I know this observation is based on an unscientific survey, but almost every session I've ever attended - at least 75 - has had more male players than females, regardless of age. It's my impression that there are usually about twice as many males as females in a typical session.
This ratio seems to be the opposite of that found in Irish traditional dancing, as anyone who has every attended a Feis would know.
It's also curious that some instruments, such as pipes and banjos, seem to be, while there are distinct exceptions, such as Angelina Carberry (a terrific banjo player), usually played by males, while players of the female persuasion often seem to prefer flutes or concertinas.
And finally: it seems that that female players generally have less of a tendency to 'rush' the tunes or monopolize tune selection - is this because (based on scientific evidence) women are usually more empathetic than men?
Seriously though, there is about 50/50 where I am from, and the females either play banjo, fiddle, or whistle. All the males play flute and concertina. To think of it, the females really dominate with the fiddle.
Around here most of the women play fiddle, some double on other instruments as well. Can't think of any concertina or flute playing women, though I'm sure there are some. Last night I played with three other men, all of whom play some sort of wind (flute or whistle) as their main instrument,though they all double on this or that as well.
Without a specific count, I believe that the majority of local sessioners are female. They play all the different instruments, except for pipes. Qualification: there are sundry female GHB players and drummers (not in sessions). Most of the concertina players are women, and maybe a majority of button box, also 5string banjo.
The lineup starts on the right, visiting male players are most welcome after paying a modest fee.
Really, oldstrings? In the mailing list for the Billy session, which I got from you just this week, I count 20M / 7F. The ratio's a little less skewed among the regulars, but still more than 1/1.
My wife suggests that women are too busy taking care of kids to practice and play. I think there's truth to this, and not just regarding kids. I guess looking at the male/female ratio among young (childless) people at sessions might help answer whether females are underrepresented or not, or looking at the gender composition of ITM bands. It's one of those questions that probably isn't very important, but still kind of curious.
Anyway, the take home message for single guys seems to be: If you want to meet girls, playing at sessions might not be your best strategy.
"My wife suggests that women are too busy taking care of kids to practice and play...I guess looking at the male/female ratio among young (childless) people at sessions might help answer whether females are underrepresented or not"
Why the restriction to the childless in assessing representation? I am under the impression that, biology being what it is, children have mothers and fathers in roughly equal quantities, and either or both could be taking care of their offspring at any given time.
Some women may be put off by the pub environment. I don't
always like what's going on either - drunks aren't that much fun
to be around unless you're drunk yourself. Our fearless leader is a
woman though and often the only one.
My darling when not asleep plays the fiddle and has observed that here in Sweden it's mostly blokes at sessions here in the south. She's usually the only woman at the local session. However at a session in Gothenburg (Haket, recommended, nice friendly session, Wednesdays) it was about 50/50.
In Swedish trad. music it's 50/50 at a guess, possibly more ladies than gentlemen playing fiddles and nyckelharps.
Don't know about " trans gender players" yz, but are there any gay musicians, men or women, at Irish trad sessions? Prehaps a taboo subject? Just wondered, as in rock and pop people are often quite open these days about their preferences and it's no big deal, whereas in jazz and folkmusic it's like there is an elephant in the room even 2010.
dfost - I see from your profile that you live in Michigan. I live on the other side of the Pond (Bristol, UK)
FYI, here are my observations regarding our local sessions:
Numbers-wise, male dominated - anything between 60% and 90% (some sessions seem to be more male-dominated than others)
Fiddle players - about 50/50 male/female split
Box players - mostly male
Flute/whistle - about 50/50 male'female spit
Guitars - male only
Tenor banjos - male only
Uiliean pipes - male only
Bodhrans - about 50/50 male/female split
Traditional singers - female dominated - about 30/70 male/female split
High speed playing - male
Dominance/monopolisng - mostly (though not exclusively) male
Workshop attendance seems to be female-dominated - maybe 40/60 male/female split.
It's interesting to note that (in spite of our geographical separation) my observations aren't significantly different to yours.
With regard to the comments as to whether any non-hetrosexual types attend sessions, I don't believe that anyone ever gives any thought to the matter. At least, not at the sessions in my area. Neither ever have I noticed any prejudice with regard to race or age.
These things just have no relevance in a session situation - if the tunesets and playing is good, everyone is happy, and that's all that matters.
Apart from the music, the only other thing that the sessioneers seem to take an interest in is free beer or food (if there is any!)
A few gay males, any females who might "look" gay turn out to be married.
