Guys -- I'm worried about everyone's safety, and if this nasty snow/sleet mix turns to rain and it warms up enough to melt, it'll sure as shootin' cool down enough to freeze. That's not a pretty prospect.
So, two options: Andy says we can have the space next Tuesday, December 15th or Thursday, December 17th.
Please e-mail me or post your responses and let me know your preference. I'd like to know by this weekend, so I can reserve the date with Old Songs!
Stay Warm, Dry, Safe and go play some tunes tonight!
The Trad
12.08.2009
December Slow Session -- 12/9/09
Hi, gang! We're planning on having the Old Songs Slow Session tomorrow night, Wednesday 12/9 from 7:30-9:00 PM.
If we have to cancel -- I will e-mail everyone on my list, and post on this blog that we are cancelling BY 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY.
Please check your e-mail BEFORE you leave home or work to come to Voorheesville.
OK, now, let's assume that we're holding the session. Here's the plan:
Eric's Listening Corner
Hilary's Trad Tracks
Chunes:
Apples in Winter -- Jig led by David Smith
Humours of Kilclogher -- Jig led by Fritz Stafford
Trip to Birmingham -- Reel led by Kara Doyle
Mickey Callaghan's -- Hornpipe led by Hilary
possibly a simple air
Remember to look over your list from last time, in case some of those tunes pop up again in play...hint hint!
See you all tomorrow!
The Trad
If we have to cancel -- I will e-mail everyone on my list, and post on this blog that we are cancelling BY 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY.
Please check your e-mail BEFORE you leave home or work to come to Voorheesville.
OK, now, let's assume that we're holding the session. Here's the plan:
Eric's Listening Corner
Hilary's Trad Tracks
Chunes:
Apples in Winter -- Jig led by David Smith
Humours of Kilclogher -- Jig led by Fritz Stafford
Trip to Birmingham -- Reel led by Kara Doyle
Mickey Callaghan's -- Hornpipe led by Hilary
possibly a simple air
Remember to look over your list from last time, in case some of those tunes pop up again in play...hint hint!
See you all tomorrow!
The Trad
10.14.2009
What's the Prob?
So, yeah. I keep saying I'm going to post tune names and send out e-mails and...yeah...
Truth be told? I just want this thing to flow. I don't want it to be work. It isn't about getting a head start on homework or whatever. Just show up and we'll have fun. If you have a tune you want to suggest -- send me an e-mail (fidilkid at hotmail dot com). If you don't, just trust me to come up with something cool.
So, basically: I'm sorry if I'm not meeting your expectations. I hope you'll understand when I say I'm in it for the fun!
See you tonight at 7:30 PM!
The Trad
Truth be told? I just want this thing to flow. I don't want it to be work. It isn't about getting a head start on homework or whatever. Just show up and we'll have fun. If you have a tune you want to suggest -- send me an e-mail (fidilkid at hotmail dot com). If you don't, just trust me to come up with something cool.
So, basically: I'm sorry if I'm not meeting your expectations. I hope you'll understand when I say I'm in it for the fun!
See you tonight at 7:30 PM!
The Trad
10.07.2009
NOT TONIGHT FOLKS!
Hey, guys,
Quick reminder that tonight is the FIRST Wednesday of October, and that if you go to the Old Songs Community Arts Center tonight, you'll find a fun and fabulous Open Mic to join in on! So, even if you go over looking for us and some trad Irish tunes, feel free to stay for a fun evening of all different types of music.
I'll be putting up and sending out music for next week's Irish slow session tonight. Look here tomorrow for info and links for next week!
Warmest Regards for a Fun Fall,
The Trad
Quick reminder that tonight is the FIRST Wednesday of October, and that if you go to the Old Songs Community Arts Center tonight, you'll find a fun and fabulous Open Mic to join in on! So, even if you go over looking for us and some trad Irish tunes, feel free to stay for a fun evening of all different types of music.
I'll be putting up and sending out music for next week's Irish slow session tonight. Look here tomorrow for info and links for next week!
Warmest Regards for a Fun Fall,
The Trad
7.07.2009
Slow Session Wednesday, July 8 -- 7:30 PM
Hi, Friends!
