our local session to help defray the costs of their travel. We've also paid for meals and drinks and gas for the car out of the "kitty."
Mike -- yes, kaarne is an old Finnish word for a raven. Modern Finnish has another word for the species.
And Will, I like the idea of meeting halfway. I'll have to look into the practical side of this.
Going way off topic -- my friend's daughter recently spent a year as an exhange student in Montana. Helena was her nearest city. She expressly wanted to spend the year in the middle of nowhere
Zina and Em, didn't you drive through a whole lotta Big Empty on your way up here last August? So maybe Helena isn't in the *middle* of it so much as at the farthest end.
I had friends who moved from Montana to Mongolia (no lie), and they said the landscape was very similar, but Mongolia had better restaurants....
But Johanna, your friend's daughter was exaggerating when she called Helena a "city." We're about one-third the population of the average US sports arena during game time. And those sports arenas have better restaurants.
Oh, puh-leeze. Southern tip of Africa, rural Finland, ships in the Arctic circle, this is isolated. You both live in suburbia for pete's sake! :D Oh & welcome Johanna!!
BTW Zina, omg, have you heard about Casper, Wyoming? There is this DREADFUL pastor who wants to erect a monument re: Matthew Shepard, but instead it will say, 'On this day, [blah blah blah] Matthew Shepard entered Hell b/c he was in direct violation of Leviticus [something something].' Of course nobody wants it, but they have a Ten Commandments in the local park, & if the council strikes down the religious thing, he'll erect it on private property. If the townspeople damage or destroy it, he claims he'll petition to have the city pay for round-the-clock armed guards b/c of threat of bodily harm. Bizarre. One more reason to move OUT of Casper!
Geeeeeez....you gotta feel sorry for the normal people who live there -- I did tell you about the pastor's wife I know who started an "I hate Casper" club, didn't I, which sole purpose was to find other churches for their husbands so they could get out of Casper? LOL
As far as I'm concerned, it's OK to hate Casper, Wyoming, cuz it's a dump! Cody, on the other hand, while truly being in the middle of nowhere and having the ten commandments displayed in a city park, is overall a pretty nice town and has two outstanding restaurants (one is a converted whorehouse). Sadly, no session though. We tried one at the Irma hotel, and people stuffed money into the juke box while we were playing. There ARE people here who are interested in Irish music, playing as well as listening, so it may be a matter of finding a suitable venue. In the meantime, Will, if you plan another All-Montana session, PLEASE let us know -- we'll drive anywhere for a good session, as you know! We'll pretend to be Montanans.
Great! So now all I have to do is talk Will, Emily, the Chicago contingent and anybody else who wants to come into hitting Denver at the same time, yes? Because you don't get much cheaper than free -- we can sleep, let's see, six people in beds and more if you count sofas that don't fold out and the air mattress. We'll even feed everyone. ;)
Oh yeah, Zina, the Casper thing, that's why I mentioned it. Those wives must be absolutely cringing, if they're still there at all. :(
Aimee I think it's hilarious that those of us who have seriously no sessions nearby will literally drive hours & even days for the craic, & think nothing of it. I'm driving 4 hours for a session tomorrow in Abq before I head off to San Fran, yay, vacation, & hopefully some more sessions there! But poor Johanna, it sounds like she doesn't have transportation... then, as mentioned beautifully above, you may have to lure players to come to you, I know another certain flute player who makes a killer Irish stew, secret recipe, that secures great players to flock to her house for sessions. Installing the black stuff on tap wouldn't be a bad idea either. Soon you'll be the go-to gal for sessions, esp when traveling musos come through. Also emphasize the sightseeing stuff around your house, a farm in rural Finland sounds absolutely gorgeous, perfect for a weekend session getaway! Those extra perks may influence a SO's (significant other's -- spouses, children, pets, etc) decision in the musos' lives whether to attend or not. At the very least, it will help you get your house clean!! Good luck!!
Emily--Driving 4 hours to go to a session! I feel like such a slouch here wasting the wealth of sessions that exist within 40 minutes by not going to them more often....
Isn't it funny how that works, Emily? And from what I've heard from some people from Ireland; driving that many hours in Ireland is unheard of (not just cause there's propably loads of sessions close by, but that you'd be across the country by the end of the trip!)
