Hudson Valley Trad

Started a New Blog

2012-01-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

Hi, Friends! It's been a while since I've updated this blog. Rather than continue to update this page, I'm experimenting with a new design. Join me at StoneyStepsITM.blogspot.com for the latest updates on sessions in the Capital Region.

My best to all and Happy New Year 2012!

The Trad

Irish Mist Session moves to The Altamont Fair TONIGHT!

2010-08-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

“In the summer, the song sings itself.”

― William Carlos Williams

Hi, Friends!

It's that time again -- tonight's the night for the monthly Irish Mist trad Irish Session. We've been asked to help out Old Songs and bring our session over to the Altamont Fair. We'll be in the 1890s Building, as far as we know.

Unfortunately, we didn't get listed on the Fairgrounds website, so you won't know where to look for us if you look there.

We'll be there from 7-10 PM playing tunes and singing songs. All trad Irish appropriate instruments are welcome to join. Tickets to the fair are $15 and include all the rides and everything, so if you're going to join us, come early!

The Trad

Matt & Shannon Heaton at Old Songs June 25-27, 2010

2010-06-24T11:50:00.002-04:00

Just a quick plug for some really wonderful musicians from the Boston area. Also of note in my book: Becky Tracy and Keith Murphy from Nightengale will be there. These two duos will be doing a duet workshop! DO NOT MISS!

We Need Your Help!

2010-05-04T00:45:00.000-04:00

Safety Pup sez...."always learn tunes you would want to listen to yourself." So...that being said, we need your help to decide what's going in the Slow Session Repertoire Book. I'm attaching a .pdf of a little list asking for the top five tunes you play well (and like!), the top five tunes you'd like to learn in the coming months, and if you'd be willing to lead/"teach" a tune at some point in the near future.

E-mail me at fidilkid@hotmail.com and tell me your answers!

Our next session is next Wednesday, May 13, so get me your ideas right quick and I'll get a move on!

Best,

The Trad

Cancelled.....Again.

2010-02-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

*sigh* Well, this is the last time this month we can cancel the slow session.

We'll just plan to meet the second week of March. I'll be posting and e-mailing notifications and agenda/information soon for next month.

Take care, stay warm, and play some tunes, okay?

Best,

the Trad

Slow Session Cancelled for 2/10/10

2010-02-10T15:27:00.000-05:00

Cancelled.
OK, sorry to say, but I'm going to cave to the fear factor and cancel for tonight! I'd love to reschedule, but have to take people's schedules into account.

Reschedule?
Andy tells me that the building is available a couple of nights next week. Which do you prefer: Tuesday or Thursday?

Let me know, and stay safe and warm tonight. Hopefully we won't get the heavy snow.

Archie Fisher at Old Songs 2/11/10
By the way, Archie Fisher is performing tomorrow night at Old Songs. If you haven't made plans, give the office a call and reserve your ticket! Archie is the real deal. Many, many traditional singers and musicians have been influenced by him, including one of my favorites, Old Blind Dogs. He's a magnificent singer, master guitarist, and just plain brilliant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leomhFmH62o

It's Time for the DanceFlurry!!!!

2010-02-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

Gang, I just wanted to remind you that this weekend, February 12-14, 2010, is the annual DanceFlurry Festival!

Visit http://www.danceflurry.org/festival/index.html for more information, including times, schedules, locations, jamming, performers....and parking!

Have a great time and hope to see you there!!!

The Trad

p.s. make sure you go see Nightingale, one of my very favorite bands! Also, Storyteller Bairbre McCarthy will be there with her very large posse, including one of our very favorite local fiddlers: Maura MacNamara! Bairbre and Maura are finishing up an album to be released very soon. Eyes open here for details!

And Then I Saw the Weather Report...

2010-02-09T18:46:00.000-05:00

An aside: [I have the biggest crush on Steve Caporizzo...oh. Did I say that out loud? God.]

OK, I haven't decided yet, because I hate to cancel if I don't have to.

I will decide by 3:00 PM tomorrow. I will send out an e-mail directly to you, and post on the blog: http://HudsonValleyTrad.BlogSpot.com. If you're forwarding other Slow Session messages, please make sure you forward this one!

If I cancel, I will find a couple of alternative dates to switch to. If one night of the week is better than another for you, please let me know, and I will take it into account.

Thanks,

Trad

February Slow Session 2/10/10, 7:30 PM

2010-02-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

Hi, Friends!

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow night, we'll be holding our February slow session at the Old Songs Building, 37 South Main St., Voorheesville, NY (http://www.oldsongs.org/).

Guest teachers include:
Dave Smith with a hornpipe, "The Pleasures of Hope"; David Pease with a jig, "The Mouse in the Mug" (we may do this one by ear!); Jeff Haas with a waltz, "The Valley of Knockanure";
and maybe we can get Fritz to help us work out the reel "Trip to Durrow."

Yeah, and what else?
In addition to Trusty's Listening Corner, and The Trad Tracks, we may go around the table and ask people to pick a tune for us to play. Please think about a tune you like to play. We won't make you start it, only suggest it and we'll all play it slowly together. We won't be providing sheet music for this.

What if there's a snow storm?
I don't expect there to be one. So maybe Trusty and I take a little longer to get home (all the snow is supposed to be further south by us), but there's nothing expected to hit up north, so...

If there's any reason to cancel, I'll e-mail everyone AND post it on the blog.

See you tomorrow night!

The Trad

Irish Slow Session at The Jam & Sing Thing

2010-01-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hi, Friends! I'd like to invite you all the come to the Jam & Sing Thing this weekend (http://www.jamsingthing.webs.com/ for schedule, ticket prices, staff/workshops, etc.), January 15-17, 2010 on Madison Avenue in Albany, NY.

We're doing an "As If" Old Songs Irish Slow Session so folks who haven't visited us at Old Songs on the second Wednesday of the month can see what we're all about.

Tonight, Friday 1/15, we have guest teacher David Smith teaching one of four tunes (we'll see what people want to work on). We will provide sheet music, so bring a pencil to mark changes. Bring a recorder to capture what the tunes sound like! I will also lead a tune, and then we'll take suggestions from the group for tunes to work on slowly. We'll also play some of our standard Old Songs Slow Session sets (look to the right for more info), and we can see if we have tunes in common to share!

If you're an intermediate player and have 50-150 tunes at speed, feel free to participate in the Tri-City Trad Irish Mist Session that will follow in the same location. Those who are newer to the music are invited to stay and participate when they can!

See you at the Jam & Sing Thing!

The Trad
fidilkid at hotmail dot com

Tonight's Slow Session CANCELLED (12/9/09)

2009-12-09T11:00:00.002-05:00

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

December Slow Session -- 12/9/09

2009-12-08T17:04:00.002-05:00

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

What's the Prob?

2009-10-14T15:13:00.002-04:00

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

NOT TONIGHT FOLKS!

2009-10-07T13:10:00.001-04:00

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

Slow Session Wednesday, July 8 -- 7:30 PM

2009-07-07T12:58:00.003-04:00

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

Yay! DONE!!!!

2009-06-24T14:32:00.003-04:00

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

The Yin and Yang of Solstice

2009-06-19T23:23:00.002-04:00

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

It's a week for Sessions

2009-05-20T14:46:00.007-04:00

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

Grand Tunes, Ladies & Gents!

2009-05-14T12:13:00.003-04:00

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

Now what did I come in here for?

2009-03-04T21:49:00.002-05:00

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

Who Am I and Why Am I Here?

2009-02-10T17:28:00.002-05:00

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

Flutes and Fiddles and Tunes, Oh My!

2008-12-09T15:55:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

I have a spear through my head today...nothing serious, and I promise by tomorrow, I'll be gangbusters! It's just one of those days...so forgive me if I don't wax philosophical. I'd just like to let you know that we'll be having slow session tomorrow night for sure! Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 South Main, Voorheesville: December 10, 2008 at 7:30 PM. Bring your $4 for photocopies, heat & lights! Bring munchies to share!

Sligo Night was postponed until this month because I was sick last month with whatever creeping crud was going around. Not so tomorrow! We'll be talking about/listening to music from County Sligo and surrounding areas, talking about repertoire, musicians, styles, etc.

I've got Elaine's pile of copies of "The Kilavil Jig" sheet music, and we'll try and learn "Have a Drink with Me" by ear as well. They're both fun little tunes! Also, I may try and give you transcriptions of The Tarboltin Set from the playing of Michael Coleman, but I was listening to it yesterday and today, and I hear lots of interesting fiddle ornaments that won't necessarily translate to other instruments. Maybe I'll just bring a popular transcription and we'll have a good listen to Coleman's playing of it.

Caroline and other flute players will be interested to know that there is a thriving flute tradition up in Sligo and environs, and we'll listen to some players, talk about that, and maybe look over a few lists of tunes to see what we might know from the tradition.

Trusty's Listening Corner is a continuing feature of Slow Session -- He wants to know what you've been listening to, Irish or otherwise, that's informing your playing, your thinking, and your life! Come prepared to share artists, titles, and opinions!

See you tomorrow!

Hard to Listen when your ears hurt!

2008-10-16T13:39:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

I'm home feeling kind of miserable with a couple of ear aches -- and my plan for the trip to and from work was to listen to Mary MacNamara and Yvonne Casey. That's scrapped for today, but probably tomorrow. Mary is an outstanding concertina player from Tulla, East Clare, and Yvonne is from West Clare. They both grew up surrounded by the music, steeped in it, taught by the best of family and friends from their home areas. Unbelievable. So when you get to feeling like you really have to work at it to get new tunes or find the right teacher, don't be too discouraged. None of us had the advantages they had. Keep up the good work!

Mary MacNamara ends her eponymous album with a set of tunes called The Humours of Castlefin/The Glen of Aherlow/The Killarney Boys of Pleasure. I've been working on resurrecting those lately. Also, I've been listening to Trusty have a lash at Tommy Coen's Reel. Ever since Ged Foley said that Vincent Griffin plays at the Catholic Church for Mass on Sundays in Feakle, I've been poking around The Session looking at the tunes he has on his recording. He's a wonderful player and an awfully nice man. I'm going to buy one of his CDs when I meet him again in Feakle in January. If anyone else is interested, let me know and I'll grab you one.

Guys, help me out here! What are you listening to? Please share so I can get an idea of tunes you might be hearing! Here's to Jeff and those other friends of ours who've been feeling under the weather as well. Get well soon...

Oh, and don't forget. November is Sligo night! I've got some great music to play for you, and I'm building up our tune list! If you want to practice a set ahead, go ahead and work on The Killavil Jig and Have a Drink with Me. I believe they're both in O'Neill's 1001 Tunes.

More later...

The Trad

Kerry Night was Fun!

2008-10-09T13:42:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

I've already got some e-mails from you saying you had a good time last night listening to the tunes and playing the polkas and slides! I'm so pleased. I'm really enjoying getting a chance to sit and listen to some of the music that we wouldn't normally put on the CD player. If you're like me, you're probably so focused on learning that kickin' new tune that you don't want to be bothered with putting someone else's CD in to give it a listen. I have tunes going in my head all day so, as I tell Trusty all the time, the last thing I want to do is hear more tunes!

Really, though, this stuff is all about listening. That's why we're doing this new little piece. I can't take credit for it. It wasn't my idea. I learned it a long, long time ago when I took my very first arts week fiddle class from Willie Kelly, a mad brilliant fiddle player from the Jersey 'burbs (he learned from one esteemed Martin Mulvihill, and has this grand old sweetly ornamented style of playing). I think it must have been a beginner/intermediate class. It was a small group, anyway. Toward the end of the week, Willie took each one of us outside the class to have us play for him. I played my little tune for him, we talked about where it came from, who else liked to play that tune, etc., and then he said something I'll never forget. He just kind of cocked his head at me and said, "You just have to listen to the music. That's what it's all about."