Trusty and I had a blast down in New Bedford this weekend. We heard some pretty amazing music, and got to play some too! Thanks to Jonathan Danforth and the "Jethros" and the "Rusty String Bandits"! Lots of fun to meet them and Michelle (?) and hear them play too.
Our thanks to Gary for putting us up, and for Helene and Alan for having us at the festival in various capacities.
Enough of that blather, though -- on to the really important stuff:
SLOW SESSION WEDNESDAY JULY 8!
We'll be meeting as usual at the Old Songs Building, 37 S. Main, Voorheesville at 7:30 PM.
We're going to learn The Cook in the Kitchen, a 3-part reel, with the dots and spots; and I'll be teaching a tune by ear, but I haven't decided which one. We'll try and revive some of our new sets from the sessions past, so I'll bring the spots and dots on those back as well for those of you who missed out.
Looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow! I hope you're all signed up for Irish Arts Week, because it's going to be a total blasht!
See you tomorrow, I hope!
The Trad
Trusty and I had a blast down in New Bedford this weekend. We heard some pretty amazing music, and got to play some too! Thanks to Jonathan Danforth and the "Jethros" and the "Rusty String Bandits"! Lots of fun to meet them and Michelle (?) and hear them play too.
Our thanks to Gary for putting us up, and for Helene and Alan for having us at the festival in various capacities.
Enough of that blather, though -- on to the really important stuff:
SLOW SESSION WEDNESDAY JULY 8!
We'll be meeting as usual at the Old Songs Building, 37 S. Main, Voorheesville at 7:30 PM.
We're going to learn The Cook in the Kitchen, a 3-part reel, with the dots and spots; and I'll be teaching a tune by ear, but I haven't decided which one. We'll try and revive some of our new sets from the sessions past, so I'll bring the spots and dots on those back as well for those of you who missed out.
Looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow! I hope you're all signed up for Irish Arts Week, because it's going to be a total blasht!
See you tomorrow, I hope!
The Trad
6.24.2009
Yay! DONE!!!!
I want to hereby announce two things to the universe:
1. I AM DONE booking the Grounds Crew for the Old Songs Festival!
They're all signed up. They're all lined up. They're ALL GREAT!!!! We've got a fantastic crew, and I love every single one of their pointy little heads!
Thank you my crew! You ROCK!!!!
2. David Pease, Dave Smith, Jeff Haas, and yours truly will be playing some tunes on Friday, June 26 at Troy Night Out, Segel Violins, 44 Third Street, Troy, NY from 6:30-8:30 PM. Come out and listen to the lads give us a blasht o' fine tunes!
I AM DONE!!!!
The Trad
1. I AM DONE booking the Grounds Crew for the Old Songs Festival!
They're all signed up. They're all lined up. They're ALL GREAT!!!! We've got a fantastic crew, and I love every single one of their pointy little heads!
Thank you my crew! You ROCK!!!!
2. David Pease, Dave Smith, Jeff Haas, and yours truly will be playing some tunes on Friday, June 26 at Troy Night Out, Segel Violins, 44 Third Street, Troy, NY from 6:30-8:30 PM. Come out and listen to the lads give us a blasht o' fine tunes!
I AM DONE!!!!
The Trad
6.19.2009
The Yin and Yang of Solstice
Friends,
You know me, so you know my proclivity toward negative self-talk and the dark side. Solstice, and summer's in particular, is my annual resetting of intention to have more light and bright in my life.
I remember the first time I knew I was in love with Irish music. It was the Old Songs Festival where Trian (Billy McComisky, Liz Carroll, and Daithi Sproule) played. At that same festival, I came into contact with the band Nightingale. That combination of musicians and music changed the way I listened to music. And pointed out, in a story I often tell, how differently great musicians approach the music to get similar results.
A few years after that, I had another perspective-changing experience. There's a fantastic fiddle player named Sandy Jones, who hails from Ohio (at least last time I checked...). At Irish Arts Week, I saw Sandy sitting on the outskirts of one of those impossibly huge sessions, and asked him what his top 10 recordings were. A bit of background: Patrick Ourceau had conscientiously given us a list of the top 10 recordings he felt we needed to have to be properly educated. As a result, I was inspired to assemble my "must have" list, so I went to all my favorite players and asked. Sandy looked at me funny, considered the question, and said simply, "session tapes." I went away confused. Of course, at the time, I wasn't playing in the kinds of sessions he was playing in. It was an entirely different universe.