More females than males.
No female guitar players, females primarily fiddle but then, in descending order, flute, concertina, accordion.
I agree with your statement Mix "if the tunesets and playing is good, everyone is happy, and that's all that matters."
It's just that this thread takes up sessions and gender. My partner plays the fiddle and as said is often the only woman at the local session, there is one other good female fiddler who shows up now and then, and a new female fiddler has moved down here sp we'll maybe be seeing her at the session. The music is most important of course, but it's extra cool when the gender is mixed, makes the session more "social", people talk more, maybe relax more and the music can be even greater.
Sometimes, with just blokes, you can get a "who can pee the highest" thing going on. Prehaps not so in Ireland, England or Scotland where more people, both men and women play and attend sessions?
"Sometimes, with just blokes, you can get a "who can pee the highest" thing going on. Prehaps not so in Ireland, England or Scotland where more people, both men and women play and attend sessions?"
Hahahaha.... There is definitely a lot of that going on, especially at male dominated sessions.
In dancing Girls would dance all day and night, Men stand there all day, and night if there a Bar open. Playing music Men
could play all day long, Girls to if there's no Shoe Shop's around - lol { Now I know I'am in trouble } But what I will say for
Girls playing Irish music - They are really Damed ,, GOOD !
jim,,,
its all men who go to our session, but a friend of mine is a female fiddle player and she might come some time. but yes, its mainly males who play trad
'it seems that that female players generally have less of a tendency to 'rush' the tunes or monopolize tune selection - is this because (based on scientific evidence) women are usually more empathetic than men?'
Yes yes yes. Men bad, women good. Off to the camps with ya, penis havers. [/sarcasm]
I've seen women butt heads with each other at sessions, establishing alpha-ness so to speak, just as much as men. I've seen them get catty and bitchy with each other, without resolution, to the detriment of sessions, just like men do who are butting heads for no good reason, just to establish some sort of dominance. I've seen them rush tunes and crank for the sake of cranking. I've played with both men and women who are gracious, sensitive and fine players.
Gender shmender. Common sense and decency know no gender.
The other night I was giving an antecdote about playing with a musician 'who shall remain nameless'. Almost immediately, after telling the story, I was asked the name of the musician; twice. There were also inferences made regarding the musicians' gender.
The reason I told the story was because it related to the tune we were playing. The name isn't important, though next time something like that happens I'll probably make up a fictitious gender neutral name; to protect the innocent &/or guilty.
This is the silliest thread I have ever seen so far. Depending on where you live I suppose, I know plenty of women in my area- Clare-Limerick border, where I am from (as opposed to being English and saying you are from Cork because you live there), that rush tunes around here that i could mention but wont,.
"know plenty of women in my area- Clare-Limerick border, where I am from (as opposed to being English and saying you are from Cork because you live there).."
Who on this thread said that?
I'm not Scottish but can only speak for Glasgow sessions at the moment. I don't know what the female-male ratios are in Colorado sessions (where I am actually from) these days. That's about 8000 miles away. Sheesh.
I remember in music school we noticed that players of particular instruments had similar personality quirks. We never could make out if it was the instrument that effected the personality, or the personality that was drawn to the instrument, but it was a very similar discussion to this one.
I'd just like to mention that one eclectic session I attend has sporadic attendance from a transgender individual.
Of course those women mentioned elsewhere weren't gay, they were just "ladies in sensible shoes". Not the same thing at all.
Certainly our two regular sessions are predominantly male, the two regular females being partners of other members present but by no means just trailing along in the wake of the other.
Nate, that's actually 100% true, if only for comedic purposes. All fiddlers are egotistical. All fluters are cheeky. All pipers are insane. All strummers drool. So on and so forth.
"This is the silliest thread I have ever seen so far. Depending on where you live I suppose, I know plenty of women in my area- Clare-Limerick border, where I am from (as opposed to being English and saying you are from Cork because you live there), that rush tunes around here that i could mention but wont,."
Hmm. You haven't been around long so you can't have seen too many I suppose. Do we know you?
Mix O'Lydian, it was "Dark Isle", which probably doesn't give you much to go on. I'll be happy to repeat the story, but I'm logging off for now & will probably be out of range of the internet at least until tommorrow, or longer.
"Why the restriction to the childless in assessing representation? I am under the impression that, biology being what it is, children have mothers and fathers in roughly equal quantities, and either or both could be taking care of their offspring at any given time."
