Sessions at the Midwest Fleadh?

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:29 pm

Hi y'all,

I'll be heading out to Michigan for the Midwest Fleadh in May, staying with my friends David and Tina Bowen.

I've not been to a fleadh before. While I wasn't planning to compete, I was curious if there will be all kinds of sessions going on day and night. If anyone else on C&F is planning on attending, perhaps we could arrange a group meet-up during the event.

I'll be in Michigan May 6-13 (Tuesday before to the Tuesday after the fleadh), looking for any sessions around the Ann Arbor and/or Detroit areas before and after the fleadh. I'm bringing the pipes and concertina.

Thanks for any info,

Michael

BigDavy · Post by **BigDavy** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:55 pm

Hi eskin

Why not compete, it can be fun as long as you do not take yourself too seriously.

David (looking forward to the Scottish and All Britain fleadhs)

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:11 pm

I really don't like to compete, too many memories of my high school days as a classical solo flute player taking lessons from a former first chair of the L.A. Philharmonic. She made all her students compete and I never enjoyed it.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:41 am

My memory of the last time it was in our region was that there were a few miscellaneous bits of session cropping up during the day, then the real deal got going around suppertime and ran til about 4am.

I will be there, playing in David's ceili band.

After that, the normal Sunday evening session in Ann Arbor will probably be cracking that weekend.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:58 pm

I'm in Livonia, perhaps April 17 ish- anything happening for music around there? I saw there was a session on Tuesday...up by the first finger( you guys understand), but I can't remember where.

Michael- paths are crossing again

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 2:45 am

According to Sessionite there's a session in Saginaw that night, but that's about two hours away from Livonia, and I've never actually heard of that session before. I'll have to give it a try some month, but not this one -- we'll have out-of-town company visiting pre-Penguicon that night.

If you stick around until Sunday that's when the big local session is....

fid.dler · Post by **fid.dler** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:05 pm

eskin wrote:Hi y'all,

I'll be heading out to Michigan for the Midwest Fleadh in May, staying with my friends David and Tina Bowen.

I've not been to a fleadh before. While I wasn't planning to compete, I was curious if there will be all kinds of sessions going on day and night. If anyone else on C&F is planning on attending, perhaps we could arrange a group meet-up during the event.

I'll be in Michigan May 6-13 (Tuesday before to the Tuesday after the fleadh), looking for any sessions around the Ann Arbor and/or Detroit areas before and after the fleadh. I'm bringing the pipes and concertina.

Thanks for any info,

Michael

Hey Michael,

Not a big C&Fer, but you might remember me from the session.org. The wife and I are going and will be mad for tunes both Friday and Saturday night. The last time I went, the sessions were mixed. There can be some politics between competitors and schools, but hopefully we can break down some walls.

See you there,

Jode

feardearg · Post by **feardearg** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:16 pm

Check out the Session at the AOH on the 16th

http://sessionite.com/page.php?in=80

or Gus O'connor's on the 18th (pretty far from Livonia) if you can. Everyone is warmly welcome to both.

General Info:

http://www.SessioNite.com

Gary

bbabe · Post by **bbabe** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:20 am

There should be lots of sessions at the fleadh on Saturday night. They usually last all night. There may be one at Connor O'Neills in Ann Arbor the next night. Ask at the fleadh. The others in the area are more for beginners.

bbabe · Post by **bbabe** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:35 am

Hi Jode,

You mentioned
"There can be some politics between competitors and schools, but hopefully we can break down some walls."

My experience is that all competitors and schools will play together fine. We all know each other. However we do break into groups according to levels. It's exciting for judges and teachers and students to see each other again and often will form somewhat closed social / session groups. The good news is that if you are not comfortable in one, you can always start another session in another area.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:37 am

bbabe wrote:There may be one at Connor O'Neills in Ann Arbor the next night. Ask at the fleadh.

There almost certainly will be one, that's the normal time and in past years when the Fleadh was in "Detroit" the session there the next day was very nice.

feardearg · Post by **feardearg** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:15 pm

"The others in the area are more for beginners"

Actually, because they are friendly, they welcome everyone. Of course beginners will show up. We also make sure that everyone gets to play whatever level. The Ann Arbor session doesn't share that reputation.

Also, the other sessions can go til 2am. I believe the Ann arbor session has to make way for karaoke at, what, 10p?

bbabe · Post by **bbabe** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:26 pm

"We also make sure that everyone gets to play whatever level."

Exactly.

Ann Arbor session seems friendly enough to me - even welcomes young kids.
It does attract the best musicians in the area.
You don't have to be a virtuoso but you can't be dragging down the music or getting in the way either. Every one does not get to play and thank goodness for that. It's not a practice session. It's a few (yes too few) hours of very good playing by very capable and usually seasoned Irish trad players.
Hey - ask some good Michigan players at the at the fleadh where they like to go.

feardearg · Post by **feardearg** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:08 pm

There are a lot of typical attitudes of that session revealed in the last post and I was going to comment on some of them. But rather let me just say this.... because we invite beginners does not make it a beginners session just as the Ann Arbor's session is not a kid's session because you allow kids.

bbabe · Post by **bbabe** » Thu May 01, 2008 9:38 am

Oh for Heaven's sake feardearg, don't get so defensive and insecure. Let's not get it out of perspective. You sound like you personally have been asked to depart Conor O'Neill's, and I doubt you have.

[quote]"because we invite beginners does not make it a beginners session just as the Ann Arbor's session is not a kid's session because you allow kids."[/quote]

No, it isn't a kid session, It's an - everyone can keep up reasonably well or stay out of the way session. It's a session of peers. It's a - we have been playing this music for quite a while session.

Sessions don't have a responsibility to teach people how to play music. O'Neills folks assume you can already play and can do it up to speed. We like O'Neills, We have been there a long time. We are there selfishly for excellent music and not for any altruistic reasons.

You have a right to make your session whatever you want. Please don't be disparaging because we attract top end players who want to play as top end players.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Sessions at the Midwest Fleadh?

Sessions at the Midwest Fleadh?

Re: Sessions at the Midwest Fleadh?

Sessionsin SE Michigan