All right, Trad, what the h*** are you talking about? What do they have to do with the Dark Side? Well, truth be told, it got me thinking about where the music comes from, and how it gets from one person to another. The grungy crackly session tapes (or mp3s these days) are just as important and influential as the professional studio recordings.
For the past six months, I've been listening to almost nothing BUT session tapes -- recordings of sessions with friends over there this past Winter. Brilliant playing -- unadorned, straight forward, brilliant tunes, gorgeous settings, lots of fun. Two days ago, I was having literally A tune with some friends of mine (we were working out the kinks in The Wind that Shakes the Barley -- although we're still not certain we have the "right" version!), and my friend C asked if I ever taught or played the tunes we learned in Ireland over here at session. I had to think about it. I'd been so busy soaking them up and enjoying the energy of the tunes, that it hadn't occurred to me to share. So, thanks to C, that'll change!
And, in the process of thinking about that, I realized that I had stopped listening to other players (with the exception of Willie Kelly and Mike Rafferty) almost completely. So...I put the Trian CD in my car stereo. I've been tooling around for the past two days with it blasting in the speakers. Now, granted yer basic '06 Sentra doesn't exactly boast a high falutin' stereo system, but it gets the job done. You know, maybe I'll give you some tunes from them. They've got great Liz compositions just dripping all over that CD.
It's nice to be reminded that your heroes are still as damned amazing as they were 12 years ago, anyway. And I'm going to let them sit in there and play for awhile. Daithi's accompaniment is so subtle and textured, and absolutely perfect with Billy's driving and nimble box playing. Liz is from another planet, so I know I don't have to tell you what her playing adds to the trio. It's a shame they're not still performing together. That was a power trio.
David P. and I were talking maybe a month ago about the feeling of having "the lift" in the playing. I was listening to Liz Carroll and thinking about the tone and the musicality of her playing. I know the next time I sit down, I'm going to be deliberately focusing on capturing that tone. For fiddles, the control of tone and sound is primarily in the bow and the bow hand. For the whistle and flute, it lies in the breath and breathing. For accordion and concertina? Hand and wrist control. Same for bouzouki and guitar, although you have hand and pick pressure and arm control. Can't help you with French horn, but I'd say for Uilleann pipes, well...nope. Can't help you there, either.
Next time you put a recording in, whether it is a lowly session tape or a studio production, do yourself a favor. Take a listen to the other players. Find someone on that recording whose tone and phrasing catches your ear. See if you can reproduce what they are doing. We learn more than tunes and set lists from recordings. We learn how to really make the music.
So? What are you waiting for? Go make some music!
The Trad
You know me, so you know my proclivity toward negative self-talk and the dark side. Solstice, and summer's in particular, is my annual resetting of intention to have more light and bright in my life.
I remember the first time I knew I was in love with Irish music. It was the Old Songs Festival where Trian (Billy McComisky, Liz Carroll, and Daithi Sproule) played. At that same festival, I came into contact with the band Nightingale. That combination of musicians and music changed the way I listened to music. And pointed out, in a story I often tell, how differently great musicians approach the music to get similar results.
A few years after that, I had another perspective-changing experience. There's a fantastic fiddle player named Sandy Jones, who hails from Ohio (at least last time I checked...). At Irish Arts Week, I saw Sandy sitting on the outskirts of one of those impossibly huge sessions, and asked him what his top 10 recordings were. A bit of background: Patrick Ourceau had conscientiously given us a list of the top 10 recordings he felt we needed to have to be properly educated. As a result, I was inspired to assemble my "must have" list, so I went to all my favorite players and asked. Sandy looked at me funny, considered the question, and said simply, "session tapes." I went away confused. Of course, at the time, I wasn't playing in the kinds of sessions he was playing in. It was an entirely different universe.
All right, Trad, what the h*** are you talking about? What do they have to do with the Dark Side? Well, truth be told, it got me thinking about where the music comes from, and how it gets from one person to another. The grungy crackly session tapes (or mp3s these days) are just as important and influential as the professional studio recordings.