Apparently you've never breastfed offspring. A remarkably large number of babies and smallish children do not take kindly to being separated from their mothers, and a significant subset of those mothers choose not to saddle the family with the stress that unnecessary separation would bring.
And you don't see little ones accompanying their mothers to sessions very often, do you. I doubt I need to go into the reasons for that.
Having spent a good decade mothering children in that age range, I know this firsthand. But now that they are a bit older, you can guess where I spend my Night Out...
Sure, worthy, for children who haven't been weaned yet that certainly makes sense. But the OP's observation of more males than females *regardless of age*, and ratios as high as 2M:1F, is sufficiently skewed that omitting parents of very young children (a different matter from omitting all parents, as dfost suggested) wouldn't iron out the discrepency, unless half of all the men playing have children under the age of two or so at home. (Most of the folks I play with are more likely to have *grandchildren* around that age...)
Fair play bogman, I do believe it's the bodhranistas that drool, you are correct sir. Strummers never know what key to use and they never know when to come in. No, wait, sorry, that's how you know a strummer is at your door.
Jim, all good comedy contains elements of the truth...
Fair play to you worthy, you got your priorities right as far as we'd be concerned. Surprised nobody has reflected on the previous decades, in Ireland at any rate, when women traditionally gave up music on getting married and having children. A few returned in later life like Kitty Hayes etc.
I think it's 70:30 men to wimmen round these parts, plus I have seen at least two transgender people at sessions. (I think gay people are probably still the sex they started out as).
The only piper I play will is a nutter and a woman too. Seen women playing box, flute, pipes, sort of french or cumbrian pipe things, concertina, banjo, fiddle and whistle (that'll be me).
I think it all has to do with where abouts your playin. Im part of a fiddle school and its dominated by woman even all the members of staff our women. Also recently I was playing at a session that had round 20 female fiddles including me whilst the men were playin guitar keyboard and bodhran. There were also women playing accordians and whistles. I think it all started off as a mans thing to do when the travelling musicians in Ireland first took on. But in my experience its definately turned into a 50/50 socialising ecent depending on where you go.
Session playing and gender
Session playing and gender
I know this observation is based on an unscientific survey, but almost every session I've ever attended - at least 75 - has had more male players than females, regardless of age. It's my impression that there are usually about twice as many males as females in a typical session.
This ratio seems to be the opposite of that found in Irish traditional dancing, as anyone who has every attended a Feis would know.
It's also curious that some instruments, such as pipes and banjos, seem to be, while there are distinct exceptions, such as Angelina Carberry (a terrific banjo player), usually played by males, while players of the female persuasion often seem to prefer flutes or concertinas.
And finally: it seems that that female players generally have less of a tendency to 'rush' the tunes or monopolize tune selection - is this because (based on scientific evidence) women are usually more empathetic than men?
# Posted on May 27th 2010 by dfost
Re: Session playing and gender
Your observations sound about right to me, dfost, but I can't shed any light on why!
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Session playing and gender
Could be that sessions are like coalitions then...
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Session playing and gender
" No girls allowed! "
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Jwalkert
Re: Session playing and gender
HEMAN WOMAN HATERS CLUB!!!
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by pipersgrip
Re: Session playing and gender
Seriously though, there is about 50/50 where I am from, and the females either play banjo, fiddle, or whistle. All the males play flute and concertina. To think of it, the females really dominate with the fiddle.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by pipersgrip
Re: Session playing and gender
Around here most of the women play fiddle, some double on other instruments as well. Can't think of any concertina or flute playing women, though I'm sure there are some. Last night I played with three other men, all of whom play some sort of wind (flute or whistle) as their main instrument,though they all double on this or that as well.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Session playing and gender
Without a specific count, I believe that the majority of local sessioners are female. They play all the different instruments, except for pipes. Qualification: there are sundry female GHB players and drummers (not in sessions). Most of the concertina players are women, and maybe a majority of button box, also 5string banjo.
The lineup starts on the right, visiting male players are most welcome after paying a modest fee.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by oldstrings
Re: Session playing and gender
Really, oldstrings? In the mailing list for the Billy session, which I got from you just this week, I count 20M / 7F. The ratio's a little less skewed among the regulars, but still more than 1/1.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: Session playing and gender
My wife suggests that women are too busy taking care of kids to practice and play. I think there's truth to this, and not just regarding kids. I guess looking at the male/female ratio among young (childless) people at sessions might help answer whether females are underrepresented or not, or looking at the gender composition of ITM bands. It's one of those questions that probably isn't very important, but still kind of curious.
