how to start/organize an irish session within 4 weeks!! HELP

andy · Post by **andy** » Sat Jul 27, 2002 6:29 am

Hello, we have organized with a local Irish pub in our area to start a once a month session, beginning in around 4-5 weeks. The only problem is I dont know where to start. The current lineup is myself on high and low whistle and a guitarist. We have currently around 30 pieces, inc jigs,reels,hornpipes,etc. Obviously we want as many musos to come along. If anyone has any advice/suggestions and tips please share them.
Thank you in advance
see ya Andy

Tradman · Post by **Tradman** » Sat Jul 27, 2002 6:57 am

Hello

I too have been wanting to do the same for a while now too, since I have gotten better and better over the past few months. The interest in Irish music (or traditional music in general) here in NE Florida is very slim. Where are you located? I play guitar too (12 years).

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Sat Jul 27, 2002 9:33 am

There aren't enough players around me to set up a regularly scheduled session here, but some friends and I are working on a one-time special event thing. I'll let you know if we come up with anything of use to you.

tkelly · Post by **tkelly** » Sat Jul 27, 2002 9:48 am

Hi Andy -- What you have to do first is get the word out! Change your profile here to say where you are -- or else include the location of the session in your messages. Create some kind of flyer and put copies in every music store around you. Maybe also in CD stores, since not everyone is looking for a new instrument. Check yahoo -- I think there are whistle, bodhran, button accordian etc. groups there -- and see if you can post an announcement to them. See if you can get the session listed (with an indicator that it's new) on the site(s) that list sessions. Put some flyers in the bar itself, or anyplace else that has Irish music playing. If there are any Irish, Scottish, etc. clubs within an hour's drive, get some flyers to them, too. People will travel for this!

Last, keep at it. I started a local group here for something else. We started with a dozen members, a few months later we had over 30, and now --9 or 10 months later -- we have over 100.

I think liking Irish music is a dark secret for some people. Since I've been playing the whistle, I've found a surprising number of people I know who love the music. It was just somehow something that didn't come up in conversations.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Tery

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Sat Jul 27, 2002 12:52 pm

It's very important to maintain the session once it gets going. A couple of things are crucial. You want someone or a group to anchor the session. They know tunes, are able to lead/start a lot of tunes, and they'll be committed to showing up faithfully. If the session is scheduled, you don't want someone showing up to join in and no one's there. You'll have a difficult time if everyone is a beginner. If it's new to a lot of people, it's nice to publish a list of tunes for people to learn that will be common to the group. Do you have a committment for people to come every week, or every 1st and 3rd week on a specific day? Make sure it's clear.

Our slow session group, which got together in peoples' homes for over a year branched out and found a pub agreeable to hosting. We had a readymade pool of people w/ tunes in common. It started as an every week thing on a Sunday eve (in addition to the regular Sunday afternoon house session). That was a bit much for a lot of people. It's been scaled back to every 2nd and 4th Sun eve. Part of that is because there were some of us committed to being there on those evenings, while the other Sun eves more-or-less collapsed due to sporadic attendance. The pub session has become successful. It has evolved its own dynamics, including allowing people to do solos and there's singing, accompanied and not. It's nice to have total strangers show up who heard about it and add their own contributions. We invite them to start tunes, or sing, or whatever. Good luck.
Tony

andy · Post by **andy** » Sun Jul 28, 2002 3:37 am

Thanks to all for the replies, much appreciated.
Firstly Tradman, I live in Frankston, Victoria,Australia.
Secondary to Tkelly, this pub has over 600 people on its mailing list, has connections to local soccer clubs (Brits/Irish) and will promote and hopefully support the session encouraging a family relaxed atmosphere.
Finally to Tony Higgins, I am putting together a folder of our known tunes combining some for short reel or jig sets, plus the other waltzes and airs. I am hopeing that a few people will turn up.
You raised a good point Tony about leading the session, I guess whilst being inexperienced, I will give it a go. I will have to be very organized though. Also what protocols are there for when people turn up at the venue to play!!! Also we are playing for around 2 1/4 hours or so. What is an appropriate set length and break up of performance time??? For example three short sets of around 30-35 min. Im sorry to ask so many seemingly obvious questions, I guess that I want to hold this gig down and really develop a session, but also a show down the track. For example nice basic lighting and great music in between sets, really set the mood! I don't know, is this suitable for a session, or is it a case of overkill, and not within the spirit of a "traditional" session.
To anyone who has had any experience in sessions I would love to read your thoughts on any of the subject matter.

See ya Andy

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jul 29, 2002 5:40 am

Hi Andy,

First - My respects to you for getting organised enough to do this!

A "set" usually refers to 2 or 3 of the same type of tune played together - e.g 3 reels, 3 jigs etc.

In sessions I've been to, it's quite common for the players to sit, have a drink & a chat for a few minutes. Then someone starts a tune, those who can join in, they run through a set (maybe not all playing all the tunes), and then it all goes quiet again for a few minutes. In other words, you'd rarely get continuous music for more than 3-5 minutes at a time. That said, I've also seen a powerful fiddler string a dozen reels together, but this is an exception. Remember, session tunes are dance tunes, and how many people can dance more or less non-stop for half an hour?

Things I'd like to see or hear at a session:

1)a play list of the tunes most often played in that session (your 30-40 form the basis) so that I could grab a copy off the table, learn a few of the sets, and then come back and join in when I was up to scratch. With the thousands of tunes available, there's just too many for a beginner to get a hold of, and it's frustrating to spend time learning tunes nobody else plays...

2) some songs. Some sessions become song or tune oriented, but I like a bit of a mixture, depending on how the session develops. Maybe even having a song list & sheets of the words (or the choruses) for the un-initiated.

3) details of players who could help beginners. Irish music is (for me) all about sharing the experience, and experienced players are usually pleased to see newbies getting enthusiastic. This may simply require details of local teachers & classes, or individuals who are prepared to give up their time to lead a beginner session at their house or in a back room somewhere.

No doubt these are ideas that might be considered alien to the true Irish session, but for those of us who didn't have the benefit of growing up with access to the music, I think they would be a great help in unlocking some of the mysteries for enthusiastic amateurs.