For the past six months, I've been listening to almost nothing BUT session tapes -- recordings of sessions with friends over there this past Winter. Brilliant playing -- unadorned, straight forward, brilliant tunes, gorgeous settings, lots of fun. Two days ago, I was having literally A tune with some friends of mine (we were working out the kinks in The Wind that Shakes the Barley -- although we're still not certain we have the "right" version!), and my friend C asked if I ever taught or played the tunes we learned in Ireland over here at session. I had to think about it. I'd been so busy soaking them up and enjoying the energy of the tunes, that it hadn't occurred to me to share. So, thanks to C, that'll change!
And, in the process of thinking about that, I realized that I had stopped listening to other players (with the exception of Willie Kelly and Mike Rafferty) almost completely. So...I put the Trian CD in my car stereo. I've been tooling around for the past two days with it blasting in the speakers. Now, granted yer basic '06 Sentra doesn't exactly boast a high falutin' stereo system, but it gets the job done. You know, maybe I'll give you some tunes from them. They've got great Liz compositions just dripping all over that CD.
It's nice to be reminded that your heroes are still as damned amazing as they were 12 years ago, anyway. And I'm going to let them sit in there and play for awhile. Daithi's accompaniment is so subtle and textured, and absolutely perfect with Billy's driving and nimble box playing. Liz is from another planet, so I know I don't have to tell you what her playing adds to the trio. It's a shame they're not still performing together. That was a power trio.
David P. and I were talking maybe a month ago about the feeling of having "the lift" in the playing. I was listening to Liz Carroll and thinking about the tone and the musicality of her playing. I know the next time I sit down, I'm going to be deliberately focusing on capturing that tone. For fiddles, the control of tone and sound is primarily in the bow and the bow hand. For the whistle and flute, it lies in the breath and breathing. For accordion and concertina? Hand and wrist control. Same for bouzouki and guitar, although you have hand and pick pressure and arm control. Can't help you with French horn, but I'd say for Uilleann pipes, well...nope. Can't help you there, either.
Next time you put a recording in, whether it is a lowly session tape or a studio production, do yourself a favor. Take a listen to the other players. Find someone on that recording whose tone and phrasing catches your ear. See if you can reproduce what they are doing. We learn more than tunes and set lists from recordings. We learn how to really make the music.
So? What are you waiting for? Go make some music!
The Trad
5.20.2009
It's a week for Sessions
Hey, Friends!
Long time, no talk. We've been a little busy. We ran the session down in Jersey on Saturday night, and it was just the right size -- small and full of great musicians! Thank you to Iris for inviting us, and thank you to Bill, Lesl, Eileen, Tom, John, Frank and Bill for sharing the tunes! If you weren't there, we hope you had a darn good excuse...
Just a reminder: Lesl Harker's second Mike Rafferty tune book, "Second Wind", is complete now! You can buy it direct from Lesl for $25. We will bring a copy to slow session so you can look it over. We'll be seeing her in the beginning of June so let us know if you want a copy and we can grab one for you.
Also, Veronica MacNamara's book of Michael Coleman tunes is available, thanks in good part to the hard work of Iris Nevins in preparing the volume. I don't remember what the book costs, but that is also available through Iris. If you want a copy, let us know and we will connect you up. We are hoping that Veronica and Iris will work together to put together a second volume of Coleman's tune books.
*Both Lesl and Veronica are being honored for their work at the Fleagh Nua this year. Congratulations, Ladies!
Monday night found us over in Concord, MA at a session that left us utterly speechless. What an amazing group of musicians. We spent the evening with a pile of Childs' fiddles, including one tucked under the chin of Laurel Martin, who just returned from her first tour out on the West Coast. It is always brilliant to hear Laurel play, as she carries the absolute best of the east Clare tradition firmly in her pocket. She's one of those musicians that makes everyone around her better. That being said, there was noone in the group who needed to be "raised up." It was an absolutely brilliant group of musicians, including our friend Gary from down near New Bedford. Great to see you (and hear you), Gary!
Another Child's fiddle was in the hot grip of Sheila Falls, an All-Ireland Fiddle champ and a member of Child's Play, who has just released her new album "All in the Timing." Sheila is a highly accomplished traditional fiddler, and this effort shows the range and versatility of her musicianship. Congratulations, Sheila! CDs are available direct from the artist, and we'll be seeing her again in a few weeks, we hope, so if you're interested, we'll give you a listen to ours and then we can grab one for you.
