Sesion ettiquette

[Whistlepeg]

In a previous post, somebody mentioned the Inner Circle of a session. In the larger sessions here, people are arranged in one big circle, and as more people arrive the circle gets bigger, with sometimes 20+ musicians. This is a great way of preventing people from feeling left out, but on the other hand it makes it difficult to hear other musicians, so makes for a musically unsatisfying experience. I know that in some Irish sessions, the more senior/proficient players form a tight "Inner Circle" and others congregate around the outside of that. But then you have the problem of hierachy/noses-out-of-joint/favouritism etc.
(We have smaller sessions too, but the large one has been going for years and it would be difficult to change the format now)
My question: What are the sessions like that you attend? Are they working? Is everyone there happy with the situation? Any suggestions or are we stuck with this?

[Azalin]

Heya,

My problem with the sessions in Montreal is that, first of all, you're going to hear the same tunes all over again from the same people. I basically know who's gonna play what, and it kills me! There are a few exceptions, the most experimented players know hundreds of tunes and you always learn something new from them.

Also, there are a couple of musicians who will simply take over the session, they will play very, very often, and they won't let other people a chance to play. They will jump on a tune as soon as there is a two seconds pause. I know two musicians like that in here. It pisses me off. The worst part is that they will end up playing non-irish stuff, and don't really care about non-irish in an irish session right now...

Hmmm, how many sessions is there in Winnipeg?

[avanutria]

Ailin (not Azalin; Ailin is a C&Fer more often on the flute board) and I go to the same session in Rochester. I've only been there three times. There is an inner circle and the first time I went there I asked somebody if I had to leave the circle when the advanced players came (first hour beginner, then everyone else comes) and she said I didn't. She did, though, which made me a little nervous!

I've never been kicked out of the circle which is impressive because I didn't know the etiquette when I started. I'm still trying to count the number of rules I broke...hehe

[LKtz]

On 2002-02-21 17:34, avanutria wrote:

I've never been kicked out of the circle which is impressive because I didn't know the etiquette when I started. I'm still trying to count the number of rules I broke...hehe

Yeah, I know how you feel. I hate to think of how many rules I broke too! Now after a about 7 months of playing, and learning about session rules, I am highly embaressed.

Caryn

[NicoMoreno]

There is a session I have been going to for a few weeks now.

I think I may have broke a few rules the first time. You see, I just kind of showed up, listened a bit, played when I could...

This place is great though, they just sit in a circle, one after another people say the song they would like to play...
Very civilized! They are extremely polite, and ask everybody, even me, for songs...

I always feel bad, 'cause I don't know what they know, or like to play.


Oh well

Nico

[Wandering_Whistler]

In Houston, there are two major sessions: One on Weds at the Mucky Duck, and one on Sunday at the Harp. Generally, the same people come to both sessions, but the feel is decidedly different. The 'core' crowd of both sessions is a group of musicians who've been playing for quite some time, many of them professionally.

The Mucky Duck is a performance venue, and during the session, the musicians play on the smallish stage. Seating is quite limited (if you crowd, you can get maybe 8 or 9 people up there). The seating is generally in 2 rows, and the 'back' row usually holds the rhythm guitar or the 'second tier' players. After going to the session on and off for about 18 months, I sit back in that 2nd tier spot, but am willing to give up that seat to a better or more senior player. The Mucky gives out 'tickets' which are redeemable by session players for drinks, and these usually sit up on stage as well. This session is much more intimidating for the new player, as they're relegated to playing in the 'audience'. Having any kind of conversation with a stage-player is pretty impossible, and it's hard to even find out what the 'rules' are. It's a very 'stage performance' atmosphere. It's very tune-oriented, and you'll mostly only hear the ocassional song on a slow (low-turnout) night. It has to be an extremely slow night before airs and the like get played.

At the Harp, the atmosphere is much more relaxed and accessible. We play in a side room, generally in a great big circle (though when the circle gets about 15-strong, we end up with more of an inner-outer circle kind of deal). It's much easier to talk to and get to know the other musicans, and you'll hear people ask what tune names are fairly regularly. There's more conversation, and less pressure for every musician to feel like they have to play every tune. More songs and solos get performed on the sunday session, but it's still heavily tune-weighted.

And, that's about it for my long-winded rambling.

Greg

[Eldarion]

The session group I attend (the only one in Singapore) started off at people's houses, then slowly moved to the pubs. Everyone knows each other and we've even formed a band out of the 6 regular members. There's no explicit leader or so, and all newcomers to sessions are warmly invited to the circle - there're too little people to form inner or outer ones even if we felt the need to.

Sometimes I just want to trottle them all (shhh.. keep it a secret Tuaz & Mike). Its not like a real nice trad session. We start off with the same 5-6 tunes we mutually know and after that, it starts degenerating into songs and even worse, songs from the 70s and 80s. Our violinist, who was previously an orchestra violinist, stubbornly and politely refuses to learn tunes by ear, matter of factly citing it as her big flaws. There's just this inertia when learning/playing new tunes even if we have sheet music, which I find is disgusting.

Additionally the guitarist sometimes feels an obligation to take song requests/sing-alongs half-drunk pub customers and entertain instead of having a proper session because we're getting our drinks free. And the tunes listed as cliches on another thread, we do them all! and probably every time! More than half the time I just have to grin and bear it. Mostly because they're the only Irish music playing people on the island. Oh how I long for a tunes & airs only session!

[Whistlepeg]

Azalin,
We have a monthly session at the Irish Association here in Wpg on the first Friday of every month - this is the session that is usually big, unwieldy but often lots of fun with a mixture of levels from intermediate to pro. From 8-10 it is Irish only and from 10pm on, anything goes (although depending on who is there is still mainly Irish!)
On the last Friday of every month (tonight!) there is an By -Invitation-Only session of the best trad Irish players in the city (between 7 and 12 people: whistle, flute, mandolin, banjo, concertina, accordian, fiddle, guitar, banjo. This takes place in a small, smokefree restaurant that has terrific homemade soups, breads, goodies etc. We all get a free beer/drink during the session and free loaf of fabulous homemade bread to take home - not a bad deal!
I have a weekly Wednesday evening session for beginners-intermediates plus some pro. friends occasionally- often up to 15 or 20 people there. Then there are the house parties etc. Most of our friends play music, so when we get together there is always a session...............so when are you coming for a visit??

[Azalin]

Eh, that sounds interesting. I have a friend who's got family in Winnipeg, so will eventually go for a visit at one point... Will let you know for sure, I never really visited Canada, Winnipeg might be a good place to start!