Heh, yeah Zina, I used to have an old car like that too....
We've been lucky to have Aimee and Richard sit in at our session several times now, including just last night.I still can't believe they make the 660-mile round trip from Cody to Helena for just 3 hours of tunes! We are not worthy! I'll start working on another All-Montana session and keep you in the loop.
Sigh, I wish we had good rail service like they do in Europe. It'd be great to hop a train to Denver for a long weekend of tunes and be able to sleep all the way home.
I trust you're not including the British rail system in that last comment Will - jump on a train here and you can spend many hours stationary feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere!!!
The killer Irish stew finally solved this -- food is the perfect lure. How convenient that I happen to make the best curry in whole Southern Finland. *evil grin*
Now that you mention it, Cody is sort of a half way point isn't it? I've actually thought of trying to arrange and host some sort of mini-festival or session weekend. If I really thought people would come....
I'd definitely be there if someone was offering curry and Irish music at someone's house, transport or no transport!
Sorry, no home-brewn beer -- I'd probably just end up poisoning everyone if I tried my hand at brewing. The world will remain a safer place for everyone as long as I stick to the curries...
Sometimes you can find sessions in unexpected places. I live in a city of roughly half a million people in the interior of California. The economy is ag-based with lots of vineyards, dairy and cotton. There are people of mixed Irish descent, but thy are more attuned to American tradition than the Irish. A few years ago, a pub (The Body in the Bog) opened in a nearby strip mall, but the bar takes up 75% of the floor space--no room for performers. I found something close to a session at a French bakery that takes place twice a month on Sundy afternoons. Keep looking you never know what you'll find.
As a matter of fact, I used to brew beer and I'm seriously thinking of starting up again. I also did a lot of Indian cooking at one time (I still have all the cookbooks). As if that and Irish music were not incentive enough, we also have a pretty good selection of single malts!
How about a 3-4 day Northern Rockies Irish Music and Curry camp in Cody? I'll rustle up the Montana contingent, Zina can herd some Colorado players north, and Aimee'll invite the other two Irish players in Wyoming ;o), and we'll have a grand time.
Hey, apparently there's enough players in Laramie to actually have a full session. Anyway, if you're up for it, Aimee, I am, and I'll see who else I can prod into movement in our area. Name the date and then we can wrangle. ;)
Hi. I'm a bit remote too (in Australia), I sort of understand your situation, and I don't have any good answers to the problem. I hope you can maintain your enthusiasm despite the difficulties.
Best wishes,
Bill.
Don't forget I'm going to be skiing in Winter Park in February...I know you are coming over Zina but it would be good if others could get there as well.
*grin* Hey, Aimee and Richard...you up for a trip to Winter Park in February? C'mon, Will, you know you love to do the board thing, and WP has a great board park...bring the boys and you guys can all stay at our place...
It's about two hours into the mountains west of Denver, over Berthoud Pass...I was once snowed in there and only got out the next day to get to work because we followed the last snowplows out of the valley. Geoff, where are you staying again? Would they let us play there, or do we need to find a place to play? If the latter, let me know now and I'll see if I can't get somebody to let us play in their bar...
Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Er, hi -- I've been lurking here for ages. I'm being finally driven out of lurkerdom because I'm sick and tired of playing alone and not having any sessions nearby. So, a quick intro: Johanna, 28, Finnish, flute player since early nineties; occupation: non-fiction writer & photographer; location: a small farm in Southern Finland.
Which brings us to the actual subject -- living in remote areas and finding playing company. The nearest decent sessions are 60 miles from us, I have no transport, and I can't leave the farm for long periods of time anyway, as there are animals to feed and take care of.
I suppose I'd mainly like to hear how others have solved the problem of not having playing company and/or sessions nearby: do you coax your friends to your place, teach the locals to play (a slow and time-consuming method, IMHO), or is there a way I haven't thought of yet?
Links to older threads on the subject are also appreciated, but I'm starting a new thread to get the intro over and done with.