Yes, along with Bonnie and Sarah on their own Childs' fiddles, Rod on concertina and whistle, Gary on box, John on guitar, and Frank on whistle, plus us chickens (and one fiddle player whose name I missed), we had a fabulous time with great tunes and chat! Many thanks to Bonnie for organizing it. We'll be doing that again in a couple of weeks. We can't wait!
Tomorrow Night: We're having a real honest-to-goodness session tomorrow night, Thursday, May 21 at 8 PM, down at McGeary's Pub, 4 Clinton Square, Albany. The Trad, Trusty and Whippersnapper will be hosting. You're invited! Colin (Whippersnapper) has been lamenting the fact that there are no proper sessions over here, as he just left Galway or Limerick or someplace like that where there are fine tunes every single night of the week, so he decided that we needed to put a session together. So dust off your favorite tunes, come on out and let's blast the night with chunes!
I'm hoping that we'll have a session out in Ohio this weekend -- I've been in contact with some folks who have a ceili band out their in Eastern Ohio, and we're trying to find a good time for everyone to get together. Keep your fingers crossed!
So, for somebody who isn't all that into sessions, I'd say we've had a pretty good run of it, and there's more to come! I'm hoping you'll all help continue the trend and come out to play tomorrow night! See you soon,
The Trad
Long time, no talk. We've been a little busy. We ran the session down in Jersey on Saturday night, and it was just the right size -- small and full of great musicians! Thank you to Iris for inviting us, and thank you to Bill, Lesl, Eileen, Tom, John, Frank and Bill for sharing the tunes! If you weren't there, we hope you had a darn good excuse...
Just a reminder: Lesl Harker's second Mike Rafferty tune book, "Second Wind", is complete now! You can buy it direct from Lesl for $25. We will bring a copy to slow session so you can look it over. We'll be seeing her in the beginning of June so let us know if you want a copy and we can grab one for you.
Also, Veronica MacNamara's book of Michael Coleman tunes is available, thanks in good part to the hard work of Iris Nevins in preparing the volume. I don't remember what the book costs, but that is also available through Iris. If you want a copy, let us know and we will connect you up. We are hoping that Veronica and Iris will work together to put together a second volume of Coleman's tune books.
*Both Lesl and Veronica are being honored for their work at the Fleagh Nua this year. Congratulations, Ladies!
Monday night found us over in Concord, MA at a session that left us utterly speechless. What an amazing group of musicians. We spent the evening with a pile of Childs' fiddles, including one tucked under the chin of Laurel Martin, who just returned from her first tour out on the West Coast. It is always brilliant to hear Laurel play, as she carries the absolute best of the east Clare tradition firmly in her pocket. She's one of those musicians that makes everyone around her better. That being said, there was noone in the group who needed to be "raised up." It was an absolutely brilliant group of musicians, including our friend Gary from down near New Bedford. Great to see you (and hear you), Gary!
Another Child's fiddle was in the hot grip of Sheila Falls, an All-Ireland Fiddle champ and a member of Child's Play, who has just released her new album "All in the Timing." Sheila is a highly accomplished traditional fiddler, and this effort shows the range and versatility of her musicianship. Congratulations, Sheila! CDs are available direct from the artist, and we'll be seeing her again in a few weeks, we hope, so if you're interested, we'll give you a listen to ours and then we can grab one for you.
Yes, along with Bonnie and Sarah on their own Childs' fiddles, Rod on concertina and whistle, Gary on box, John on guitar, and Frank on whistle, plus us chickens (and one fiddle player whose name I missed), we had a fabulous time with great tunes and chat! Many thanks to Bonnie for organizing it. We'll be doing that again in a couple of weeks. We can't wait!
Tomorrow Night: We're having a real honest-to-goodness session tomorrow night, Thursday, May 21 at 8 PM, down at McGeary's Pub, 4 Clinton Square, Albany. The Trad, Trusty and Whippersnapper will be hosting. You're invited! Colin (Whippersnapper) has been lamenting the fact that there are no proper sessions over here, as he just left Galway or Limerick or someplace like that where there are fine tunes every single night of the week, so he decided that we needed to put a session together. So dust off your favorite tunes, come on out and let's blast the night with chunes!
I'm hoping that we'll have a session out in Ohio this weekend -- I've been in contact with some folks who have a ceili band out their in Eastern Ohio, and we're trying to find a good time for everyone to get together. Keep your fingers crossed!