Anyway, the take home message for single guys seems to be: If you want to meet girls, playing at sessions might not be your best strategy.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by dfost
Re: Session playing and gender
Lots of women around here play in sessions - your wife's just making excuses. Tell her to get a mitt.
P.S. that's not the reason playing in sessions won't get you a woman
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by airport
Re: Session playing and gender
"My wife suggests that women are too busy taking care of kids to practice and play...I guess looking at the male/female ratio among young (childless) people at sessions might help answer whether females are underrepresented or not"
Why the restriction to the childless in assessing representation? I am under the impression that, biology being what it is, children have mothers and fathers in roughly equal quantities, and either or both could be taking care of their offspring at any given time.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: Session playing and gender
Just to add to it - when I play in sessions it's mostly men, but when I teach workshops on playing techniques etc, it's mostly women...
Maybe it's just my good looks! (not)
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by farmerboy
Re: Session playing and gender
Some women may be put off by the pub environment. I don't
always like what's going on either - drunks aren't that much fun
to be around unless you're drunk yourself. Our fearless leader is a
woman though and often the only one.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Hup
Re: Session playing and gender
have you been to any sessions where there have been trans gender players?how do youcount them
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: Session playing and gender
My darling when not asleep plays the fiddle and has observed that here in Sweden it's mostly blokes at sessions here in the south. She's usually the only woman at the local session. However at a session in Gothenburg (Haket, recommended, nice friendly session, Wednesdays) it was about 50/50.
In Swedish trad. music it's 50/50 at a guess, possibly more ladies than gentlemen playing fiddles and nyckelharps.
Don't know about " trans gender players" yz, but are there any gay musicians, men or women, at Irish trad sessions? Prehaps a taboo subject? Just wondered, as in rock and pop people are often quite open these days about their preferences and it's no big deal, whereas in jazz and folkmusic it's like there is an elephant in the room even 2010.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Steamwilkes
Re: Session playing and gender
How do you count them? I don't know, but you'd better warm your hands first to be on the safe side.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by gam
Re: Session playing and gender
dfost - I see from your profile that you live in Michigan. I live on the other side of the Pond (Bristol, UK)
FYI, here are my observations regarding our local sessions:
Numbers-wise, male dominated - anything between 60% and 90% (some sessions seem to be more male-dominated than others)
Fiddle players - about 50/50 male/female split
Box players - mostly male
Flute/whistle - about 50/50 male'female spit
Guitars - male only
Tenor banjos - male only
Uiliean pipes - male only
Bodhrans - about 50/50 male/female split
Traditional singers - female dominated - about 30/70 male/female split
High speed playing - male
Dominance/monopolisng - mostly (though not exclusively) male
Workshop attendance seems to be female-dominated - maybe 40/60 male/female split.
It's interesting to note that (in spite of our geographical separation) my observations aren't significantly different to yours.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: Session playing and gender
With regard to the comments as to whether any non-hetrosexual types attend sessions, I don't believe that anyone ever gives any thought to the matter. At least, not at the sessions in my area. Neither ever have I noticed any prejudice with regard to race or age.
These things just have no relevance in a session situation - if the tunesets and playing is good, everyone is happy, and that's all that matters.
Apart from the music, the only other thing that the sessioneers seem to take an interest in is free beer or food (if there is any!)
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: Session playing and gender
A few gay males, any females who might "look" gay turn out to be married.
More females than males.
No female guitar players, females primarily fiddle but then, in descending order, flute, concertina, accordion.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by nfldbox
Re: Session playing and gender
I agree with your statement Mix "if the tunesets and playing is good, everyone is happy, and that's all that matters."
It's just that this thread takes up sessions and gender. My partner plays the fiddle and as said is often the only woman at the local session, there is one other good female fiddler who shows up now and then, and a new female fiddler has moved down here sp we'll maybe be seeing her at the session. The music is most important of course, but it's extra cool when the gender is mixed, makes the session more "social", people talk more, maybe relax more and the music can be even greater.
Sometimes, with just blokes, you can get a "who can pee the highest" thing going on. Prehaps not so in Ireland, England or Scotland where more people, both men and women play and attend sessions?
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Steamwilkes
Re: Session playing and gender
"Sometimes, with just blokes, you can get a "who can pee the highest" thing going on. Prehaps not so in Ireland, England or Scotland where more people, both men and women play and attend sessions?"
Hahahaha.... There is definitely a lot of that going on, especially at male dominated sessions.