So, I know you come to session to play. That's why we have those lists of sets to practice! But you also come to learn, so we have the music and the group experience. And now, I'd like you to come to the session to listen. I have some ideas about how that will grow, but for right now, I think we'll keep the structure as it is: a bit of listening and learning about a county or a style, a bit of learning tunes from that area or those people, a bit of our regular session tunes, and maybe finish up with some spontaneous sets of tunes.

Remember, next month is Sligo month! Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 7:30 PM! Some folks have approached me about moving the time earlier (maybe even as early as 6 or 6:30 PM). I'd have to have some discussions with Old Songs about the time, but I'd like more feedback on whether earlier is better for you guys so we can see what direction to go in with it!

Enjoy the sunshine!

The Trad

p.s. which polka and/or slide from last night are we going to pick to play next month?

It's Kerry Night...and the feelin's right...oh what a night!

2008-10-07T21:12:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

We're going to have our Kerry night tomorrow night, featuring a little bit of palavar about popular music from the area, a few tunes on the boom box, as well as playing some polkas and slides. If you've picked some out to share, please bring them and we'll give them a lash. We'll also play some of our standard session tunes, so get bonin' up!

I've been corresponding with Kyle Carey and Maura MacNamara, both of whom are out-country, and loving it! They send their regards and shared with me their experiences with "styles", Kerry, and Irish music in general. I've condensed some of their comments to share with you tomorrow, and if anyone has been to Kerry and wants to share their own perspective, we'd love it! I don't intend to spend very long on this part, as we all desperately want to get to the tunes -- so no rambling, I promise...

See tomorrow night, Wednesday, October 8 from 7:30-9 PM! Don't worry if you don't know the music -- I don't really know many polkas or slides either, so we're going to wing it together and have some fun!

Remember, $4 covers photocopies and heat! Bring treats to share...

Stay Warm!

The Trad

Clare Night was just a start...

2008-09-21T15:20:00.004-04:00

Thanks to those who came to slow session in September! My presentation about Clare was a resounding failure! But that's only because I wasn't sure how to prepare. I knew I should have started with a county less familiar to me than Clare. I had way to much to say and didn't want to bore people with it, so it pretty much ended up being a kind of pathetic little thing.

In any case, I want to say thank you to those who came for giving some thought to the differences in style and repertoire of two ceili bands whose recordings we listened to. I'm still formulating my thoughts on that, and will continue to research and prepare a little presentation for later in the year. I do promise that Kerry night will be much more fun and better organized! I also know that a few people are planning to bring some sheet music for some slides and polkas we've worked on in the past or that they've been working on over the last few months. It should be fun to look at that, as well as learn about some of the other well-known musicians, singers and storytellers from that beautiful county.

If you went to Irish 2000, I hope you had a more relaxed and less fragmented time than we did! I will say that we had a blast collaborating with Bairbre McCarthy in the couple of sets we did, and we hope to do of that in the future. With Bairbre's permission, I'll be posting one or two of the pieces we did together on our myspace page soon. We also met a friend who plays accordion and had a nice little session, even with the rock stage blasting in our ears. A few real trad tunes always make the day, in my opinion.

In the meantime, have a grand remainder of the weekend. I'm going to take a nap now!

The Trad

How can I possibly have summed up Clare music for you? I am a total nut job!

2008-09-09T22:54:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

I started writing a blog about six times -- I have the drafts in my blogger to prove it.

I went from writing sort of a serious essay giving all this history about the county and the instruments and blah blah blah to giving you my little history of where I started and where I am now to basically name dropping and calling it good. I'll give you the name dropping in a minute, but I wanted to share a bit of a response from one of our sessioneers.

John and I have been corresponding a bit about various things (we both took Randal's class at Arts Week), and we've both studied with Patrick Ourceau and Laurel Martin, so I asked him what his thoughts were on Clare music. Here's what he said (apologies, John, for not asking in advance if this is ok, but I like what you had to say):

"Hilary,
My first real exposure (knowingly) to Clare music was also through Martin Hayes - I think it was The Lonesome Touch CD. I grew up in NYC and was fairly familiar with the sound of the NYC/Sligo style. I was really taken with that Martin Hayes CD - the pace, the dynamics, the sparse but tasteful ornamentation, all made it much more interesting than just dance music. I then went on a hunt for other examples of Clare music. I quickly hit upon Patrick Ourceau's CD with Gearoid. That sealed it for me. That was the sound I was hearing in my head and trying to emulate (largely unsucessfully). An added bonus is my brother plays concertina.
I was thrilled when I learned that Patrick was coming up to Troy and holding workshops and lessons. He pointed me in the direction of a lot of the older players - Paddy Canny, An Historic Music of Irish Music with Paddy Canny and PJ Hayes (one of my favorites), Bobby Casey, the Paddy in the Smoke CD, Willie Clancy, etc...

The pace, the phrasing, the intonation (neutral notes), ambiguous modes (think Paddy Fahey) all make it sound more ancient to me. I still really like the Sligo style - from Michael Coleman and James Morrison to Tony DeMarco and John Carty, but the typical Clare style really intrigues me.

Have fun tomorrow night. Hopefully I can catch up with you and Eric in October.
John McD"

He's right, there's great spirit and joy in the Sligo/New York music, too, no doubt! I have my favorites, too.

As to Clare music, there's a certain lift and rolling pulse to it. As I've read in discussions about local and regional styles all over, I'll say, "I can't describe it, but you'll know it when you hear it."

Fintan Vallely says of Clare music, in his book "The Companion to Irish Traditional Music", "The slower tempo of Clare style allows the player to concentrate more on the melodic aspects of the music. The bowing is more fluid, and extensive use is made of left hand ornamentation such as rolls. Frequent distinction is made between music from the west of the region and that from the east. The West Clare style is represented by the fine playing of Bobby Casey, Junior Crehan, John Kelly, Patrick Kelly, and Joe Ryan. The East Clare style is very much associated with the playing of Paddy Canny, whose wonderful music has been an inspiration to many, including those who play in other styles."

So our friend John is really on the money when he says: "The pace, the phrasing, the intonation (neutral notes), ambiguous modes (think Paddy Fahey) all make it sound more ancient to me." Mr. Vallely couldn't have said it better!

I agree with them both. When I think of Clare music, I think immediately of a certain sound, exemplified by the recording he references, one we lovingly call "The Four Smiling Champions", that features a great set of reels called "The Taproom Set." It features that pulse, those "in-between" notes, and more. You want that Clare sound to the max? Dial up the Tulla Ceili Band. It's that rolling lift times a million.

As to players, I think very first of Paddy Canny, Bobby Casey, PJo Hayes, Peadar O'Loughlin, Junior Crehan; of Dennis Liddy and Michael Hynes (great CD called Waifs & Strays); I think of Martin Rocheford, an East Clare musician who played many instruments; Micho Russell of Doolin (whistle and great singing); of Kitty Hayes (concertina); of Pat O'Connor (The Green Mountain); of John Canny (accordion); of Josephine Marsh (accordion & fiddle); of the MacNamaras -- Mary and Andrew; of Tola Custy (fiddler from the famous Custy family); sure and John's right about pipers: Willie Clancy, Garrett Barry, Ronan Browne, Peter Laban, even Johnnie Doran of Wicklow, whose notation on the back of a photo said, "I was welcome anywhere I went. My favorite counties were Kerry, Clare, Mayo.....My best counties were Clare and Galway." He spent a good bit of time in the west of Ireland, although he lived the life of a Traveller and spent many days on the road from Dublin to Waterford.

Now, as an example of "but you said that Clare music doesn't sound like that!", let's take a stroll over to the "K" section -- The Kilfenora Ceili Band [the only ceili band, incidentally, to win three All-Ireland championships in a row (1993, 1994 AND 1995!)], has a completely different, entirely more bouncy and almost "sligo-ey" style. I can't explain it. I don't know why.

Tomorrow night I'll play you a few tracks from Tulla Ceili Band and Kilfenora Ceili Band -- after all, what's the music for but for dancing. I'm interested to hear your reflections on the county and the music, and we'll also work on a few tunes from one or the other of the bands. I've been poking at our session tune list to see how many tunes are identified with the county or were popular tunes for the sets. I'll let you know!

Or maybe you'll let me know! The whole point of this exercise is just to get familiar with some musicians from the area, and to hear a sampling of the style and of the tune choices!

See you tomorrow!!!

The Trad

Sigh Where did summer go?

2008-09-04T15:53:00.007-04:00

Dear friends,

Why am I blogging at 6:00 am? I took a Claritin D and now I'm awake. I've been awake since 3:30 this morning. I've been thinking about the end of summer, and about school starting up again, and about the slow session, of course!

As we wave goodbye to summer, we also wave goodbye to that fantasy of free time: long, sunny summer afternoons swinging our feet in the lazy brook or those short, but sweet nights of all-night tune fests in some dingy bar or at someone's backyard barbecue. Remember those dreams of accomplishment we all had? [I'm going to learn a tune a week all summer long....I'm going to buy and learn a new instrument...I'm going to hike the Long Trail every weekend this summer....I'm going to read War & Peace before Labor Day...] Yeah. Right.

Back to reality. Some of you have kids you just stuck on the school bus for the first time this school year. Some of you are just lamenting the loss of long, sunny days and early Fridays. Some of you are just so buried in work you didn't notice it was September. I notice that school buses sometimes slow my progress to work. I have to plan around them. Other than that, I'm kind of envious of the kids: they get to go school shopping (I love supplies!), and get new clothes, and get a fresh start. I believe in "New Year"s, as you know. I look at your birthday as the beginning of your personal new year; and of course I love making New Year's resolutions on January 1 that I know I'll never keep! But, somewhere in my head I have this visual of the calendar as a sort of a racetrack. It's an oval, and it always starts in September for me. Someone just waved that green flag, and I'm all GO!

Whether your experience matches any or all of the above, we all have this in common: shorter days, crisper weather and long, cool nights are a veritable breeding ground for sessions, tunes and musical fun! Let's have our own special Slow Session New Year's! At this month's slow session, I want to feature a little tribute to my favorite county: Clare. We're gonna learn a set of reels (either from my favorite Ceili band, The Tulla, or maybe a reel from East Clare and one from West Clare). We'll go back to the hornpipes The Peacock's Feathers (in dmin and dmaj), and there must be a great set of jigs we can do.

In preparation, I'm doing a bit of research on Co. Clare, and I think I have a handle on the music from there, but there are so many ways of doing things and so many opinions, that I'm trying to pull something together to share with you. I'll be putting my thoughts up here early next week, before the session...

Trusty Companion and I were talking last night about how different musicians we love, and how they're all from different places around Ireland. Then we got talking about their different styles. You know how three people can play the same reel and put the emphasis in a different place and come up with a completely different sound? Also, people from different places will choose different types of tunes to play.

Trusty and I thought it might be fun this "school" year to have a little special focus area for our sessions. So, here's what we're thinking: September is Clare, October will be Kerry (slides and polkas! Yay!), November will be Donegal, and December will be Sligo. Hold on! Slow down! Don't freak out! This doesn't mean we'll only be playing tunes from that region. It just means I'll give you some classic sets of tunes and maybe we'll have a listen to some recordings along with our regular session sets and round-robin playing...

Another thing I'd like to encourage this year: stories and songs. If anyone wants to present something that they're working on, let me know and we'll make a space for it. The sessions we go to in Clare always have a sort of little "solo" section in the middle where a few stories are told, some singers are featured, and some people who've got tunes they want to showcase can do so. This has kind of happened the past few months as a few of our players have tunes they love and want to share, in the hopes that we'll all learn them.

