It still surprises me when someone turns up to a session and when asked how they found out about it they say "I saw it on the session website". Word of mouth seems to be the best way to advertise a session but more and more people are turning up after finding the information on the session website. Is this happening to you?
Even more if your Goggling it,,,
Sometimes it brings more people than musician's, but sometimes it brings musician's you've never heard before, which is good for all..
jim,,,
Yes, the Session section has proved useful for our little session, helping to bring in some good guest players, and providing an easy reference (the link to our listing is printed on the back of my business cards) for curious parents whose kids might be interested.
It even led, somewhat indirectly, to a couple of steady gigs for me, over the past few years.
I Agree although I do know sessions that do not want to be listed . I make sure I put in regular comments so people can see its still running . Getting new people with new tunes is all part of the fun to me
It depends if you want all and sundry to come to your session. As well as welcoming nice guest flute and possibly fiddle players etc you get all sorts of strays turning up and ruining it with their incessant clattering on spoons shaking of eggs thumping of bodhrans and mindless guitar strumming. A nice tasteful melody session one week may sound like a Neanderthal tribal war dance the next, the melody instruments drowned out in a cacophony of arhythmic sea of noise.
Almost every session I've found, I've found from this site. Occasionally I'll check one out that is not quite a session as much as 2-3 people playing Irish music at a pub but the main problem is sometimes I'll check one out only to find out that the session is no longer running. Luckily even though the sessions weren't running, they were still serving...
So, what are we talking about, does it pay the session host or the guest?
It seems to be good for potential guests to look up a session on here, but is it always worth it for a host to advertise?
It depends what you want from a session Rudall.
Here in France I am quite prepered to direct people towards
a) local jazz club
b) local african drumming circle, we have more than one would you believe
c) rock music shop that offers free adverts for heavy metal bands seeking new members
d) warm place run by a fellow with goat legs and horns and a nice line in big toasting forks.
What ever should be more appropriate.
It rarely happens and I think the chance of getting new blood and new tunes outweighs this
Problem though: quite a lot of sessions which are listed here, don´t exist any more. Example: Halifax/Nova Scotia. From the sessions listed here, about half are not running anymore. I always check here first before I´m travelling but often you get better results - at least for places not in Ireland - when you just google "sessions" and then the area you are travelling to. Found an amazing and very informative website this way: "Nova Scotia Sessions". Try it!
I always check via any contact details, especially when on holiday out of our usual area. We've met good people, and got some new tunes, that way.
Equally, we've had new people come along to our sessions the same way.
It would be nice if everyone kept up the current information on sessions re-siting, or coming to the end of their useful life, but, hey, you can't legislate to overcome the inertia of human nature.
The one thing I think would be really off, would be to advertise someone else's session, A session where you dont play, just listen, or a session where you didn't ask . I wouldn't dream of advertising our local session[s], because Im not an 'anchor,' Im not a regular. IMO It would be extremely bad form to do so. What do others here think?
It would be good to have up to date information and defunkt sessions removed from the listings - There's one listed in Aberdeen where the pub was demolished years ago!
Keep it going. As a few have said, it's useful when travelling or moving to a new area
And from some of my observations on the postings on this site, it would probably be good to have some info about the session and who is welcome to join in
"Slow Session, Irish/Scottish. All welcome!"
"One Guitarist/percussionist at a time please"
"No egg-shakers or spoon rattlers"
"Only Grade 7 and higher musicians, or highly proficient professional musicians welcome, all you other low-life, feck off"
However, maybe people could follow the example of The Cellar Bar in Dunvegan, Isle of Skye - nicely written blurb about the session and the standards They even give a list of favourite "non-standard" tunes sometimes played at the session with links to them on this site - well done Peter! (If I'm not mistaken, the piping/whistling front man for a bunch of Veganites) But I wouldn't expect anything less from a Sgitheanach. !
I've had variable luck using the "session" section. I remember once following it to an Irish pub in Brussels and while we had a nice chat with Irish and English expats, there were no tunes.
It pays to advertise your session
It pays to advertise your session
It still surprises me when someone turns up to a session and when asked how they found out about it they say "I saw it on the session website". Word of mouth seems to be the best way to advertise a session but more and more people are turning up after finding the information on the session website. Is this happening to you?
# Posted on November 9th 2010 by Llanman
Re: It pays to advertise your session
Is this happening to you?
Yes, Very -
But its the bar more, that takes charge more of that -
http://www.billyandys.com/
Even more if your Goggling it,,,
Sometimes it brings more people than musician's, but sometimes it brings musician's you've never heard before, which is good for all..
jim,,,
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by FIDDLE4
Re: It pays to advertise your session
I was always under the impression that the Sessions section of thesession.org was a bit of a brontosaurus.