Most of the sessions here are mostly guys.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Session playing and gender
Yes -- Very Good Observation-
In dancing Girls would dance all day and night, Men stand there all day, and night if there a Bar open. Playing music Men
could play all day long, Girls to if there's no Shoe Shop's around - lol { Now I know I'am in trouble } But what I will say for
Girls playing Irish music - They are really Damed ,, GOOD !
jim,,,
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Session playing and gender
its all men who go to our session, but a friend of mine is a female fiddle player and she might come some time. but yes, its mainly males who play trad
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by James Morgan
Re: Session playing and gender
Yawn:
'it seems that that female players generally have less of a tendency to 'rush' the tunes or monopolize tune selection - is this because (based on scientific evidence) women are usually more empathetic than men?'
Yes yes yes. Men bad, women good. Off to the camps with ya, penis havers. [/sarcasm]
I've seen women butt heads with each other at sessions, establishing alpha-ness so to speak, just as much as men. I've seen them get catty and bitchy with each other, without resolution, to the detriment of sessions, just like men do who are butting heads for no good reason, just to establish some sort of dominance. I've seen them rush tunes and crank for the sake of cranking. I've played with both men and women who are gracious, sensitive and fine players.
Gender shmender. Common sense and decency know no gender.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Session playing and gender
The other night I was giving an antecdote about playing with a musician 'who shall remain nameless'. Almost immediately, after telling the story, I was asked the name of the musician; twice. There were also inferences made regarding the musicians' gender.
The reason I told the story was because it related to the tune we were playing. The name isn't important, though next time something like that happens I'll probably make up a fictitious gender neutral name; to protect the innocent &/or guilty.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Session playing and gender
This is the silliest thread I have ever seen so far. Depending on where you live I suppose, I know plenty of women in my area- Clare-Limerick border, where I am from (as opposed to being English and saying you are from Cork because you live there), that rush tunes around here that i could mention but wont,.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Session playing and gender
"know plenty of women in my area- Clare-Limerick border, where I am from (as opposed to being English and saying you are from Cork because you live there).."
Who on this thread said that?
I'm not Scottish but can only speak for Glasgow sessions at the moment. I don't know what the female-male ratios are in Colorado sessions (where I am actually from) these days. That's about 8000 miles away. Sheesh.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Session playing and gender
I remember in music school we noticed that players of particular instruments had similar personality quirks. We never could make out if it was the instrument that effected the personality, or the personality that was drawn to the instrument, but it was a very similar discussion to this one.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Nate Ryan
Re: Session playing and gender
I'd just like to mention that one eclectic session I attend has sporadic attendance from a transgender individual.
Of course those women mentioned elsewhere weren't gay, they were just "ladies in sensible shoes". Not the same thing at all.
Certainly our two regular sessions are predominantly male, the two regular females being partners of other members present but by no means just trailing along in the wake of the other.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Session playing and gender
eclectic session with sporadic transgender players?
you're still in Austin, there, aren't you Pete?
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Nate Ryan
Re: Session playing and gender
Nate, that's actually 100% true, if only for comedic purposes. All fiddlers are egotistical. All fluters are cheeky. All pipers are insane. All strummers drool. So on and so forth.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Session playing and gender
what we could never figure was whether you say, picked up fiddle because you were an egomaniac, or if playing one made you and egomaniac
and I don't know if this is universal or not, but every single viola player I ever knew smoked dope like Wille Nelson
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Nate Ryan
Re: Session playing and gender
Aha, so that explains the insane, drooling, cheeky egotist multi-instrumentalist at our session.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Bernie 29
Re: Session playing and gender
yea, if you are crazy enough, you need to play all the instruments so you have your bases covered
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Nate Ryan
Re: Session playing and gender
SWFL, don't you mean it's drummers that drool? How else would the stage leveling thing work?
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by bogman
Re: Session playing and gender
Fascinating! And, um, how do viola players/Willie Nelson smoke dope?
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by oldstrings
Re: Session playing and gender
"This is the silliest thread I have ever seen so far. Depending on where you live I suppose, I know plenty of women in my area- Clare-Limerick border, where I am from (as opposed to being English and saying you are from Cork because you live there), that rush tunes around here that i could mention but wont,."
Hmm. You haven't been around long so you can't have seen too many I suppose. Do we know you?
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Session playing and gender
I'm just curious, Random_humour ....
Earlier in this thread, you said:
"The reason I told the story was because it related to the tune we were playing"
So, spill the beans! What was the name of that tune?