I'll give you your homework in the next blog. Right now I have to go get ready for work. No time for dog walking this morning. I've pondered enough in this blog, and I'll talk to you soon! Have a great day!

The Trad

Slow Session on Brief Hiatus! See you in Sept!

2008-08-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Dear Sessioneers,

In June, I was pretty certain we wouldn't have a July session, and we ended up having one. In July, I was pretty certain we wouldn't have an August session. I've decided for certain that we're going to skip August and pick up again in September. I've got a bunch of materials I need to prep for both slow session and for Eric's guitar class, and I'd like to be able to spend time on that so I'm really ready for you all in the fall.

Let's plan on starting up our sessions again on September 10, ok?It's been really fun seeing people here and there throughout the summer, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the whole gang together again in September! Save the date, and practice your tunes! See you soon,

The Trad

Walking the Dog or "How I found my Beginner's Mind"

2008-07-26T18:32:00.008-04:00

As many of you know, our dog is getting on in years. This means that her get-up-and-go is starting to...well, you know. I've started walking her on a lead so I don't have to worry that she'll wander into the road if a car comes by, instead of going off the road like I need her to. We used to walk three miles every morning at a nice, brisk pace. Now we walk maybe a mile, and the walking part is punctuated by frequent stops to sniff, root around in undergrowth, and maybe lap some water out of a mud puddle.

I don't rush her. I listen to her being her dogly self while I enjoy the sunshine, the gorgeous meadows, the cows in the neighboring farm's fields. I suspect the lead makes her feel connected to me. I know I feel more connected to her as she ages. I feel like I have to care for her more, look after her more, love her more. What strikes me, though, is the amount of time I have now to really look around me as we meander down the road. There is only one side road near our house and it is more heavily travelled than ours. We don't generally walk that way. If we were to walk a loop from our house, it would be about six miles long. That's a little more time than I want to invest, and I don't think she'd survive the trek. Instead, we walk south along our road for maybe a half mile. And then we walk back north along our road.

As we walked along in the glorious sunshine yesterday evening, it struck me that I've been observing this stretch of road through the seasons for over seven years now. I'm starting to notice things changing. Little things. Neighbor's got a new combine. There are three calves in the upper field. The county road crew doesn't know how to patch potholes very well. The farmers down the road rebuilt part of their stone wall. The former councilman has his garden in. The new folks have someone to mow for them. Little things that punctuate country life.

I like having a history with these little things. It is the stuff of living. They say not to sweat the small stuff, but actually, I think the small stuff is kind of the point. Did you ever notice that practicing your instrument is like walking the same stretch of road every day for a year? You focus on the little things until suddenly they're automatic, and then you're really free to look at (or listen to) the bigger picture! One day you're grinding away in a session because they're playing one of the six tunes you know and you'll be darned if you'll miss your chance to play it! You keep going to sessions, you keep playing at home, you take your lessons, and so on. And then it happens...one day you realize that you're not struggling to keep up! You're actually trading variations with someone and smiling and you're ready for the tune change. Or you're just listening because the people you're hanging with are so much fun to listen to...and...YEAH! This Irish Music stuff is so cool!!!!

That's when you realize that, now more than ever, those stupid scales and breath- or bow-control strategies and interval exercises are critical. And suddenly you're focused back on the little things. When you reach that point, you've achieved what Zen Buddhism calls "Beginner's Mind." You don't need to know it all, but the simple choice to focus on the little things changes everything. When does it happen, you ask? Well, it's that moment when you discover that knowing the scales in every key makes it quicker to learn a tune. It's the willingness to revisit a sticky spot in a tune, whether you're adjusting your fingering or breathing or bowing or phrasing, to see if there is a new way to play it. It is the ability to hear the pulse of a tune in someone else's playing and to know that you will give your all to get that same sound.

Above all, it is the patience to hear the music from all the players that surround you, good or bad, new or old, and respect their journey and incorporate it into your own experience.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read what I have to say. I'm sorry, but I've got to go now. I have to walk the dog.

The Trad

Right on top of things, eh?

2008-07-09T12:50:00.003-04:00

Yep. Here we are again, friends. To paraphrase Laure Cortese's blog, I started this thing to stay in touch with you all about what's going on musically, but I've spent more time doing the "musically" and no time at all keeping this up. .....We interrupt this meaningless babble for a public service announcement.....

[We will have a mini-session tonight at Old Songs: 7:30-9:00 PM, as only three of you have expressed an interest in coming, and one of you really wants to go to Saratoga for a session. See you later? I have no plans for tunes right now, but I'm thinking about a few reels. If we're a small enough group, maybe we'll try something really dead slow by ear.

Tip of the month: Bring an audio recorder.]

If this had been an actual useful piece of information, you would have heard Irish music in the background....we now return to our regularly scheduled meaningless babble....

The nice thing is that so many of you are doing so many musical things yourselves that I'm kind of enjoying the e-mail updates! Saw Fritz and Jen at Old Songs and they said busking at the Ithaca Irish Festival a couple of weekends ago was "interesting." I'll let them tell you why. All I can say is that we're relieved the concertina survived unscathed!

Just got befriended up with Dave on myspace. He's quite prolific and entertaining. Can't wait for him to get hooked up with Atavan so he can perform on stage! I'll post his myspace address here soon so you can enjoy his sense of mad brilliant humour...

Leanne is dancing and playing her way all over the damn state! Look out for her on the big stage soon. If you don't see her on the stage, chances are she'll be in front of the stage if you check out her facebook page!

David P. is playing up a storm, too, and has some very nice tunes. We had a nice chat at Old Songs. Let's go over Jerry's Beaver Hat again this week, eh?

Karen says she feelin' rusty, George is in NYC, and we won't see my-man-Jeff because he's crazy busy at work. Elaine is out o' town traveling. Eric is going to go home and practice tonight, as he'll be performing at a Celtic concert with a bunch of BSO folks on August 6 in a concert in Curtisville, MA!

That's the news in my world. Tell me what's going on in yours!

The Trad

Cancelling for Tonight -- but don't forget Old Songs Festival & Irish Arts Week!

2008-06-11T14:19:00.004-04:00

Tonight
Out of the whole group, I've only had two positive responses for tonight. I'm cancelling the session.

July
I'll e-mail everyone in preparation for July 9, and if I have enough positive responses (and the folks at Old Songs will let us use the building), we'll have a session in July.

Old Songs
Stay cool, everyone, and remember that even if you're not camping this year, at least plan to come for one of the days or concerts at Old Songs!

For Irish fans: Liz Carroll and John Doyle (another lefty fiddle player, btw, as well as brilliant guitarist and singer) and Andy Irvine (Irish/Greek bouzouki, gorgeous songs) will be at the festival.

For Celtic fans: April Verch (Ottawa fiddler/dancer extraordinaire!), Malinky (Scottish), Le Vent du Nord (Quebecois)

My personal favorites: Scott Ainsley (blues guitar/song, Vermont), John Kirk & Trish Miller (traditional & original music, song, dance). BTW, these two are the most generous, talented and friendly people you ever want to meet!

Some Memorials:
I've just heard they're having a memorial for Jackie Alper at the festival -- Jackie was an amazing woman, folk music, folklorist and radical! If you don't know who I am talking about, please don't miss the opportunity to learn more about her.

Old Songs will also be celebrating the life and contributions of U. Utah Phillips, a rambler, hobo, wobbly and folk legend. This is another don't miss.

The Visitors -- A Folk Opera
Andy and friends have outdone themselves yet again. If you didn't get to see The Visitors, a tale of the Adirondacks, you need to do so. A performance will be held on Friday afternoon of the festival, so make time to catch this moving, inspiring and highly informative theatre piece about the life, times and music of Adirondack people. Features an all-star cast!
_______________________________________________________
And now, my little advertisement for...
CATSKILLS IRISH ARTS WEEK!!!! July 13-19, including classes in music, song, dance and craft. Features sessions, ceilis, concerts, and much more! Culminates in Andy McGann Irish Festival on Saturday, July 19. If you're not signed up, you should get to it! Or at least plan to come down on a couple of weeknights and have tunes -- no charge for access to the sessions, which happen all over town all week! Weeknight evening concerts are affordable and star-studded.
For more info: http://www.east-durham.org/irishartsweek/

Sorry! Slow Session is THIS Wednesday -- May 14!!!

2008-05-12T11:08:00.002-04:00

Yes, guys! I'm sorry -- we've had some upheavals around the ranch this month, and I haven't been paying much attention to my blog or to you all.

Please come on Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 PM.

I will have tunes planned out and don't forget to practice your session sets! We'll be reviewing Otter's Holt, Galway Bay (in the waltz set), Eagle's Whistle/Inisheer, and much more!

See you soon! Instruments up! Players ready! Let's go......!!!!

The Trad

Nicely Done...

2008-04-10T06:39:00.003-04:00

Yes, my friends! I think we can safely say that was the best slow session yet! Keep up the great work playing those tunes. I had a lot of fun, and it sounded like you all did too. Excellent! That's the goal.

We played!
Boy, did we play! We played:

Gentle Maiden Munster Cloak (Waltzes)
Galway Bay (April 08 Waltz o' the Month) -- next month, we'll work on inserting it in between the two waltzes in the set above. Probably best to think about playing each waltz only twice in that case.
Mountain Road Swinging on a Gate Merry Blacksmith (Reels)
Kesh Jig Father O'Flynn (Top O' Cork Road) Blackthorn Stick (Jigs)
Eagle's Whistle (March slow tune o' the month) Inisheer
Hinchy's Delight (two part April jig o' the month) Rose in the Heather (Jigs)
Father Kelly's Speed the Plough (more Reels)
Birthday Cake somewhere in there....yum!
The Otter's Holt (April reel o' the month) Earl's Chair (NEW tune) (Reel)
Tonra's Tobin's Morrison's Out on the Ocean
The Swallow's Tail Cooley's Come West Along the Road (Reels)

I think that was about it. A few of us messed around a little with Long Golden Hair in two keys, and I got some suggestions for tunes to play next time. Elaine brought a March/Polka, and says she has a few suggestions. David (whistle) gave me some tune suggestions.

Your May Challenge: Come up with a tune to go after The Otter's Holt! If you're feeling creative, how about two tunes? Your entries should be e-mailed to me by April 30, 2008: fidilkid@hotmail.com.

Next Session: May 7, 2008, 7:30 PM.

Birthdays
It was nice to see such a big group last night, and happy birthday again to Dyan and also to Leanne. We have two friends here that are each celebrating a big birthday. One is ecstatic and embracing the experience, one is a little sad at reaching a milestone. One thing I've learned after so many birthdays of my own is that every one is a blessing, even as it carries us further along the stream of our lives. If you're feeling a little sad about getting there and maybe not having done something you had hoped to achieve, you're certainly not alone. I view every birthday as a personal New Year - a chance to make another resolution and to take one step (even if it is only one step this year) toward whatever huge thing I always wanted to do. So, my friends, find your next step! This is your year! Have a great one!

Tunes
I'm so glad that people continue to bring tunes to contribute. It would be great if you e-mailed the names of the tunes a couple of weeks BEFORE the session so that I can include them in the list.

As mentioned, I will continue to work on notation for each of the tunes on the session list. It occurs to me that there are folks who only learn by ear, and in their case, I think it'll be helpful to include a .wav or .mp3 file of the tune as well. I will get to work on that shortly, as well.