# Posted on October 28th 2003 by kaarne
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Hi Johanna,
I spent nearly a year in virtual isolation from the rest of the world's music playing population when I was sailing around the Southern Ocean and Antarctica - OK, mine is quite an extreme example compared to your situation, but having had the delightful company of likeminded musicians for most of my life I found it unbearable not to be able to go out for a play and a couple of beers.
May be there are some other "lurkers" close to you in Finland that you don't know about!
As a last resort, you could always invite all thesession members over to the farm in Finland for a session? Sounds like the ideal venue
Oh I couldn't get the www.kaarne.net link to work......is it me?
Best wishes
Mike
# Posted on October 28th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Can't help much with sessions in Finland - but mike I can sympathise - haven't made it to the Southern Ocean yet, have crossed the Atlantic and got several thousand other lonely none musical sea miles! Salt water and aluminium whistles - salt water wins eventually!!
Maybe we should start a session boat and sail round to all thesession members!!?
Would love to hear about your travels and I bet you've got some pretty hairy stories from the Southern Ocean! Get in touch...
Jen
# Posted on October 28th 2003 by jkneale
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Seems to work OK for me at the moment, although you can never be 100 % sure with my ISP
Sailing does sound a bit extreme when it comes to sessions (wish I had the chance to see Antarctica though -- lucky you). I've considered coaxing people to the farm, but most people simply don't have the time. They have homes and families in the city and all they often have time for is playing in a local session. Quite understandable, I think -- if I had to choose between playing for hours in a pub nearby or travelling for 2 hours, playing a bit and then travelling back for 2 hours, I'd probably choose the pub. But it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks it'd be nice to have a session in the countryside. Some of the nicest sessions I've played in took place in someone's home in the middle of nowhere.
(Please excuse possible typing errors and dreadful grammar, as English isn't my native language. If it's any consolation, at least my Finnish grammar is all right...)
# Posted on October 28th 2003 by kaarne
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
the Session Boat . . . . . . did you ever read the bit in the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy about the flying party roaming round raiding for booze and cheesy dips?
"Arthur! It's me, Ford! They won't let us in without an instrument!"
aaaww.
Dave
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
brilliant fiddle player brian c. moved from dublin to finland last summer. I´m sure he checked out the finnish session opportunities quite well during the last four month.
He is not even a lurker at the session - so i have to ask him before I will give you his coordinates. But anyway I´m afraid he (as an it-administrator and programmer) is in the middle of some urban life and even more than 60 miles away from little remote farms. Be patient Ill check it all and write you a mail soon....
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by crannog
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
I do know what you are talking about. Though here there are probably a few more musicians. What I did and do is organicing a session now and then. It is some work but it was always worth it. About once a month I invite some good musicians (and friends) to my mother's house (my flat would be too small) which really has become the meeting place for musicians. We go to the local Irish pub and play there. Afterwards we all return to the house, have sandwiches and more tunes. Most of the musicians live at least 2 - 3 hours away so they stay the night (airbeds are not so bad) and they leave after breakfast (next afternoon). Since these are really really good sessions people are really pleased to be invited and they all come. It is work, I admitt but these sessions are great.
Sabine
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Irish Trad. Head
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Sabine's idea sounds good - can't you entice your friends out to the farm, if you put them all up overnight and make a house-party of it?
Don't apologise for your English! I never would have known you were not a native speaker. Your grammar is absolutely spot-on and your 'voice' is completely natural...
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Nell
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Johanna, welcome to The Session and out of lurkhood! (Your English is excellent, by the way; much better than my Finnish would ever be, I'm quite sure!) If it's any comfort, I live in a town that's considered "the middle of nowhere" and have a hard time getting people out to play, and it's only 20-40 minutes from the larger cities. I only get into the cities for sessions occasionally as there's always something else to do around the house...if I didn't lead a session, I'd rarely get out, I'd think!
Anyway, if you teach others to play, you'll learn a lot more about playing this stuff, and you'll have someone to learn along with, and you'll have ready made sessions available to you. It may feel like it may take a long time, but it's a lovely way to go in the long run. Impatience with the learning curve is counter-productive for you and the rewards of teaching others in your local area are many.
