I’m interested in starting a new session in Seattle. The sessions currently here seem to be “by invitation only - i.e. elite”, or “advanced - you’d better be a very high-level player or you won’t be accepted”, or “super fast – sort of a sports contest or macho thing rather than anything musical or enjoyable.”
I was impressed by this statement about Zina’s session in Colorado: “Sean said that they started this session because there were too many sessions that were either too fast, or too exclusive, or too sloppy and 'we wanted a good sounding session that everyone could participate in and enjoy’." http://www.slowplayers.org/SCTLS/goals.html
What I’d like is a core group of several good players who are willing to play at a moderate speed (just not super fast), but are also willing to accept other players who might not be as good, as long as they don’t disrupt the session. It wouldn’t be a “slow session,” although any player leading a tune could set his/her own tempo. And it wouldn’t be just the familiar tunes, new tunes would be welcome. There would be no “leader” except for the core players who would set the tone for the session and keep it on course. Is that an unrealistic idea?
I’ve been to sessions in Ireland with very good players who were also welcoming of other players of varying ability as long as they didn’t disrupt the session. Playing with good players, and sitting out the tunes that I don’t know, is much more enjoyable and stretches my abilities more than playing with only poor players, or where all the tunes are at breakneck speeds and it is all I can do to just get the notes out without any musical sensibility.
As a suggestion, here's the three simple (and ideally rarely enforced) rules I have for the session I co-host here in San Diego on Tuesday nights:
1) Tune your instrument
2) Keep the tempo of the person who started the set
3) Play the tunes you know, don't play the tunes you don't. (note that this includes and applies to backup players)
Seems simple enough, and just common courtesy really, but its amazing how much grief even this simple framework causes. We still get out-of-tune sped-up half-the-note-is-good-enough everything is I-IV-V backup players cocking things up for the rest of the group. I have on more occasions that I would have preferred, had to have words with a player that was disrupting the session due to what is almost always poor etiquette or lack of self-awareness.
I've been to most of the sessions there in Seattle over the past few years during my business trips, and have been presented with the full range from complete acceptance/enthusiasm to being verbally abused, and I like to think I'm a servicable session player on a number of instruments.
However, the same session dynamics seem to exist in most places I've visited. Ideally, as has happened in San Diego, there are ultimately enough sessions started that everyone feels like they have a place to call home, where they are comfortable to play. I've heard the same stories everywhere about "those other sessions". Its seems to be a universal property of any social activity that has some concept of advancement, I'm sure that even bowling leagues have the same issues.
In the session I host, we have a mix of very advanced players, and a few newer players, but the newer players play the tunes they know, sit out the ones they don't, pick up new tunes over time. Everyone gets along, sort of knows where they are in the hierarchy, knows and respects each others abilities and weakness.
Best of luck with your new session! Let me know where and when and I'll be sure to visit next time I'm in town, if the schedule works out.
Thanks, Michael for your comments! Stewart and I will definitely keep you posted as to when & where this new session will be. If ever I'm in San Diego I'd love to visit your session. I even promise not to play hammered dulcimer! (or hammered for that matter!)
Seattle Sessions
Seattle Sessions
I’m interested in starting a new session in Seattle. The sessions currently here seem to be “by invitation only - i.e. elite”, or “advanced - you’d better be a very high-level player or you won’t be accepted”, or “super fast – sort of a sports contest or macho thing rather than anything musical or enjoyable.”
I was impressed by this statement about Zina’s session in Colorado: “Sean said that they started this session because there were too many sessions that were either too fast, or too exclusive, or too sloppy and 'we wanted a good sounding session that everyone could participate in and enjoy’." http://www.slowplayers.org/SCTLS/goals.html
What I’d like is a core group of several good players who are willing to play at a moderate speed (just not super fast), but are also willing to accept other players who might not be as good, as long as they don’t disrupt the session. It wouldn’t be a “slow session,” although any player leading a tune could set his/her own tempo. And it wouldn’t be just the familiar tunes, new tunes would be welcome. There would be no “leader” except for the core players who would set the tone for the session and keep it on course. Is that an unrealistic idea?
I’ve been to sessions in Ireland with very good players who were also welcoming of other players of varying ability as long as they didn’t disrupt the session. Playing with good players, and sitting out the tunes that I don’t know, is much more enjoyable and stretches my abilities more than playing with only poor players, or where all the tunes are at breakneck speeds and it is all I can do to just get the notes out without any musical sensibility.
So if there are some good players who would like to form the core of such a session, please contact me. Stewart - http://www.stolaf.edu/people/hend/music.html
# Posted on June 17th 2005 by Stewart
Re: Seattle Sessions
As a suggestion, here's the three simple (and ideally rarely enforced) rules I have for the session I co-host here in San Diego on Tuesday nights:
1) Tune your instrument
2) Keep the tempo of the person who started the set
3) Play the tunes you know, don't play the tunes you don't. (note that this includes and applies to backup players)
Seems simple enough, and just common courtesy really, but its amazing how much grief even this simple framework causes. We still get out-of-tune sped-up half-the-note-is-good-enough everything is I-IV-V backup players cocking things up for the rest of the group. I have on more occasions that I would have preferred, had to have words with a player that was disrupting the session due to what is almost always poor etiquette or lack of self-awareness.
I've been to most of the sessions there in Seattle over the past few years during my business trips, and have been presented with the full range from complete acceptance/enthusiasm to being verbally abused, and I like to think I'm a servicable session player on a number of instruments.
However, the same session dynamics seem to exist in most places I've visited. Ideally, as has happened in San Diego, there are ultimately enough sessions started that everyone feels like they have a place to call home, where they are comfortable to play. I've heard the same stories everywhere about "those other sessions". Its seems to be a universal property of any social activity that has some concept of advancement, I'm sure that even bowling leagues have the same issues.
In the session I host, we have a mix of very advanced players, and a few newer players, but the newer players play the tunes they know, sit out the ones they don't, pick up new tunes over time. Everyone gets along, sort of knows where they are in the hierarchy, knows and respects each others abilities and weakness.
Best of luck with your new session! Let me know where and when and I'll be sure to visit next time I'm in town, if the schedule works out.
Cheers,
Michael
# Posted on June 17th 2005 by Michael Eskin
Re: Seattle Sessions
Thanks, Michael for your comments! Stewart and I will definitely keep you posted as to when & where this new session will be. If ever I'm in San Diego I'd love to visit your session. I even promise not to play hammered dulcimer! (or hammered for that matter!)
# Posted on June 21st 2005 by nonesuch
Re: Seattle Sessions
Hey, no problem with hammer dulcimers... that's how I got into this music originally. Been a long time since I've brought one to a session....
# Posted on June 21st 2005 by Michael Eskin