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Dragut Reis
Re: It pays to advertise your session
Yes, the Session section has proved useful for our little session, helping to bring in some good guest players, and providing an easy reference (the link to our listing is printed on the back of my business cards) for curious parents whose kids might be interested.
It even led, somewhat indirectly, to a couple of steady gigs for me, over the past few years.
I'm glad the Session section is not extinct.
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by John Galt
Re: It pays to advertise your session
It's the most useful section of this site
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Bren
Re: It pays to advertise your session
I Agree although I do know sessions that do not want to be listed . I make sure I put in regular comments so people can see its still running . Getting new people with new tunes is all part of the fun to me
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by bazouki dave
Re: It pays to advertise your session
It depends if you want all and sundry to come to your session. As well as welcoming nice guest flute and possibly fiddle players etc you get all sorts of strays turning up and ruining it with their incessant clattering on spoons shaking of eggs thumping of bodhrans and mindless guitar strumming. A nice tasteful melody session one week may sound like a Neanderthal tribal war dance the next, the melody instruments drowned out in a cacophony of arhythmic sea of noise.
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Rudall the time
Re: It pays to advertise your session
Almost every session I've found, I've found from this site. Occasionally I'll check one out that is not quite a session as much as 2-3 people playing Irish music at a pub but the main problem is sometimes I'll check one out only to find out that the session is no longer running. Luckily even though the sessions weren't running, they were still serving...
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by deltasalmon
Re: It pays to advertise your session
So, what are we talking about, does it pay the session host or the guest?
It seems to be good for potential guests to look up a session on here, but is it always worth it for a host to advertise?
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Rudall the time
Re: It pays to advertise your session
It depends what you want from a session Rudall.
Here in France I am quite prepered to direct people towards
a) local jazz club
b) local african drumming circle, we have more than one would you believe
c) rock music shop that offers free adverts for heavy metal bands seeking new members
d) warm place run by a fellow with goat legs and horns and a nice line in big toasting forks.
What ever should be more appropriate.
It rarely happens and I think the chance of getting new blood and new tunes outweighs this
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by bazouki dave
Re: It pays to advertise your session
Fair point Dave. As long as the session isn't already ruined by the aforementioned infestations then the new blood will come back.
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Rudall the time
Re: It pays to advertise your session
Works just fine! Folks find us, I find sessions with it when I (infrequently) travel, it's all good. Carry on!
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: It pays to advertise your session
Problem though: quite a lot of sessions which are listed here, don´t exist any more. Example: Halifax/Nova Scotia. From the sessions listed here, about half are not running anymore. I always check here first before I´m travelling but often you get better results - at least for places not in Ireland - when you just google "sessions" and then the area you are travelling to. Found an amazing and very informative website this way: "Nova Scotia Sessions". Try it!
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by alexweger
Re: It pays to advertise your session
I always check via any contact details, especially when on holiday out of our usual area. We've met good people, and got some new tunes, that way.
Equally, we've had new people come along to our sessions the same way.
It would be nice if everyone kept up the current information on sessions re-siting, or coming to the end of their useful life, but, hey, you can't legislate to overcome the inertia of human nature.
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: It pays to advertise your session
The one thing I think would be really off, would be to advertise someone else's session, A session where you dont play, just listen, or a session where you didn't ask . I wouldn't dream of advertising our local session[s], because Im not an 'anchor,' Im not a regular. IMO It would be extremely bad form to do so. What do others here think?
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: It pays to advertise your session
It would be good to have up to date information and defunkt sessions removed from the listings - There's one listed in Aberdeen where the pub was demolished years ago!
Keep it going. As a few have said, it's useful when travelling or moving to a new area
And from some of my observations on the postings on this site, it would probably be good to have some info about the session and who is welcome to join in
"Slow Session, Irish/Scottish. All welcome!"
"One Guitarist/percussionist at a time please"
"No egg-shakers or spoon rattlers"
"Only Grade 7 and higher musicians, or highly proficient professional musicians welcome, all you other low-life, feck off"
However, maybe people could follow the example of The Cellar Bar in Dunvegan, Isle of Skye - nicely written blurb about the session and the standards They even give a list of favourite "non-standard" tunes sometimes played at the session with links to them on this site - well done Peter! (If I'm not mistaken, the piping/whistling front man for a bunch of Veganites) But I wouldn't expect anything less from a Sgitheanach. !
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by clavey
Re: It pays to advertise your session
I've had variable luck using the "session" section. I remember once following it to an Irish pub in Brussels and while we had a nice chat with Irish and English expats, there were no tunes.
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: It pays to advertise your session
So did you update the listing?
It's worked pretty well for me, but it never hurts to email ahead and ask.
# Posted on November 14th 2010 by Bren