When I first began playing, I learned a bit from a local fiddler and than was lucky enough to have Shannon and Matt Heaton as my teachers. They started up a tune learning session, and then moved to Boston, asking me to keep it up - they had to talk me into it, as I felt I was too much a beginner to lead a session in any reasonable manner. Dirk Mewes, a local piper who started roundabout the same time I did, and I ended up co-leading the thing and learning along the way (and formed a band as well). We've learned a lot about the music and such as we've gone. We now play roughly at the same level and enjoy a musical partnership that is so close, we often spontaneously play the same variations and ornaments and will sometimes even turn into the same tune without consulting each other, all on the fly. (Funnily enough, sometimes we even make the same mistakes in the same places.) We're very lucky, most people play for their entire lives without having such a close musical partnership.
So don't be too quick about discounting the time it'd take to teach others in your area.
Zina
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Thanks for all the suggestions -- a house-party would be lovely, if and when people find the time and the motivation to come over. (What a shame I'm just moving out from a small farm with a huge house to a large farm with a small house. I'd be happy with even one guest though, so I suppose we won't be needing the enormous 19th century school building after all.)
Zina, I've had a few pupils years ago, and I think it's always positive when people want to learn to play. I just haven't found any suitable locals even remotely interested in any kind of traditional music
As much as I'd like to turn the place into a kind of traditional music village, I can't force anyone to learn something they dislike. I'm naturally trying to convince more like-minded people to move here, but the process takes its time...
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by kaarne
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Kaarne......that means "Raven" in Finnish - am I right?
I did eventually manage to get on your site - and can recommend it to all - the pictures of the horses in particular are just stunning!
Count me in for the house party - oh..... and my neighbour Rita who is from Helsinki!!
Mike
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Kaarne, you might also consider the option of meeting your city friends halfway. Find a town with a friendly pub (or other music-appropriate public place) that's only a 30 mile commute "in" for you and 30 miles "out" for the folks in the city. Borrow or steal a car, or hitch hike (is that safe in Finland?) and meet there once a month for tunes and craic.
Also, you only need yourself and one other player to have a session, so figure out how to invite the city session players to your farm. Let them know that you have a warm barn for them to sleep in if one or two come out for the weekend now and then. Feed them and play lots of tunes, and soon word will spread, and the session will be coming to you.
Here in Montana USA (purported to be the center of the middle of no where, at least in terms of Irish music
, we've tried to do an annual state-wide session. The first one brought in close to 40 musicians and we played from noon till midnight non-stop. But it's hard to find someone else to take the responsibility for organizing the next one. We had hoped to move it from one town to the next in coming years, but I think I'm stuck with it, if I want it to continue. Which I do. So....
This next tip is more for people who already have a session going, albeit in a remote locale. The other thing we do to encourage good players to travel here to play is use the tip jar from our local session to help defray the costs of their travel. We've also paid for meals and drinks and gas for the car out of the "kitty."
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Will CPT
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Um, is Helena, Montana NOT the middle of nowhere in terms of ANYthing? *smirk*
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Mike -- yes, kaarne is an old Finnish word for a raven. Modern Finnish has another word for the species.
And Will, I like the idea of meeting halfway. I'll have to look into the practical side of this.
Going way off topic -- my friend's daughter recently spent a year as an exhange student in Montana. Helena was her nearest city. She expressly wanted to spend the year in the middle of nowhere
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by kaarne
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Yeah, the *first* year's great, it's the second that starts to get old...
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
...says the woman who knows about the middle of nowhere!
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
johanna, your english is indistinguishable from a native english speaker's; actually, no, most stuff i see on the net is worse!
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by rog
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Zina and Em, didn't you drive through a whole lotta Big Empty on your way up here last August? So maybe Helena isn't in the *middle* of it so much as at the farthest end.
I had friends who moved from Montana to Mongolia (no lie), and they said the landscape was very similar, but Mongolia had better restaurants....
But Johanna, your friend's daughter was exaggerating when she called Helena a "city." We're about one-third the population of the average US sports arena during game time. And those sports arenas have better restaurants.
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Will CPT
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Yes, it's called Wyoming. *grin* To be fair, Colorado outside of the urban areas is pretty much the same sort of thing.