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: Session playing and gender
Not fair, Steve Shaw! That poster has lots of interesting things to say:
"***Cough Cough *** - I am choking on the cigar smoke on this forum."
# Posted on May 16th 2010 by big_tab
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by oldstrings
Re: Session playing and gender
SWFL Fiddler
< All fiddlers are egotistical. All fluters are cheeky.
All pipers are insane. All strummers droll.
So on and so forth.>
I know this should be silly,, But what you said here,
I find generally, True lol.
A new thread ?
jim,,,
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: Session playing and gender
Mix O'Lydian, it was "Dark Isle", which probably doesn't give you much to go on. I'll be happy to repeat the story, but I'm logging off for now & will probably be out of range of the internet at least until tommorrow, or longer.
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Session playing and gender
"Why the restriction to the childless in assessing representation? I am under the impression that, biology being what it is, children have mothers and fathers in roughly equal quantities, and either or both could be taking care of their offspring at any given time."
Apparently you've never breastfed offspring. A remarkably large number of babies and smallish children do not take kindly to being separated from their mothers, and a significant subset of those mothers choose not to saddle the family with the stress that unnecessary separation would bring.
And you don't see little ones accompanying their mothers to sessions very often, do you. I doubt I need to go into the reasons for that.
Having spent a good decade mothering children in that age range, I know this firsthand. But now that they are a bit older, you can guess where I spend my Night Out...
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by worthy
Re: Session playing and gender
Sure, worthy, for children who haven't been weaned yet that certainly makes sense. But the OP's observation of more males than females *regardless of age*, and ratios as high as 2M:1F, is sufficiently skewed that omitting parents of very young children (a different matter from omitting all parents, as dfost suggested) wouldn't iron out the discrepency, unless half of all the men playing have children under the age of two or so at home. (Most of the folks I play with are more likely to have *grandchildren* around that age...)
# Posted on May 28th 2010 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: Session playing and gender
Fair play bogman, I do believe it's the bodhranistas that drool, you are correct sir. Strummers never know what key to use and they never know when to come in. No, wait, sorry, that's how you know a strummer is at your door.
Jim, all good comedy contains elements of the truth...
# Posted on May 29th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Session playing and gender
Cue rimshot!
# Posted on May 29th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Session playing and gender
Fair play to you worthy, you got your priorities right as far as we'd be concerned. Surprised nobody has reflected on the previous decades, in Ireland at any rate, when women traditionally gave up music on getting married and having children. A few returned in later life like Kitty Hayes etc.
# Posted on May 29th 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: Session playing and gender
I never gave it much thought, but around here the sessions are mostly female fiddlers and male flute players.
Three to six of each is common.
After that it's a few male uilleann pipers.
And lastly a smattering of random instruments, not enough of them to suggest which gender prefers which instrument.
Many's the time that the session is mostly women.
# Posted on May 30th 2010 by Richard D Cook
Re: Session playing and gender
I rather enjoy the preponderance of male sessioneers.
# Posted on May 30th 2010 by sara505sings
Re: Session playing and gender
Worthy, I can assure you I have experienced the pleasure of a newborn & mother attending sessions. Both are doing grand with no apparent damage.
# Posted on May 30th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Session playing and gender
Why always pubs? Why not a session in a kitchen? With little kids roaming comfortably about? See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK7alm6HCVQ
# Posted on May 30th 2010 by La_grotte
Re: Session playing and gender
I think it's 70:30 men to wimmen round these parts, plus I have seen at least two transgender people at sessions. (I think gay people are probably still the sex they started out as).
The only piper I play will is a nutter and a woman too. Seen women playing box, flute, pipes, sort of french or cumbrian pipe things, concertina, banjo, fiddle and whistle (that'll be me).
# Posted on June 2nd 2010 by InfernalTootler
Re: Session playing and gender
I think it all has to do with where abouts your playin. Im part of a fiddle school and its dominated by woman even all the members of staff our women. Also recently I was playing at a session that had round 20 female fiddles including me whilst the men were playin guitar keyboard and bodhran. There were also women playing accordians and whistles. I think it all started off as a mans thing to do when the travelling musicians in Ireland first took on. But in my experience its definately turned into a 50/50 socialising ecent depending on where you go.
# Posted on June 6th 2010 by Diane McCullough
Re: Session playing and gender
"The only piper I play will is a nutter and a woman too."
Pipers are all mad as a box of frogs.
# Posted on June 6th 2010 by DrSilverSpear