Techno-thoughts
This very nicely segues into my technology blips. Both David (mandolin, etc.) and Fritz (uilleann pipes, etc.) have sent me useful comments on how they are wrestling technology into becoming a very useful beast of burden. Their comments follow:

From Fritz:
"What I am currently doing notationwise is go to http://www.thesession.org/ or http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind or downloading and searching through the Norbeck files at http://www.norbeck.nu/index.html for my ABC file. I then copy and paste the tune as you would regular text into the ABC Navigator program http://abcnavigator.free.fr/abcnvgt.php?lang=eng and print out the sheet music.
More detailed instructions (there is no manual for ABC Navigator): While in the program window of ABC Navigator hit the ABC button and then the edit mode button and paste the ABC file into the program’s edit window. Hit the ok button and then the “maximize score panel button” and the file will display as typical music notation. You can then have the program play the tune or you can read it and play it yourself or print it out. The rendering is very good and the whole process is free!
For editing music I am using Noteworthy Composer http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/ . It is fairly inexpensive and does a great job of creating any kind of classical notation. A trick I use to get a trad tune into editable mode is to save an ABC file in ABC Navigator as midi and then open it in Noteworthy Composer (Noteworthy wont accept ABC format).
Fritz "

*Trad note: Noteworthy makes very nice looking notation. If you were at yesterday's session, you'll have gotten a copy of Fritz' transcription of Planxty Fitzgerald, which was done in Noteworthy.

From Dave:
"Here are some links and some software notes that might be blog-worthy : First, if you find an ABC for a song and you want to turn that intosheet music or a MIDI file, you can go here: http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html you can just copy / paste the ABC text into the web page and it willgenerate both sheet music and MIDI.... for those of us too lazy toinstall software such as Noteworthy. Next, a bunch of free trad mp3s from Comhaltas, from their books of popular tunes. Helpful to those of us who are trying to learn commontunes, by ear: http://comhaltas.ie/shop/detail/foinn_seisiun_book_volume_1/ http://comhaltas.ie/shop/detail/foinn_seisiun_book_volume_2/ And last, I guess, maybe it's worth mentioning to people that there'snow lots of software that lets you slow music down. Software likeAmazing Slow Downer isn't new. But if you just want to slow a trackdown to make it easier to learn, then both Windows Media Player andQuicktime can do that. In WMP, press Ctrl-Shift-S for Slow mode(press Ctrl-Shift-N to return to Normal speed). In Quicktime, clickon Window menu > Show A/V Controls, to show the dialog that has aPlayback Speed control. At least, that's where the options arelocated in the current versions of the software, on my Windows PC.
Dave"

*Trad note: These are some great tips also. I agree with Dave that Comhaltas is a great resource for tunes. In fact, they also preserve stories and songs, in case you're interested. One thing to watch for, as we've found with TheSession.org and other sources, is that you will always find minor oddities in versions. I'm seeing a pattern with that, and I now generally expect to have to modify a version to sync up with whatever I understand is a common session version. For other sources, I highly recommend Dave Mallinson's books (one hundred enduring session tunes, one hundred annoying session tunes, one hundred polkas that will make you want to put your eye out...you get the idea). In playing and discussing the tunes, we've found that there are the least amount of differences on standard session tunes with those books.

In Conclusion...
Thanks again, Lads for such a fabulous evening of music. I look forward to seeing everyone next month -- we'll continue this ultra-organized approach, as I think it keeps us all on track. Please practice the session sets of tunes on the right hand side of the screen there. I will be adding the new sets shortly.

Please send me an e-mail (fidilkid@hotmail.com) if you need music files or sheet music for any of the tunes in the sets. Elaine, I will get you my version of Mountain Road.

I would really like to see more people memorizing tunes, and not just relying on the sheet music. As you know, I'm not a big proponent of, "I can play anything. What page is it on?" That's my hang-up, I suppose, and I certainly won't throw you out if you use sheet music for everything. The rhythm of the session overall is dependent upon people having enough tunes to make the music flow at a certain speed and with enough confidence to make it as much fun to listen to as it is to play.

In the few years I've gone to Ireland and played in sessions, I've made loads of mistakes, embarrassed myself plenty, learned a lot about the music and how it is shared, and have NEVER ONCE seen a music stand or sheet music at a session. So, right or wrong, my hope is to give you guys the chance to practice the music enough to be able to play it without spots in front of you! Whether or not it ever happens for any or all of you doesn't really matter, I suppose! It's the journey that's the grand Craic, eh?

Happy Spring and see you all very, very soon!

The Trad

Even Further Update...

2008-04-06T22:28:00.002-04:00

OK -- read the two previous posts, and:

We'll also be working on Galway Bay, a lovely waltz that I got from the playing of James Morrison. I'll have that one written out for you, and it may go very very well with Munster Cloak as well -- maybe we'll try wedging it in between Gentle Maiden and Munster Cloak (I just tried it. Lovely. Sold. Get used to it, people...)

See you Wednesday!

The Trad

An Update...

2008-04-06T21:42:00.003-04:00

Hey, Y'all -- I ran into a little bit of a speedbump in getting sound files up. So, until I get that solved, I'll just let you in on my plans for Wednesday.

We'll be working on:

Rose in the Heather (d) -- an old warhorse jig that we've done in the past, and
Henchy's Delight (g) -- this tune was recorded by the Aughrim Slopes Ceili Band in 1937. Henchy's might be a challenge for our accompanists, as it sounds a little "ish" as Eric likes to say.

We'll also be working on:

The Otter's Holt, a reel in D, composed by West Clare-man Martin "Junior" Crehan.

I think that's probably enough for this week, including the sets of session tunes we'll be going over, but I think we might want to try Byrne's Hornpipe as well.

I WILL bring sheet music to session on Wednesday, but in the meantime, try and dig up any version of the tunes listed above to run through before we get together, ok?

See you all very, very soon,

The Trad

April Session brings....May Flowers...?!

2008-04-04T14:53:00.003-04:00

Hi, sessioneers! I'm looking forward to seeing you all next Wednesday, April 9 at 7:30 PM. I'm working on the learning list for next week. I'll be putting files up, including ABC and audio files, shortly. Also, I've got some resources for you courtesy of Fritz and Dave, and some links to tunes.

To Butch: try copying the link that I posted in my last blog (ctrl + C) and go up to your browser's address line and paste the address in (ctrl + V) and hit "Enter" -- all this assuming you are a PC person as opposed to a Mac person. Then I cain't hep ya. Haven't used a Mac since college. I know, my brain has been coopted by the evil empire.

Remember, our next session is coming up this Wednesday. I'll have the materials up tonight or tomorrow morning, but I'm planning on bringing music. What you need to practice is the session tunes listed in last month's post, as well as along the right side of the page. Those are our standard session sets, and we'll be playing them on a regular basis! The more we do it, the better we'll get!

See you soon!

The Trad

Slow Session Tomorrow Night...

2008-03-11T10:22:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends, Thanks to those of you who came out to the Guilderland Library yesterday to support us and fight for chairs with the elderly...we had a great time. A friend of ours even hosted an after-party for us! So, our elbows are warmed up, but our fingers are tired! Anyone want to come out to Old Songs and play some tunes? This Wednesday, March 12, 7:30 PM at the Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 South Main, Voorheesville!

Here's our list of session sets. We'll go through them first at a nice, reasonable pace: The Mountain Road (DMaj) Swinging on a Gate (GMaj) Merry Blacksmith (DMaj) (Reels)
Tobins (D) Morrison's Jig (Emin) Kesh Jig (G) Brendan Tonra's (D) (Jigs)
Father Kelly's (G) Speed the Plough (D) (Reels)
Swallowtail Jig (Emin) Gallagher's Frolics (Emin) Mist Covered Mountain (Amin) Kesh Jig Father O'Flynn's Blackthorn Stick (G) (Jigs)
Banshee (G) Silver Spear (D) Cooley's Reel (Emin) Come West Along the Road (G) (Reels)
Her Long Golden Hair Flowing Down Her Back (Amin) (slow tune)
Inisheer (G) (waltz)
The Peacock's Feather hornpipes (Dmin & G?)

We'll start the evening off with those, and then move to some other stuff -- maybe some new sets. We had some suggestions, and I just have to get a second to look them over and work them up. Elaine, if you come, would you bring sheet music for your tune?

See you all very soon!

The Trad

Spring?

2008-03-10T16:00:00.003-04:00

Friends, I want to share a wonderful essay I received a few days ago from my friend Marjorie on the East Coast. It moved me to think about the world around us, and how we move in concert with nature whether we realize it or not. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Silver Lake continues to reveal itself so charmingly, year after year, in all the different seasons.

This year the ice has stayed the entire season. Not necessarily safe to walk or skate on, but very little open water. That has been unusual.

The swans have taken to sitting in the middle of the ice, sometimes quite still, which has alarmed several of us in the past, fearing that the birds were somehow frozen into the ice and unable to move. But yesterday the swans were rather restless. Clearly not stuck to the ice.They sat for a while, but kept shifting, adjusting themselves, but with no particular goal evident. Just sitting.

But when I next saw them, a short time later, there were two swans, both walking on the ice, but with totally diffferent demeanors about them. The lead swan was strutting along, head held high, clearly the more experienced of the two. The second swan had his (or her) head tucked down, wings bent down almost dragging along the ice, as if to help her balance with each uncertain step she took. And with each step the swan's feet slid, looking like it were her first time on ice skates. She did not look happy.

Then, something happened. The first swan started running, and after came the less confident swan (unhappily) running as well. I could hear their feet slapping on the ice. Then they were airborne, and gently honking. They lifted up slowly, headed around the island, circled, and when they came back past me they were much higher, still gently honking, soared over the trees and out of the neighborhood. There is another pond nearby that I've heard they spend time at here in town. Clearly they had decided it was time for a change. Or at least one of them had decided this, and the other...well, sometimes change comes, whether one is ready or not. Whether with confident grace or slipping and sliding, it's going to happen. And if one is lucky, you might even end up flying.

Looking forward to spring!

Love, Marjorie

Thanks, Marjorie! And guess what, all? I saw an eagle today in my neighborhood! It was high up in a tree, looking down into the field and the creek below. I've seen eagles flying over the Hudson River plenty of times, but never up in cow country -- my neck of the woods.

Keep your chin up! Spring is almost here, and you never know what you'll see!

The Trad

Keep your hands where I can see them!

2008-03-06T14:45:00.005-05:00

Yeah, this whole blogging thing is fun and all, but what's really cool? Reading other people's blogs. In case you can't tell by the way I look, I like two things: music....and food. Anyway, while Trusty is working away at some tune or other, I guility (and voraciously) read food blogs.

I just found one that I'm in love with: The Wednesday Chef. Also 52 Cupcakes (http://52cupcakes.blogspot.com/) ...and Bee boppin' the Boroughs (http://beeboppinnyc.blogspot.com/)! Beebopp has a craft blog, too, but I can't find the link.

Wednesday is fabu for his way of thinking, and his really great view of food in the world! 52 is the Queen of Cupcakes (she bakes a different kind every week, and blogs about it). Yeah. I have one muffin recipe I make for Trusty. He takes them to work. Therein lieth his devotion to me. Until Dunkin' Donuts has their pumpkin muffins, and then I'm on my own for a month. Beebopp is who I wanted to be at 22, and wasn't.

I did spend the last year of school (I stayed an extra year to get an extra bit of a degree at Uni) wandering the far-flung parks and fields of greater Buffalo. I used to wander from my apartment near UB's south campus across town to Buff State and the Albright-Knox Art Museum. I found a lot of little shops, hole-in-wall coffee places, took photographs, hung out with ducks in parks. Ah, the sweet freedom of spending an entire Saturday (and sometimes Sunday) just wandering the city with noone waiting for me to be responsible for any-damn-thing-at-all! It's too bad blogs didn't exist back then. I really should've written about it for the Generation. But that would have been an organized and forward-thinking thing to do. Didn't have that in my repertoire back then.