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Oh, puh-leeze. Southern tip of Africa, rural Finland, ships in the Arctic circle, this is isolated. You both live in suburbia for pete's sake! :D Oh & welcome Johanna!!
BTW Zina, omg, have you heard about Casper, Wyoming? There is this DREADFUL pastor who wants to erect a monument re: Matthew Shepard, but instead it will say, 'On this day, [blah blah blah] Matthew Shepard entered Hell b/c he was in direct violation of Leviticus [something something].' Of course nobody wants it, but they have a Ten Commandments in the local park, & if the council strikes down the religious thing, he'll erect it on private property. If the townspeople damage or destroy it, he claims he'll petition to have the city pay for round-the-clock armed guards b/c of threat of bodily harm. Bizarre. One more reason to move OUT of Casper!
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Geeeeeez....you gotta feel sorry for the normal people who live there -- I did tell you about the pastor's wife I know who started an "I hate Casper" club, didn't I, which sole purpose was to find other churches for their husbands so they could get out of Casper? LOL
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
As far as I'm concerned, it's OK to hate Casper, Wyoming, cuz it's a dump! Cody, on the other hand, while truly being in the middle of nowhere and having the ten commandments displayed in a city park, is overall a pretty nice town and has two outstanding restaurants (one is a converted whorehouse). Sadly, no session though. We tried one at the Irma hotel, and people stuffed money into the juke box while we were playing. There ARE people here who are interested in Irish music, playing as well as listening, so it may be a matter of finding a suitable venue. In the meantime, Will, if you plan another All-Montana session, PLEASE let us know -- we'll drive anywhere for a good session, as you know! We'll pretend to be Montanans.
Aimee
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
How about Colorado, Aimee?
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Anything within a day's drive (more or less). And preferably with cheap accommodations!
Aimee
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Great! So now all I have to do is talk Will, Emily, the Chicago contingent and anybody else who wants to come into hitting Denver at the same time, yes? Because you don't get much cheaper than free -- we can sleep, let's see, six people in beds and more if you count sofas that don't fold out and the air mattress. We'll even feed everyone. ;)
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Hey, sounds good to me!
Aimee
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Cool! You work on Will, I'll work on Emily. ;)
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Throw in a Broncos home game, & I'm there!! ;)
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by emily_bmore
Oh yeah, Zina, the Casper thing, that's why I mentioned it. Those wives must be absolutely cringing, if they're still there at all. :(
Aimee I think it's hilarious that those of us who have seriously no sessions nearby will literally drive hours & even days for the craic, & think nothing of it. I'm driving 4 hours for a session tomorrow in Abq before I head off to San Fran, yay, vacation, & hopefully some more sessions there! But poor Johanna, it sounds like she doesn't have transportation... then, as mentioned beautifully above, you may have to lure players to come to you, I know another certain flute player who makes a killer Irish stew, secret recipe, that secures great players to flock to her house for sessions. Installing the black stuff on tap wouldn't be a bad idea either. Soon you'll be the go-to gal for sessions, esp when traveling musos come through. Also emphasize the sightseeing stuff around your house, a farm in rural Finland sounds absolutely gorgeous, perfect for a weekend session getaway! Those extra perks may influence a SO's (significant other's -- spouses, children, pets, etc) decision in the musos' lives whether to attend or not. At the very least, it will help you get your house clean!! Good luck!!
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Emily--Driving 4 hours to go to a session! I feel like such a slouch here wasting the wealth of sessions that exist within 40 minutes by not going to them more often....
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Andee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Andee LOL hi! Just think, if I move back to Baltimore, I won't think twice about the 2 hour drive to Philly or the 3 hour drive to NYC!
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Isn't it funny how that works, Emily? And from what I've heard from some people from Ireland; driving that many hours in Ireland is unheard of (not just cause there's propably loads of sessions close by, but that you'd be across the country by the end of the trip!)
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Andee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
It takes longer to drive across Colorado than it does to drive across Ireland...
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Heh, yeah Zina, I used to have an old car like that too....
We've been lucky to have Aimee and Richard sit in at our session several times now, including just last night.I still can't believe they make the 660-mile round trip from Cody to Helena for just 3 hours of tunes! We are not worthy!
I'll start working on another All-Montana session and keep you in the loop.