So, for somebody who isn't all that into sessions, I'd say we've had a pretty good run of it, and there's more to come! I'm hoping you'll all help continue the trend and come out to play tomorrow night! See you soon,
The Trad
5.14.2009
Grand Tunes, Ladies & Gents!
Guys and gals, Last night was brilliant! We had a good crowd and some great tunes on the table. No listening corner this month, and probably not next either. But I think people have stuff in their CD players, and are enjoying what they're doing.
I especially appreciate Trusty for his willingness to listen to the accompanists, encourage everyone, and keep the rhythm section pretty much on the same page! Thanks, Babe, you rock!
Also, special thanks to Phil for singing his song "Old Songs." We've been really lucky to have Phl join us over the past year, and we always enjoy his songs. We can't wait to hear what you cook up for us next month!
A thousand welcomes to Paul and Charlie...and MIKE! Mike -- I'm so sorry I forgot to put you in my e-mail. It was great to have you there.
Last night, I had a little glitch with my flash drive and wasn't quite ready with my photocopies, so the gang played Gentle Maiden to start (We miss you Jeff!). Then we worked on a set of reels: Dunmore Lasses (emin)/The Peeler's Jacket (The Flannel Jacket) (gmaj).
David and Dave suggested a set of Jigs: Tatterjack Walsh (dmix) and The Cook in the Kitchen (3-part) (gmaj). While I ran to make photocopies, the gang played one of our regular session sets of reels, which we ended with a rousing round of Cooley's Reel!
FYI, gang: June's session will be on Wed. June 10. There will be no July session, because it falls during Catskills Irish Arts Week. I'm so pleased to hear that more and more of my compadres from Old Songs are traveling the light years to East Durham to join us this year! Wait 'til you guys hear what happens in singing sessions! Whoo-eeee!
Next month's tunes will be as follows:
Reels: The Four Courts, The Mossy Banks
Jigs: A Patrick Ourceau classic set -- The Goat on the Green/The Pipe on the Hob
Also, Trusty and I and Colin Harte (forthwith known as Whippersnapper) will be hosting a session next Thursday, May 21 at 8:00 PM downtown in Albany at McGeary's Pub on Pearl. Come on out, have a pint with us, and celebrate Dave and Allison's anniversary.... ;-) See you all soon!
The Trad
I especially appreciate Trusty for his willingness to listen to the accompanists, encourage everyone, and keep the rhythm section pretty much on the same page! Thanks, Babe, you rock!
Also, special thanks to Phil for singing his song "Old Songs." We've been really lucky to have Phl join us over the past year, and we always enjoy his songs. We can't wait to hear what you cook up for us next month!
A thousand welcomes to Paul and Charlie...and MIKE! Mike -- I'm so sorry I forgot to put you in my e-mail. It was great to have you there.
Last night, I had a little glitch with my flash drive and wasn't quite ready with my photocopies, so the gang played Gentle Maiden to start (We miss you Jeff!). Then we worked on a set of reels: Dunmore Lasses (emin)/The Peeler's Jacket (The Flannel Jacket) (gmaj).
David and Dave suggested a set of Jigs: Tatterjack Walsh (dmix) and The Cook in the Kitchen (3-part) (gmaj). While I ran to make photocopies, the gang played one of our regular session sets of reels, which we ended with a rousing round of Cooley's Reel!
FYI, gang: June's session will be on Wed. June 10. There will be no July session, because it falls during Catskills Irish Arts Week. I'm so pleased to hear that more and more of my compadres from Old Songs are traveling the light years to East Durham to join us this year! Wait 'til you guys hear what happens in singing sessions! Whoo-eeee!
Next month's tunes will be as follows:
Reels: The Four Courts, The Mossy Banks
Jigs: A Patrick Ourceau classic set -- The Goat on the Green/The Pipe on the Hob
Also, Trusty and I and Colin Harte (forthwith known as Whippersnapper) will be hosting a session next Thursday, May 21 at 8:00 PM downtown in Albany at McGeary's Pub on Pearl. Come on out, have a pint with us, and celebrate Dave and Allison's anniversary.... ;-) See you all soon!
The Trad
3.04.2009
Now what did I come in here for?