As for music blogs, I'm loathe to recommend very many, because they're all like mine. Self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and sort of pedantic in some cases. I did just discover David Byrne's blog, though, and it's bright, insightful, funny, and very aware of more than just music in the world: http://journal.davidbyrne.com/. Check it out. This man is smart! Best show I ever saw, by the way, was David Byrne (just slightly pre-Rei Momo, I think) at Massey Hall in Toronto. The band hit the stage running, and Byrne salsa-ed, merengue-ed, and latin pop-ed himself all over the damn stage like a crazyman! And the horn section.....yeaaaahhhhhhh..... Ahem. Anyway...

While it's unlikely that I'm going to run off and start playing all kinds of other music, I'm finding it very refreshing to stop, look and listen around me at art, crafts, music, literature, food...you know...the cool stuff we're doing with our own two hands!

I think I'll go bake cupcakes....

The Trad

Zamboni Ride!

2008-02-13T12:14:00.007-05:00

Guys, I'm cancelling the slow session. I just can't get past the idea that even if the weather is great when we arrive at 7:30, it won't be a freakin' skating rink by the time we leave.

So, don't forget the Dance Flurry is this weekend (www.danceflurry.org) where trusty and I will be playing along with a million other fantabulous performers (!). Also, if you're not up in Saratoga (or if, like Jeff, you are but you're going anyway...), there's a phenomenal Old Songs concert featuring Alisdair Fraser and Natalie Haas (www.oldsongs.org for tix/info).

Also, a few reminders on upcoming cool music:

Irish Arts Week: Paul Keating reminded me to tell you all that there's an early registration discount for The Catskills Irish Arts Week (http://www.east-durham.org/irishartsweek/). It's totally worth it to register early if you can. Plus, check out the amazing teaching line-up! (Bear in mind, it is subject to change due to performers' scheduling.) Arts Week is scheduled for July 13-19, 2008.

Banjo Burke Festival: Bridget Burke asked me to let people know that there is a fundraiser for the Second Annual Banjo Burke Festival being held at the Celtic Hall in East Greenbush on April 22 (I think). I'll get you more details as soon as I can. (The festival will be held in East Durham on Columbus Day Weekend.)

Old Songs: Andy Spence asked me to remind people to get your tickets for the Celtic Fiddle Festival (featuring Kevin Burke - Ireland, Christian LeMaitre - Brittany, Andre Brunet - Quebec, and Ged Foley - every-damn-where on Guitar) on Tuesday, February 26 at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $25.

Celebration of Celts: Louise Dunphy asked me to remind you to save the first weekend in May for the Celebration of Celts, which I believe is moving back to the Chatham Fairgrounds. I'll let you know when I have more details. Cel o' Celts is May 2-3-4, 2008.

The Dance Flurry: Trusty and I wish you a very happy Flurry weekend! We hope to see you out there, and I want to remind everyone to go support Cedar Stanistreet and Friends for the Celtic session on Sunday morning! I expect, like always, the session will be in the Atrium of the main hotel. Don't miss it! It's going to be great fun! Also, Maura MacNamara will be playing in various places, as will Bob Gaesser and the Italian Village Dance Band. Get out and support our friends! (This weekend: Feb. 15-17)

Until Next Time,

The Trad

Random...

2008-01-29T16:14:00.001-05:00

I don't want you to think I forgot about you! Trusty and I have been working on a demo, and the experience has made us very much aware of our human frailties -- we make the same mistake over and over, even if we've practiced the corrections over and over; I get the intonation wrong on a passage...over and over; we fail to use all the variations or ornaments we'd planned on because that microphone staring us in the face is more terrifying than we'd counted on. Sure, you waltz in the first night thinking "How hard can this possibly be? We'll sit down, get tuned up, and blast through all 15 tracks in one night."

Yeh. Right.

So, it's been a slow go, but a great learning experience. If anything, I've left each session feeling more confident, and having a stronger sense of musicial direction. In fact, it's been easier to practice lately. I don't feel so daunted by the enormous amount of tunes there are to learn or to listen to. I've spent a few afternoons recently in front of the computer just letting my iTunes play while I play along. I have lots of CDs loaded on my computer, and I alphabetize the tracks, and just go. There's this great randomness to it.

It's been a challenge to keep up with the likes of Jimmy Noonan and the Kane sisters. It's been fun playing those groovy swoopy tracks from Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill's recording. And playing the old style with Breda or Claire Keville or Pat O'Connor or Kitty Hayes. So cool.

I bought Trusty a nifty little mp3 player for Christmas, and we've been downloading the podcasts for all the Trad shows from Clare FM (http://www.clarefm.ie/) and listening to them as we tool around town. I highly recommend this for a couple of reasons: 1. it's random (my theme o' the day), 2. you're unlikely to have every single recording on their play list (unless you're Gary Martin or Bob Gaesser), and 3. it brings tunes to mind that you didn't know you wanted to learn. One broadcast can send you off in a completely different direction than you thought you were going. And it gives you all kinds of ideas for linking sets of tunes together. Very good for getting ready for slow session!

Don't forget, slow session is two weeks from tomorrow. I think Karen will be with us, and George will be back from some sunny clime (he missed January because he was in the Caribbean), but I don't know that Colleen will be joining us as she's been under the weather, but everyone send good wishes in her direction that she'll be healing quickly and feeling better soon. We miss you, Colleen!

I'm hoping to see Sean and Jeff back, and Jennifer and Fritz!, and I know Pete will be there, if I can just remember to send him the darn lists I promised to mail out. I'm hoping that a couple of Nickelharpe players will join us (Peter and Debbie), and they're mad for Irish waltzes (JEFF, ARE YOU LISTENING?)....also, looking forward to having Leanne and Jim back, as well as Caroline (so nice to see you earlier this month!) and Elaine (grand, as always!). We had a new gent visit in January, but I feel so terrible, I don't remember his name. If you're reading this, please pipe up and remind me!

Well, all, I hope you're enjoying the cold weather, and the opportunity to practice! Don't be afraid of it. Just pick something you really like to play and play it! Get that instrument in your hands as often as possible. Hey, they've figured out that exercising for even as little as five minutes at a time can benefit you. Why can't you treat practicing that way? Just pick it up, play two tunes, put it away and go cook some dinner. Don't stress on it! You love this stuff!!!! Remember?

Catch you soon, and I hope I catch you playing...

The Trad

What Time Is It?

2008-01-13T11:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Trusty Companion and I played a contra dance. It was more of a trainwreck than a dance, but it was fun anyway! The best part? When we anticipated a change in the dance, and switched tunes at the perfect time! I've always been impressed by the great players, like Fennig's All-Stars, where their tune choices are superb and their timing is impeccable. Yesterday, we had a little taste of how that works.

It was so cool!

We hope you're having a great weekend, and that you've given some thought to my previous diatribe on community. If there's someone at the session you want to get together with and play some tunes to practice, ask them! Get their phone number or e-mail and make a date. That's how the rest of us started out. If we couldn't find a session, we'd make one at our house! You CAN do that. You share tunes you're working on, learn some that they've got, play together, and generally have fun. Our session usually involved chili and beer, but that part is up to you...

Don't forget, the list of sets for next time is up already (look to your right!). I will have copies of the big giant practice tune list for folks at February's session. Remember, it's Wednesday, February 13, right before The Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, NY (Feb. 15-17, 2008 at the City Center).

Phenomonal young fiddler Cedar Stanistreet and friends (probably John Cromie, a superb whistle player, among others) will be leading the Irish Jam on Sunday morning. So stay up all night and show up in the atrium of the hotel for that shindig. Should be fun! There's always a pile of fabulous players that come, including some kids from Boston who kick #$%!

In the meantime, enjoy the weather and the rest of your weekend, and don't forget to practice!

All the best,

The Trad

Living in a Virtual World

2008-01-10T16:39:00.000-05:00

Well, this takes the cake: I just finished reading a virtual interview between two avatars in a virtual lounge in Second Life, a virtual metaverse. The woman conducting the interview is a non-profit professional, and the woman being interviewed is the first person to have an avatar that earned One Million Actual US Dollars selling "real estate" in a virtual reality setting. That is pretty incredible. Someone will pay actual real discretionary income to purchase a plot of megabytes on a "private" island next to a pix-alicious waterfall so they can build their virtual dream home.

Where do they find the time?

Hey, don't get me wrong. I like the internet as much as the next guy. Well, maybe a little less than your average 15-year-old. And I'm reasonably savvy, but I haven't cottoned onto constant texting like every normal 24-year-old. MySpace is only now becoming a reality for me. And YouTube. Hey -- you can market your music there! (Our buddy David from the session did. Check out his band's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9Oz6_Ptizs. Excellent playing!)

When I first read this interview, I was struggling to understand how one would be attracted to the idea of creating a wholly new life and self in a brand new universe and making the time to live it. I mean, my whole life is really pretty filled up with living the life I already have. And then to have the wherewithall to create an income stream out of relationships forged with a whole bunch of people who are also sitting around in their jammies and fuzzy slippers, typing on their computers. Pretty creative.

So what happens in this "metaverse"? Well, people create their avatars, get oriented to their new world, make new friends, run around like maniacs, and maybe get their groove back. And then -- and here's the surprise -- they get bored. And they start to look for more. More? I don't mean more funky virtual clothes or jewelry or cars or houses or lovers or food or whatever consumeristic needs this fantasy world can fulfill. I mean more like finding your purpose or making a difference or needing to change the status quo. That's a question, though, isn't it? If you've just created this perfect self and environment and whatever, why would you need to change it? Isn't everything hunky dory?

Why would you want to change something that's completely made up? Isn't it just a pretend world? You can make it whatever you want, right? Well, No. There are other people creating their own experiences. It's not static. Things are constantly changing. Which would, perhaps, explain why there are activists and do-gooders in virtual worlds too. We aren't really changing the society completely, we're just moving it from one plane to another. Think about it: you go there and reinvent yourself. At the same time, zillions of other people are doing the exact same thing. Maybe you can change the way you look or what your life looks like or how you behave. And everyone else is doing that, too. Look, you can change yourself all you want, but you can't really change the fact that once you're there and someone else is there, it's sort of automatically a new society. A community. Whether you wanted it to be or not. So, now I get it. (Anthropology rules!) We go there to be someone we're not, have things we don't, create things we do. We want things to be better there, so we make an effort to make them better. And that includes charity in thought, word, and deed.

The person who made her Million-in-a-Metaverse has now become a metaphilanthropist. First she used some of her proceeds to sponsor a person who couldn't afford the fees to have access to Second Life. Seems like sort of a weird charity, but hey...she gave someone who couldn't afford it access to a global village. This guy, from an impoverished family in Southeast Asia or somewhere, could connect with people in Brazil, the U.S., South Africa, Iceland, or wherever the people he met were from. I'd say that's an incredibly cool opportunity, wouldn't you?

Next she saw an opportunity to foster real meaningful dialogue among Second Lifers on a larger scale. She had seen and heard avatars having thoughtful and informed conversations about real issues. So she donated the real estate to develop a Non-Profit Commons, a virtual suite of non-profit organizations to give them a place to promote themselves, connect with volunteers and people in need. Residents of the metaverse can visit, get involved, make a donation, or decide it's not for them and start stalking the hot chick who works at TechSoup.