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Will CPT
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Old joke! Old joke! Well? C'mon, just two days, Harmon...
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Sigh, I wish we had good rail service like they do in Europe. It'd be great to hop a train to Denver for a long weekend of tunes and be able to sleep all the way home.
Maybe we should just all meet in Cody, eh?
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Will CPT
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
I trust you're not including the British rail system in that last comment Will - jump on a train here and you can spend many hours stationary feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere!!!
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
The killer Irish stew finally solved this -- food is the perfect lure. How convenient that I happen to make the best curry in whole Southern Finland. *evil grin*
So, dinner, anyone?
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by kaarne
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
So, Cody'd be good by me, too...
# Posted on October 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Now that you mention it, Cody is sort of a half way point isn't it? I've actually thought of trying to arrange and host some sort of mini-festival or session weekend. If I really thought people would come....
Aimee
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Hey Johanna - Irish music AND curry in a nice quiet remote location, what a treat!! I'm sure you'll have plenty of takers.
You don't happen to make your own beer by any chance do you?
Amras Anwamanë (in Elvish!!)
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Oooo, I'd be there for sure, Aimee...
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
I'd definitely be there if someone was offering curry and Irish music at someone's house, transport or no transport!
Sorry, no home-brewn beer -- I'd probably just end up poisoning everyone if I tried my hand at brewing. The world will remain a safer place for everyone as long as I stick to the curries...
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by kaarne
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Sometimes you can find sessions in unexpected places. I live in a city of roughly half a million people in the interior of California. The economy is ag-based with lots of vineyards, dairy and cotton. There are people of mixed Irish descent, but thy are more attuned to American tradition than the Irish. A few years ago, a pub (The Body in the Bog) opened in a nearby strip mall, but the bar takes up 75% of the floor space--no room for performers. I found something close to a session at a French bakery that takes place twice a month on Sundy afternoons. Keep looking you never know what you'll find.
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by Aragorn
Too many of us on harp, though
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by Aragorn
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
As a matter of fact, I used to brew beer and I'm seriously thinking of starting up again. I also did a lot of Indian cooking at one time (I still have all the cookbooks). As if that and Irish music were not incentive enough, we also have a pretty good selection of single malts!
Aimee
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Cool. I make a mean curry myself, though for a while I was mainly doing saags trying to get them right. But the single malts...I am so there!
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
How about a 3-4 day Northern Rockies Irish Music and Curry camp in Cody? I'll rustle up the Montana contingent, Zina can herd some Colorado players north, and Aimee'll invite the other two Irish players in Wyoming ;o), and we'll have a grand time.
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by Will CPT
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Hey, apparently there's enough players in Laramie to actually have a full session. Anyway, if you're up for it, Aimee, I am, and I'll see who else I can prod into movement in our area. Name the date and then we can wrangle. ;)
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Hi. I'm a bit remote too (in Australia), I sort of understand your situation, and I don't have any good answers to the problem. I hope you can maintain your enthusiasm despite the difficulties.
Best wishes,
Bill.
# Posted on October 30th 2003 by bd
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Zina et al!
Don't forget I'm going to be skiing in Winter Park in February...I know you are coming over Zina but it would be good if others could get there as well.
# Posted on November 1st 2003 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
*grin* Hey, Aimee and Richard...you up for a trip to Winter Park in February? C'mon, Will, you know you love to do the board thing, and WP has a great board park...bring the boys and you guys can all stay at our place...
# Posted on November 1st 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
I just put a batch in the primary last night. It's perking along nicely thank you. So where's the party?
# Posted on November 2nd 2003 by jrathbun
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
Yeah, where is Winter Park anyway? (Of course, we'll go anywhere for a good session!)
Aimee
# Posted on November 2nd 2003 by print o' the wave
Re: Hi & finding playing company in remote areas
It's about two hours into the mountains west of Denver, over Berthoud Pass...I was once snowed in there and only got out the next day to get to work because we followed the last snowplows out of the valley.
Geoff, where are you staying again? Would they let us play there, or do we need to find a place to play? If the latter, let me know now and I'll see if I can't get somebody to let us play in their bar...
# Posted on November 2nd 2003 by Zina Lee