Dear Friends,
About a week ago, I had this great idea for an essay involving the approach of Lent and something about giving something up and gaining something unexpected. And then I had a bunch of stuff to do, so I didn't write it. Now it's completely gone. I can't even conjure up the barest flicker of a memory of it.
Nope. Totally gone.
So I just wanted to stop in to say that I'd recommend that you not give up Irish music for Lent because now is when it's the most prevalent!
Here's what's happening over the next few weeks:
A week from Wednesday is our Trad Irish Slow Session -- March 11, 2009 from 7:30-9:00 PM
at the Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 South Main, Voorheesville, NY
Everyone's welcome! Remember, we're focusing specifically on Irish music, as we do all 12 months of the year! If you're interested in Over the Waterfall and Ashokan Farewell, I've got some really nice folks I'd like you to meet. We're working on jigs, reels, hornpipes, etc. If you have the faintest notion of who Liz Carroll or the Bothy Band or Altan or the Chieftains are, you might enjoy our little session! We charge $3 for heat/lights/photocopies of sheet music!
If you want to bail on the Slow Session for a little classic Irish wildness, I won't blame you, because The Boys of the Lough will be at The Egg in Albany that night, March 11. Show starts at 7:30 and tickets are $25. If I know our Karen, she'll be there instead of whistling with us! That's ok. There's always next month...
A week from Thursday is Liadan, an all-woman all-Irish band -- March 12, 2009, also at the Old Songs Community Arts Center. Doors open at 7:30, Concert at 8:00 PM. Visit www.OldSongs.org for details! I hope you can make it to this! These gals played ICONS Festival outside of Boston, and they're just fresh off of performances at The Micho Russell Festival in Doolin, West Clare. I think you'll enjoy their gracious and sometimes raucous take on the trad music! Come on out and support women and music, eh?!
We always encourage a field trip to go see Hair of the Dog. While I wouldn't classify them as truly trad Irish, they have the pub spirit in them and they are fabulous entertainers! They'll be at The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY for a couple of shows on March 14 and at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY on March 17.
Of course, if you're looking for something to do, you can always come over to Jose Malone's on St. Patrick's Day and keep The Broken String Band company for a while! We'll be playing all day...no rest for the weary!
When I start dusting off the Pub Bands, you know I've reached the end of my lead. Lads, I hope you're playing hearty and I look forward to seeing you all troddin' the boards! Get out there and mingle.
See you soon,
The Trad
About a week ago, I had this great idea for an essay involving the approach of Lent and something about giving something up and gaining something unexpected. And then I had a bunch of stuff to do, so I didn't write it. Now it's completely gone. I can't even conjure up the barest flicker of a memory of it.
Nope. Totally gone.
So I just wanted to stop in to say that I'd recommend that you not give up Irish music for Lent because now is when it's the most prevalent!
Here's what's happening over the next few weeks:
A week from Wednesday is our Trad Irish Slow Session -- March 11, 2009 from 7:30-9:00 PM
at the Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 South Main, Voorheesville, NY
Everyone's welcome! Remember, we're focusing specifically on Irish music, as we do all 12 months of the year! If you're interested in Over the Waterfall and Ashokan Farewell, I've got some really nice folks I'd like you to meet. We're working on jigs, reels, hornpipes, etc. If you have the faintest notion of who Liz Carroll or the Bothy Band or Altan or the Chieftains are, you might enjoy our little session! We charge $3 for heat/lights/photocopies of sheet music!
If you want to bail on the Slow Session for a little classic Irish wildness, I won't blame you, because The Boys of the Lough will be at The Egg in Albany that night, March 11. Show starts at 7:30 and tickets are $25. If I know our Karen, she'll be there instead of whistling with us! That's ok. There's always next month...
A week from Thursday is Liadan, an all-woman all-Irish band -- March 12, 2009, also at the Old Songs Community Arts Center. Doors open at 7:30, Concert at 8:00 PM. Visit www.OldSongs.org for details! I hope you can make it to this! These gals played ICONS Festival outside of Boston, and they're just fresh off of performances at The Micho Russell Festival in Doolin, West Clare. I think you'll enjoy their gracious and sometimes raucous take on the trad music! Come on out and support women and music, eh?!
We always encourage a field trip to go see Hair of the Dog. While I wouldn't classify them as truly trad Irish, they have the pub spirit in them and they are fabulous entertainers! They'll be at The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY for a couple of shows on March 14 and at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY on March 17.