Even in this virtual reality, you can volunteer your real time and energy, you can organize, you can create virtual events and hold them. There are people literally making a living by interfacing with this virtual metaverse. You can buy a private island to host your event. Big corporations are doing it. I think Google owns an island where their employees can "go" to attend company conferences or corporate training. Heck, the American Cancer Society held a virtual relay-for-life. In their first year, they raised $5,100. In their fourth year, they've raised over $100,000 without anybody strapping on sneakers. I know...it kind of defeats the purpose of a walk. But look, people clearly want to be engaged in community, and if you build it, they will come!

All right. Why is she talking about virtual reality? Has she completely lost her mind? We're not dialing it in from our computers. Is she selling Amway? Is she nuts?

Here's the thing: I'm not talking about virtual reality. I'm talking about us. About community. Our Slow Session is a community. Old Songs is a community. Neither are static. They're both growing. Both are stronger and better because you are involved, because YOU show up.

No matter what face you put on to come to session, no matter whether you're totally confident in your playing, working at it, or completely new at it and afraid of screwing up in front of everybody, you're part of our world. This session is about welcoming new people, helping to keep regular attendees growing and moving in the direction they want to go, and building confidence.

Remember, in this universe:
1. mistakes are welcome, even encouraged.
2. learning by ear is encouraged: bring a recorder and get the tune as it is played at the session.
3. we do care what you think: give constructive feedback if you think there's something you'd like to see happen.

What's Next for The Session?
In the spirit of growing and changing, we've found that maybe a little bit of a new approach would help keep the session fun and useful! Here's what's happening:

Session Portion
1. We're enjoying learning Waltzes. If Jeff is around, perhaps he'll start us off with one.
2. We'll start off each session evening by playing some sets of tunes. I'll be posting those shortly. If you want to suggest a set, please comment or e-mail me.
3. We'll play established sets every time, if we can get through them. This will help us get used to playing tunes in sets, get used to changing from tune to tune, and keep us building our repertoire.
4. We'll add new sets every time -- we can put some together right on the spot, incorporating tunes from the big lists, and new tunes that we're working on.

Learning Portion
1. We'll work on a few learning tunes: one or two from spots, and one or two by ear, depending on what people are interested in, and what they'd like to learn. Again, send recommendations or make a comment to the blog.
2. We'll finish up with either a slow tune or a new waltz and an old waltz, if Jeff is with us.

I hope this new format will be enjoyable for everyone.

Again, thank you so much for continuing to be a part of the slow session community, and welcome to those who are new. Thank you for bringing a vibrancy to Old Songs, along with all the other DIY-ers who make music during the week. Because of you, Old Songs is growing in so many wonderful ways. Old Songs isn't virtual, it's a reality. But it can only stay a reality if we support it. So, next time you're surfing around on the web, and you're feeling a little meta-philanthropic, visit the Old Songs site (http://www.oldsongs.org/) and consider making a donation. Keep the groove alive!

Happy New Year to you all!

The Trad

Happy New Year!

2007-12-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

or Tooriloo the Noo! as my lovely Scottish co-worker says!

Hey, guys?! Just ONE response?

Anyone else want to weigh in?

By the way, David, is it ok if I post a link to your "video"? That was some fierce playing!

The Trad

Something New in Oght Eight?

2007-12-19T20:15:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all! Yes, it is December. No, I have not posted since November. I'm sorry! I told you all I started a new job, and fabulous it is, and busy I am...oop, turning into Yoda am I?

Thank you to Colleen and George for staffing the slow session this month. I hope you all had a good time.

I've been watching the dynamics of our group for some while now, and wondering how to meet the needs of all our different participants. It seems to me that you probably have an opinion about that.

This post is a mini survey. I need feedback on what we'd like to be doing with our session in the new year. I think our regulars have come along great, and maybe are looking for something new.
I started this thing because I wanted there to be a place for people to learn the tunes together in a friendly, non-judgemental setting. And thank goodness Colleen and George stepped up to the plate to help guide, lead, and inspire us all!

So, gang, I'm curious to hear what is working for you, and what is not. Please be gentle -- remember, I do have feelings!

Please make "comments" to this post so everyone can see what you think.

Please pick and choose, and give me additional feedback:
"In 2008, I'd like to see us:

1. continue to work on new tunes together
2. have a mix of session and new tunes
3. just play tunes
4. other (fill in your own blanks)"

___________________________________________________________
One caveat to all:
this session focuses specifically on Irish tunes. There are some wonderful groups and sessions out there that open the floor up to French Canadian, old time, folk, country, bluegrass, etc. So those tunes are covered elsewhere. My love, my focus, and my area of interest is Irish music. That's what this gathering is for. (Yes, we worked on Josefins Dopvals. So, I make exceptions!)

Three points to all:
1. I'd really like to see people learning more by ear and relying less on the notes.
2. the best way to accomplish that is to a) buy and LISTEN to IRISH recordings and musicians; and b) to listen to the trad shows on www.clarefm.ie.
and finally,
3. there is no "secret list of Irish tunes" that are popularly played, because the repertoire is different from session to session, town to town, state to state, region to region.
That being said, I WILL have a list of popular tunes to hand out at the January session.

Remember, you all are doing great! You all inspire me, and I look forward to seeing you every month! Keep playing, keep loving it!

The Trad

p.s. Trusty Companion and I have updated our website. Please visit www.lawsontrad.com!

Brrrr. Feels like Winter!

2007-11-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

Hi! Remember me? The Trad? I'm still here. I haven't forgotten you, I promise! It's already November. I can't believe it! Where did the time go?

I guess when it feels like summer all the way through October, you can't be faulted for not realizing it's nearly winter, can you? But the heat in our house is on, and I cannot ignore reality for much longer. I wear long johns now when I sit at the computer. I'm thinking about breaking out the fingerless mitts my folks gave me for Christmas last year...

Friendly note: If the heat is on in your house, put your dampit in your case or your instrument right away! I gave you this lecture last year, so I'll spare you, but if you need one: for fiddle/mandolin http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=Dampit; for guitar/bouzouki http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=guitar+humidifier&src=00630&247SEM; for flute: http://shakuhachi.com/Q-Acc-Humidifier.html. For accordion? You wanta go in there and scrape the rust off?

Rick (in Eric's guitar class) keeps his home humidified and leaves his guitars out on stands or the wall. I envy him, frankly, because that means he lives in a more modern dwelling. We live in a 150 year old home. There are gaps in the floorboards. Everything shrinks up in the winter. It's easier (and probably cheaper) for us to slather ourselves with lotion and put dampits in the instrument cases. The cat and dog disagree, but they're not paying the bills, now are they?

Anyway, Slow Session is next Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 PM. Roger Mock will be finishing up his guitar class at about 7:15, so if you come in early, please just mill around and let them finish up! I will be working on pulling together versions of tunes tonight and will post them on a page on my website. I'll also bring the spots for the tunes. Julie and Jennifer had a great idea in September: they both had binders with their tunes in them. That's one way to keep track of what we've worked on, or tunes you'd like to recommend. I'd still like to get away from using the spots DURING the session, though, as much as possible! I love the idea of having a reference book for tunes, and we should have that before Christmas, but let's keep the session focused on playing tunes slowly, and not using the music so much, ok?

Now that we're picking tunes the month ahead, and posting them, everyone should have time to practice the tunes before coming. We still want to keep tunes as a slow pace. There are other opportunities, such as the Comhaltas session or the Jose Malone's session to try out your tunes in a regular session setting. This is the repertoire building opportunity! And I thank you all for making it possible. I love learning new stuff, going over old stuff, and developing my ear thanks to you guys. I hope you're enjoying it too.

See you next week, and until then, stay toasty!

The Trad

Nice Session!

2007-10-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everybody who came out, especially George for teaching us tunes. It was great to see Pete and Diane again, too, and welcome to Sean and Dick! Jeff, Karen, Dave, Karin, and Colleen were there, too, so you see we had plenty of talent and a lot of laughs! There's room for more bodies, so if you see something on the list below that you like, plan on joining us for next time.

To our new friends, I should mention that usually we're a little bit more of a lively group, but I think we were all half asleep, so come back next time and I promise to be more cheery!

October 10
We worked on tunes by ear this time -- the photocopier doesn't like me...
Colerain Jig (with all the sharps!)
The Peacock's Feather (Dmaj) Hornpipe
some waltzes, including Gentle Maiden and Southwind. I think there were more, but I can't remember names. I think we all liked Gentle Maiden, so I'll bring copies next time.

Thank you to Pete and Sean for bringing treats....

I enjoyed getting the chance to really learn a tune by ear instead of blasting through it on paper. Keep practicing the tunes from this month, so you have them for next! I told Elaine in an e-mail that Trusty Companion and I loved King of the Fairies so much that we are playing it now in gigs!

Learning Tune List for November 14:
Reels: Father Kelly's Speed the Plough
Hornpipes: review of Peacock's Feather (DMaj) and we'll learn the minor Peacock's Feather
Set Dance: Jockey to the Fair
Waltz: Gentle Maiden
O'Carolan: Morghan Meghan
Jigs: still open for someone to pick! Send me an e-mail or comment on this post!

Just so we're playing the same version anyway, let me pull together some music for y'all to check out. I'll bring spots to the session next time, and not try to rely on the Old Songs copier. As I said, it doesn't like me much...I'm feeling kind of the same way about the copier, frankly!

Best wishes to Julie and her family on their trip to Kazakhsthan! We look forward to seeing you in November!

And don't forget, the East Coast Pipers Tionol (www.eastcoastpipers.com) is coming up on Oct. 26-28 in East Durham (Gavin's Golden Hill Resort). Don't miss a great concert, a chance for fiddle or pipes classes, and plenty of session action!

Happy Playing Y'All!
The Trad

October Tune List

2007-10-08T23:51:00.000-04:00

This month's Slow Session is in two days. Wednesday, Oct. 10 (My friend MaryAnn's birthday!) at 7:30 PM. $3, $4 if we make a lot of photocopies.

I'd like to propose, in the absence of last month's notes, that we work on Boys of Ballisodare and The Five Mile Chase (a couple of reels we should have been working on since August), the waltzes -- let's go over Josefin's, but also do the others listed on the Sept. list. Also, let's do Colerain jig, and, when people send me their replies from tonight's frantic e-mail request, I'll post up what people suggested.

I'm also doing a survey: "What were the first ten tunes you learned?" Please answer that by posting a reply to this post!

I'm looking forward to seeing everybody, and I'm pretty sure George will be back, as well as Karen White and hopefully Colleen!

Happy Fall Everyone! -- Hilary

Piece of String

2007-10-08T23:45:00.001-04:00

OK. We made an observation the other day: Cat has fun playing with piece of string. Needs no other moving parts. String perfectly sufficient for complete amusement.

Humans have fun watching cat play with string. Probably humans have MORE fun watching cat than cat has playing with string. Humans talk to cat, who ignores them and plays with string. Humans talk to each other about how cat plays with string. Humans laugh at cat -- cat playing with string is ridiculous. Oblivious to reality. Doesn't know how silly it looks. Humans mock cat. Cat focuses on string. Continues ignoring humans. Continues playing with string. Cat has nice experience.

So...

Which are you? Cat....or human? Are you actually playing with string? Or just watching?

Thank you. That is all.

Some Items of Interest...

2007-09-10T21:27:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the good and the bad mingle, and we get....life.

Our friend Ms. J. passed over on Thursday, and our friend Mike D.'s brother died on Friday, we're very sad to say. Our condolences to the families of our friends. We're thinking of you. We wish we had done more. We wish we could do more. Anyway, thanks for letting us be there a little bit for you.
_________________________________________

At the same time, there's a few really wonderful things happening right soon. Let's talk about them:

September 11, 2007 at 7:30 PM Free Concert featuring Brendann Begley & Caoimhin O Raghallaigh
Skidmore supergrrl Kyle Carey has organized another amazing concert up at Skidmore (her home turf) tomorrow night in the Spa of the Case Student Center, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs. You can catch a free concert featuring Breandann Begley and Caoimhin O Raghallaigh. (See the description below for info, and visit www.stateofchassis.com for more about them.) An open session will follow, so bring your instruments.

