pancelticpiper wrote:
That topic has come up many times on The Session, and what I've gleaned is that it reveals basic differences between Irish and American social conventions. American openness and egalitarianism can be viewed by others as being blunt, ignorant, or downright rude, and the careful observance of complex social conventions by Irish can be viewed by Americans as being exclusionary, clannish, elitist, or rude.
A perfect example is the thing that's often come up, where people sit. Americans appear to be famous for rudely sitting in a chair that the in-crowd all know is so-and-so's chair. A typical American response to being told that a certain chair is intended for a certain person is "I don't see their name on it!" meaning that if a chair isn't clearly marked to be reserved it's open to anybody.
In any case here in the USA we sometimes have sessions that are clearly stated to be "open sessions" and "closed sessions" to avoid such things.
That's funny, because my experience has been almost entirely the opposite! There are exceptions on both sides, of course, but the coldest sessions I've been to have been here in the States. Although, to be fair, that's largely the result of a clique of sorts in my general vicinity, which actually has shown definite signs of thawing in recent years as those people move out of the area and new people move in. In Ireland, by contrast, I've found most of the sessions welcoming. But I do have more friends in the session scene in Ireland, so I have better advice about which ones to go to vs avoid.
That being said, there are a huge number of, ahem, beginner/"free for all" sessions in the States, more than I've seen around Ireland. Those are fairly welcoming, but if you're looking to actually improve your playing, they are IMO to be avoided. You're not going to get better by slogging through the Maid Behind the Bar at 80bpm for the 500th time, nor will a chorus of 10 out-of-tune whistles help develop your ear. The people are lovely, the craic can be great, and by all means do it for the social aspect, but you can pick up a lot of bad habits if you're not careful.
Mr.Gumby wrote:
I don't think (sessions) should be thought of as a free for all where anyone can sit in uninvited. Some are like that but really, at it's core it's a meeting of friends, a conversation and a stranger breaking into that without as much as an introduction can be a bit odd. So some sensitivity for the situation you're walking into can alleviate (or at least explain) the vibe of the degree of welcome you receive.
Mr.Gumby wrote:
Level of playing and repertoire also come into play. Don't expect to be made welcome if you're going to drag things down... if the session plays tunes you don't know, don't assume they're only playing obscure tunes to deter you...
Along those lines, I was in Galway last year, and sat in one evening at Cóilí's. There was a sort-of session going on, as there generally is at that bar, probably more of a gig but without the micing, patter, etc. I wasn't sure, but I chanced my arm, asking if they would be open to a flute player joining. The fiddle player warily asked, "can you play the tunes?," so I rattled off the names of a couple they had played just to give a sense that I knew what I was doing. She decided to let me in, and after I played along with a set, I was completely in. Had a great night, and they invited me to stay and chat long after the bar closed up and everyone got kicked out.
Throughout the night, a few people came up with the same request. Bodhran player, rejected. Guy with a tin whistle who seemed to just want to play his party piece, rejected. One guy just tried moving in with what I think was a fiddle (never left its case), and was essentially told that it was a gig.
So, the moral (I think) is, be polite, seem competent, and you stand a much better chance of being accepted. Not to say that everyone's going to let you in just because you say please, but it'll certainly increase your chances. And never think they're obligated to let you in; that's a surefire way to get shunned!