Of course, if you're looking for something to do, you can always come over to Jose Malone's on St. Patrick's Day and keep The Broken String Band company for a while! We'll be playing all day...no rest for the weary!
When I start dusting off the Pub Bands, you know I've reached the end of my lead. Lads, I hope you're playing hearty and I look forward to seeing you all troddin' the boards! Get out there and mingle.
See you soon,
The Trad
2.10.2009
Who Am I and Why Am I Here?
Hi, friends,
Long time no talk! Trusty and I had the most amazing trip to Ireland ever, and the best part wasn't even the tunes. No really. It was the chat. We had a chance to be around folks at home, and in their daily lives. I would guess that most of you wouldn't tag yourselves as tourists, so you would have appreciated the slow times as well as the blasts of tunes as much as we did. Now don't get me wrong -- the tunes were mighty and plentiful, thanks to some of our friends. But, what's different was that we spent more time this year than ever just tucking in with our friends and listening to good jokes and laughing at each other's foibles (okay, mostly they were laughing at me...) and generally having a grand time appreciating each other.
We saw some parts of the country we hadn't seen before. We went shopping in a district we didn't even know existed before. We saw some beautiful mountains, and some new family members we hadn't met before. We came away bittersweet for the new friendships we forged and the old ones we rekindled.
I have a friend who is leaving her hometown (not for the first time, but after a loooong time) and traveling south and west to live in west Texas. She is chronicling her travels and it touches that wanderlust in me. I'm desperate to get back over to Ireland and sip the sweetness of life over there. I realize it's a fantasy on my part, because I'm not dealing with a day job and the everyday stuff of life, but you know what? I don't give a shite. I love it over there.
So, to tunes: yes, there were many. And they varied depending on who was leading a session. I think the most dynamic and varied would be a session in Ennis, because there was the most variety of instruments and the widest of influences and interests in the music. The singing was great, too, including lots of plastic Yankee stuff, including "Your Cheatin' Heart"...
Oop, gotta run! Off to a rehearsal! Don't forget, Wednesday, February 11 is Slow Session Night at 7:30 PM in Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 S. Main, Voorheesville. Come on over and have a little fun. I might bring some session files from our trip -- I'll see what I can pull together...nothing to practice this time, but if you want to, you could bring some tune suggestions and we'll have a round robin!
See you tomorrow!
The Trad
Long time no talk! Trusty and I had the most amazing trip to Ireland ever, and the best part wasn't even the tunes. No really. It was the chat. We had a chance to be around folks at home, and in their daily lives. I would guess that most of you wouldn't tag yourselves as tourists, so you would have appreciated the slow times as well as the blasts of tunes as much as we did. Now don't get me wrong -- the tunes were mighty and plentiful, thanks to some of our friends. But, what's different was that we spent more time this year than ever just tucking in with our friends and listening to good jokes and laughing at each other's foibles (okay, mostly they were laughing at me...) and generally having a grand time appreciating each other.
We saw some parts of the country we hadn't seen before. We went shopping in a district we didn't even know existed before. We saw some beautiful mountains, and some new family members we hadn't met before. We came away bittersweet for the new friendships we forged and the old ones we rekindled.
I have a friend who is leaving her hometown (not for the first time, but after a loooong time) and traveling south and west to live in west Texas. She is chronicling her travels and it touches that wanderlust in me. I'm desperate to get back over to Ireland and sip the sweetness of life over there. I realize it's a fantasy on my part, because I'm not dealing with a day job and the everyday stuff of life, but you know what? I don't give a shite. I love it over there.
So, to tunes: yes, there were many. And they varied depending on who was leading a session. I think the most dynamic and varied would be a session in Ennis, because there was the most variety of instruments and the widest of influences and interests in the music. The singing was great, too, including lots of plastic Yankee stuff, including "Your Cheatin' Heart"...
Oop, gotta run! Off to a rehearsal! Don't forget, Wednesday, February 11 is Slow Session Night at 7:30 PM in Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 S. Main, Voorheesville. Come on over and have a little fun. I might bring some session files from our trip -- I'll see what I can pull together...nothing to practice this time, but if you want to, you could bring some tune suggestions and we'll have a round robin!
See you tomorrow!
The Trad
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