For directions: http://cms.skidmore.edu/map/directions.cfm

Breandann Begley-A button accordian player from the small village of Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula of West Kerry, Breandann hales from a famous musical family that included his brother Seamus. who partnered up with Steve Cooney and revolutionized the Irish music scene with a percussive guitar technique. Many believe that Breandann is the better accordian player, he just wasn't lucky enough to team up with Cooney...who's to say!

Caoimhin O Raghallaigh-Pronounced Key-Veen. An Irish-speaking Dubliner, Caoimhin has a phD in astro-physics, builds illium pipes, and plays fiddle like he was born in the 1920's...and guess what...he's about 25, with crazy hair to boot. While archiving old recordings at Trinity College, Caoimhin mimicked the style of the players. Bottom line...all the old players in Ireland are crazy about the kid, he has a style similar to the infamous Paddy Cronin, and I've never heard anything like him before. You have to hear it yourselves folks to believe it!

I hope we see you there!!!! Bring your instruments! And your Irish tunes!
_____________________________________________________________
October 7, 2007 in Troy, NY Empty Bowls: A Fundraiser for Capital Region Food Pantries
Potters make and donate bowls and restaurants donate soups. For $10 you can get a bowl and try different soups. All proceeds go to the food banks. Last year they got over 1200 bowls! Please support it if you can!

I'll put up a link once I get it from Colleen, our slow session co-leader. She won't be around on Wednesday, because she'll be making this whole bowl thing possible! You Rock, Colleen!

Eight Days a Week [or seven days 'til session day!]

2007-09-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

Hey, Sessioneers, it's one week 'til session day! Next Wednesday, September 12!

Here's the list to be working on for this month:
Swallowtail Jig (jig)
Swallowtail Reel Swinging on a Gate (reels)
Margaret's Waltz Southwind (waltzes)
Colerain (jig)
Boys of Ballisodare Five Mile Chase (reels)
Josephine's (waltz) + listening party -- bring a recording of this if you have one!

Also, you'll want to review these tunes from August:
Inisheer (waltz-ish slow tune)
Contentment is Wealth (aka Carty's Jig)
King of the Fairies (set dance)
Out on the Ocean (reel)
Kesh Jig Stool of Repentence (jigs)
Father Kelly's (reel)
Tonra's (jig)

And, finally, did you beg, borrow, or steal a trad Irish recording and listen to it? If not, you still have time! We just borrowed a CD from our friend KDawg: a recording by Traonach, a band from Ithaca. Interesting stuff with nice accompaniment and pleasant arrangements in some cases. I think the weakest piece of the CD may simply be some mixing issues. I wouldn't put the CD at the top of my list, but I enjoyed listening to it. They've selected nice tunes, and have a really nice musical vision. By the way, Traonach will be at the 1st Annual Joe Banjo Burke Festival on Oct. 5-8, 2007 in East Durham. Check out the line-up: www.joebanjoburke.org.

Overall, my goal in listening to this CD was to listen critically. I was thinking about what I want to hear in CD. How does the music flow from track to track? Are there good solid changes? Creative changes? What instrumentation? Are they getting repetitive in their ornamentation or phrasing? Are they rushing? Going too slow? What would I do with that tune? And it is all with the intention of learning from your peers, and getting better at the music!

Critical listening changes as your ear improves. At first, you can't tell when the music shifts from one tune to the next. As you get more familiar, you can hear that. As you improve further, you get interested in the arrangements and the tune versions. Pretty soon, you're listening to to the CD for the 40th time, and are surprised to hear a tune you already play that you didn't hear before. Finally, you're listening to tunes to pick up ornaments, variations, or arrangements so you can use them when you're playing.

Where are you on this scale? Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing your tales of great joy and discovery! Send me an e-mail if there's any topics you want to see on the blog.
Best,

The Trad

Concert for Jerry Holland

2007-09-04T09:51:00.000-04:00

Okay Traddies, I'm going to share an e-mail from a really great person and fantastic singer and musician, Julee Glaub. For those of you who don't know her, she is a staff person for the children's programming at the Catskills Irish Arts Week, and she performs in a duo with amazing guitarist/singer Mark Weems. So, she's writing to everyone to tell us about a benefit to help a musician friend: Jerry Holland. And since his name came up in the comments section of this blog, I thought I might share her message with y'all.

The Trad

Dear Friends,

I am honored to be asked to participant in a benefit concert for fiddler Jerry Holland in Boston next weekend. The past several years I have gotten to know Jerry when we were both teaching Celtic Week at the Swannanoa Gathering in NC. He is a good soul and an amazing fiddler and has been very sick in the last months with cancer. It has been wonderful to watch the traditional music community all over the globe gather around him emotionally and financially.

Seamus Connolly dreamed up a concert in Boston on Sunday Sept. 9th in Jerry's honor. I hope to see you there. If you are unable to attend, but would like to contribute to the Jerry Holland fund, please visit http://www.jerryhollandfund.org/

Please note concert information below.
All the very best,
Julee Glaub

----------------------------------------------------------Center for Irish Programs, Boston CollegeGaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop and Lecture SeriesFall 2007 Eventshttp://www.bc.edu/gaelicroots ----------------------------------------------------------Sunday, September 9Boston University, Harvard University, and Boston College will co-sponsor abenefit concert for fiddle player Jerry Holland at Boston University.Details are available at http://www.concertforjerry.org/

I'm feelng guilty.

2007-08-26T19:37:00.000-04:00

So summer's over in a week, and I haven't done half the things I had on my list to do. Go for that hike in the Helderbergs; start horseback riding again; read War & Peace. (No. I made that one up.)

Anyway, I always liked fall best. It's my favorite season: crackling leaves, cool, crisp air, beautiful mosquito-free evenings looking at the stars. Plus it means it'll be cool enough to want to be inside more so we can learn more new tunes.

Anybody going to hear any Irish music soon? I don't even know what's happening -- I'm on my own little planet. How 'bout if you guys give me an update, eh? I do know about a few things coming up in October, though:

The Joe Banjo Burke Festival is happening for the first time on October 5-8, 2007: www.joebanjoburke.org. It looks to be a very, very nice fall weekend festival that includes instrument classes, dancing, sessions, concerts and much more.

I encourage everyone to participate in some way, for two reasons: 1) it's Irish music, and it's the real thing. Go hear it, play it, share it, live it! and 2) the organization fundraises for research for Parkinson's Disease, which took Joe's life way too soon, and supports the cultural aspects of Irish life (music, dance, language, sport). They even have a "talent instrument clearinghouse" for deserving students who don't have an instrument. Father Charlie Coen has generously donated several beginner instruments, and I know they can use more, so if you'd like to donate an instrument you're not using or learn more about the program, visit the website.

The Irish Traditional Arts Advisory Board for this organization is full of pretty amazing musicians, including Joanie Madden, Mike Rafferty, Jerry O'Sullivan, Brendan Dolan, and more. They'll be looking for officers for the organization soon, so if you're interested, get in touch with them and get involved!

The other important event to note is The East Coast Pipers Tionol on Oct. 26-28, 2007 (www.eastcoastpipers.com). It's a weekend of classes in pipes and fiddle, sessions, a fabulous concert, and cameraderie in the music. This year, as you noticed the O'Connell Lounge has a distince Kosher flavor, the Tionol will be held up at Gavin's Golden Hill Resort. Make sure you check out the registration info so you can get accommodations if you need them.

These two events, in addition to the thriving Catskills Irish Arts Week, could bring that little sleepy town back to life! Now, if you know anyone who lives in the area, please pass along the info and help us figure out how to publicize these festivals!

OK, down off my soapbox. Enjoy the last hazy days of summer...

The Trad

Tanglewood Schmanglewood

2007-08-16T10:16:00.000-04:00

Yeah. We played Tanglewood last night. Pshhhh. Weren't nuthin'. I can do that anytime I want. Phhttt. Whatever.

[silence]

[followed by bursts of laughter]

OK, I Lied!!!!! It was so cool!!!!! We had such a great time! We met so many great people! WOW! Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talkin' bout!

Anyway, we were asked to play by one of BSO's own violinists, so the quartet was made up of Bonnie, Bass-man Ben (also of the BSO), Trusty Companion, and Yours Truly. We had a rollicking good time up there on the steps of the Main House, which overlooks only one of the greatest views I've ever seen (at a gig certainly, but no, pretty much anytime -- it was gorgeous). I tell you this mainly because I want to brag on them. Bonnie and Ben are consummate musicians, really fun to work with, and have a great ear for the music. It was a real pleasure to be asked to join them.

We had a lot of fun playing tunes together, and hearing each other's favorites. Bonnie played a delightfully bittersweet waltz, called Josephine's, which I think I understand is Swedish. Jeff, our slow session waltz man*, and I agree we should work on it in September. Jeff has heard a recording of Alisdair Fraser playing it. It is also on a Natalie MacMaster recording. I know Dervish recorded it on "At the End of the Day." It is also on their compilation album "Decades". I personally know of it because I heard Vasen, a Swedish group, play it both live and on recordings.

*Note to Jeff: Bring your recording of Alisdair so we can hear it. I'll try to get my hands on Vasen's version...if anyone has the Dervish version, please bring it in September. We'll have a listening party.

By the way, gang, I was surprised when I heard how few of you are actually listening to Irish music on a weekly basis. Don't be afraid...There's nothing wrong with trying it out -- it won't hurt your ears, I promise. If you're willing to play it yourself, you should really be listening to the real thing! It will inform your playing -- you'll begin to hear the phrasing and the esprit that is unique to this type of music. Now, I'm not mocking you. I'm not harrassing you. Wellllll. Just a little. I just want to know how you can sit in an Irish slow session and tell me you don't listen to any of it?! My point is that if you're listening to all those other kinds of music, and playing them as well, what is holding you back from listening to the Irish stuff?

Are you afraid of it? (maybe.) Are we too damn serious for you? (not really, we're just concentrating.) Do you think you'll discover you aren't any good at it? (not likely!)

Your assignments, should you choose to accept them, are 1) to go out and get your hands on a current traditional Irish music recording.

By that I mean: De Danaan, Bothy Band, Planxty, Altan, Dervish, Open House, Patrick Street, Craobh Rua, Lunasa, Tommy Peoples, his daughter Siobhan Peoples, Mike & Mary Rafferty, Matt Cranitch, Chris Droney, Brian MacNamara, Michael Rooney & June MacCormack, and a million other people that aren't entering my brain right now. Go to the Catskills Irish Arts Week web page on the links section below and see who the instructors are, and buy a recording.

And 2) to listen to it. Just pop it in the player in the car. Don't study it, just let it wash over you. Enjoy it. You might even like it! We expect a full report on September 12!

Thanks for reading. As always, we do welcome your comments. Or reviews of concerts or albums. Or tips on good sessions to go to. Or whatever...

You're all invited to come and see us, Lawson (a trad Irish duo) on Saturday nights from 9-close at the Morgan House, 33 Main Street, Lee, MA. If Mike and Connie are feeling better they'll dance for you, and maybe tell a story. Food is awesome. No cover charge....

Vertigo Sucks.

2007-08-07T13:23:00.000-04:00

Last month I cancelled Slow Session because my Uncle Bob passed away. We just got the autopsy information back, and learned that he had some kind of a lymphoma -- a brain cancer. Additionally there was lots and lots of Alzheimer's plaque floating around in his brain. All of this could have made for a very unpleasant end of life. Instead, they think ultimately his brain suffocated. A bad fall knocked some of that plaque loose and blocked the blood/oxygen flow. On the whole, while I know it was plenty unpleasant for him and the rest of the family, we all got to say goodbye, and he was not kept lingering for too long.

Beginning on Saturday last, I woke up from a dream of Vertigo. I've dreamed a lot of vivid things, mostly wonderful, but on Saturday I woke up from a dream in which I HAD Vertigo. And, when I awoke, I did, in fact, HAVE Vertigo. Let's just say IT SUCKS. Right now I'm feeling pretty woozy, and wishing I hadn't come to work. Maybe they won't notice if I slide under the desk...Or hork on the floor....

Anyway, hopefully we'll have a session tomorrow. We're going to try for a "real" session this time. I think I'd like to have it be a "round robin" and let people start their sets of tunes. This is such an awesome group of people! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again....I just hope they have the good grace not to tilt to one side while I'm trying to talk to them....

Well, maybe I'll go lie down.

So...What was I saying?

2007-06-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

OK, last time I talked to you was through a mouthful of fish & chips. I'll be doing that a lot more frequently now, as Festival Season has officially started! Mmmmph, mmmph, mmm....

So, I'm thinking a lot about "festival season" and what that means to those of us who don't have two months of summer vacation to waste. Trusty companion and I make all our holidays into music holidays, really. In my job interview (like eight years ago), I told my boss-to-be that I needed a week in July for Irish Arts Week, and a week in February for Folk Alliance. There was no question of when I'd be using my vacation time. It was scheduled by the event. Now we're wedging stuff in left and right on top of our regular Saturday gig! Well, that's what you get when you ask to be "on the road."

I just love getting those phone calls from the Friar Tuck Resort or that place in Lee, Mass where they're trying to sell you a time-share. I always ask if they have time-shares in Ireland, and what about Irish music events? "That's all we do," I say smugly, as the harried voice on the other end struggles to find a way to "overcome the refusal." "But, Ma'am, you could bring your friends there for a reunion or something....In the deluxe condos, there's room for eight..." "No, look, you don't understand," I reply, "We'll be up ALL night playing tunes. How's the soundproofing in your condos?" They still haven't figured out how to work that one into the telemarketer's training manual!

I feel bad about shutting them down, but by the same token, do they really think it wise to give an Irish musician a Disney timeshare?

Well, look. You really can't ever play enough music, can you? So maybe there's a cheesy Disney gig out there waiting for a couple of wannabes to send in a lousy demo. I wonder if they have the booking agent's address at the timeshare office? Maybe I'll call that harried voice back, after all.....

Have a Happy Festival Season, All!

Why I don't review events...or I was too busy eating Fish & Chips to hear the music

2007-05-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

So, two weekends ago, we were pretty busy. Trusty companion and I played music all weekend, including a lovely visit down to New Jersey on Saturday night to visit with accomplished guitarist (and guitar maker, among other things) Iris Nevins and hear her play a few tunes with Tommy Peoples.

Peoples, renowned Donegal fiddle player, has a unique, rich, and heavily stylized way of playing. In fact, I don't know any one of us mere mortals who can actually play like him. As a fan of long-bowed fiddle music, I am always amazed at the power and subtlety of his short, deliberate phrasing. He uses dynamic so brilliantly. A really nice Clare-style fiddle player told me to listen closely to his playing. "When you listen to Tommy," she told me, "you need to listen as much to the rests as you do to the notes." We had a little deja vu moment after the concert, when another fiddle player (who had ostensibly taking the workshop with Mr. Peoples earlier that day) turned to Tommy and said, "I hear what you mean about making the rests have an impact." In my opinion, when the man plays, his music is like a bubbling fountain: soothing, invigorating, inspiring....beautiful. I'll never come close to playing like him, but he sure is fun (and a little awe-inspiring) to listen to!

Sunday was unreasonably beautiful and sunny. Trusty and I drove down into the bowels of Columbia County for an afternoon of "Celtic" music. We were due to play on the Trad Sampler Stage at the Celebration of Celts festival (www.celebrationofcelts.com). So, Cel of Celts....what is it? It is a really fun, really nicely put together festival of all types of music from Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland, Cornwall, Breton, wherever.... They held the festival this year at The Meadowgreens Golf Resort on Route 9H in Ghent. It was a nice space -- rolling green hills, sand traps to stow your toddler in, that sort of thing, and the venue managers seemed to go out of their way to use the sprinkler truck on the roadways to keep the dust down. Always a plus when you're trudging along with sand in your teeth.

We came into the event space, and walked past the food vendors (bridies, pasties, fried things, fish fry....BEER), past the traddie tent where the 77th Regiment Balladeers were singing and playing (very nicely I might add), and went to the far side of a parking lot where a solo act was playing lovely guitar and singing through a more-than-adequate sound system. At first I thought it odd that he was playing to a parking lot, and then I realized he was on the deck of the club's restaurant and there were tables outside, so plenty of people were listening and taking refreshment.

We ambled through the soft goods vending area (t-shirts, CDs, magic wands, dancing shoes, leather head gear, chain mail, wooden swords, Medieval tattoo parlour....) and further on up to what we affectionately call the "Rock Tent". It was particularly nice having the Traditional Sampler (allegedly acoustic traddies) tent far far away from the Trad Forward (traddie rock) tent, so there was no overbleed. Of course, I wasn't there on Saturday night, so I can't really say whether it helped or not for real. (Noone can control those sound guys in the rock tent, anyway. They're just wired differently: loud & proud, like.)

We did manage to catch a bit of The McKrells (Kevin and someone else I didn't recognize) set. Man, what wonderful entertainers -- they know how to get the crowd moving, and they can SING. Yeah! Those of us who are kitchen instrumentalists are always jealous of the singers, and especially of the entertainers. We don't know how to do that. We're like the autistic version of Irish music: we get so caught up in the beauty of the smallest ornament that we're like lost little puppy dogs on stage. We just want to hear the instruments and float away on the music. If the audience is awake at the end of it, so much the better!

We hopped on the traddie stage after Iona (ionamusic.com) stepped down. They had a lovely multi-instrumental approach, fun singing, and a really stellar Scottish-style fiddler who would be in trouble if I was ten (ok, twenty) years younger. Well, I gotta tell ya, I was nervous following his act, but hey, we got on to do sound check and he came running up and wanted to know where I "learned how to play like that?" (Meanwhile, I'm thinking, "Who? Me?") So, my head got inflated, and that was probably why I couldn't hear anything out of the monitors. I don't mean to complain, but I'm so used to playing right on top of everyone else in the band, that having loads of elbow room was really a weird thing. I'd like to pretend I'm really worldly and know what I'm doing, but really I don't. You get on a real stage, with a real sound guy, and monitors that work and everything, and it's like all of sudden you've never played any tunes in your life, and you can't remember what note is where on the fingerboard, and wow, I vaguely remember that song....

Yeah. So I had more fun cruising around checking out everybody else's schtick than I did playing, but it was nice. We survived. The tent didn't burn down around us. At least I think it didn't....I had a mouthful of fish & chips, and I'm not really sure what happened.

Breaking out of the minors? or Two more innings before Dinner!

2007-03-03T17:32:00.000-05:00

Spring training has begun! Exhibition games galore for the next month, and I, the avid Red Sox fan, can only get my fill of the lads on YES Network and all the Yankee games I can stand! My guys (remember? the Red Sox?) have 31 almost straight days of exhibition games, and, as John Sterling sez, "they don't matter." So 0-30 or 30-0 in the pre-season, it all boils down to whether or not you win your first regular season game. That's all the fans care about anyway....and who's paying your salary? Well, says you, you are but I'm the one down here facing down that 90 mph fast ball comin' at me, so who's doin' the work, anyway?!

Well, as I was driving home from class this afternoon, I got thinking about playing for set dancers. It's kind of like playing the bigs during the regular season: doesn't matter how you play it, the dancers have got an opinion, and they're gonna let you know. Every dancer is different, but there's sort of two schools lately: old timers and old-style dancers will lift their feet off the floor maybe an inch or two at most, and do loads of shuffles, shifts and fancy footwork. They like the music at a nice swinging tempo so they can move through the figures smoothly with footwork intact. Newer-style dancers and contra converts will fly up high and do fast and loose, and expect the music to support that with less breathing room in the music and more speed overall. That means they have to wait less to put their next step down and lift their other foot up, so keep it moving already, willya?

I am not one to argue about dance speeds, because if you know me, you know that I have a governer installed, like a school bus. My speed is little-old-lady-going-to-church-on-Sunday-in-first-gear (ahhhh, slow session!). Drives my friends crazy. (I swear I'm working on it.) So realistically speaking, there's ceili speed, which is pretty lively already; and there's the speed you'd need to play to keep up with the high-flyers who put about a foot between them and the floor, and almost no footwork into their dancing. Try doing that for four hours! No, really...

So what's a girl to do? Do the best you can. After all, if you're the one up on stage, and you've got a groove going -- roll with it!

The other thing to remember is that playing Irish music is kind of like playing an exhibition game -- the score doesn't really matter. What matters is that you're having fun doing what you're doing! Come to think of it, Life is an exhibition game -- it's warm, it's sunny, you're doing something you love. So what if you botch the double play? Is anyone really gonna remember that once you start the next set of tunes?

Happy Spring Training,

The Trad

p.s. Old Songs Slow Session coming up in two weeks! We're gonna work on the set dance The Three Sea Captains, and we'll do a session standard: The Maid Behind the Bar. More advanced players, feel free to suggest a tune to follow it.

I Say "Yay."

2007-02-18T07:52:00.000-05:00

Trusty Companion and I were up in Saratoga yesterday for the Dance Flurry. And were just about overwhelmed with all the great music. I'm always amazed at how much talent there is, both on and off stage.

The thing I regret, I guess, is that I'm so focused on Irish music that I missed all the amazing workshops and other types of music that were flying around just everywhere. Sometimes I wish I had the ability to resist the draw to play and just walk around and listen instead. The problem is, when you walk around, you're like a moving target and just the person you'd rather not see [the one who wants to talk to you for an hour about nothing] catches you right as you're stumbling across some magical moment that is happening between some dancers or on stage or in the hallway between two musicians who are having an epiphany. And it's gone. On the other hand, you do tend to run across people whose e-mail address you've regrettably lost.

When I first started going to Folk Alliance (a big sort of Marketing conference for musicians and the weirdos that surround them [i.e. promoters and presenters and agents, etc.]), I would ask my companions what their "festival moment" was. What was the one thing that stood out for you at the event? Did you meet someone you always wanted to meet? Was there a showcase that blew you away? Did you see or learn something that helped you transform your thinking? They used to laugh at me. "Well, you see, it is what it is. Nothing stands out. It's all good." I'd get kind of annoyed because how can you not be excited about being surrounded by amazing musicians and great people and the excitement of the business?!? Ah, youth.

I'm maybe a little more blase about it now, but I will tell you that I will always have a festival moment at everything I go to. I'd say that my festival moment at the Flurry was just walking through the halls and marveling at all the lovely people floating through their day doing something they love! I love seeing friends and families and young people rushing to get to a session or a workshop or their first gig, jazzed up and ready to go!

Yay to the people who organize, and Yay to the people who go! Now go out and find a "festival moment" in your lives and cherish it!

The Trad

This Blog is A-OK.

2007-02-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

The Trad would like to brag that a certain hot-shot fiddle dude who lives in Clare says "I like your website." (We won't correct him...but it is only a measley blog, eh?)

Uh-huh...uh-huh....Who's the Dawg....Uh-Huh!

Feelin' good to-day.

The Trad

p.s. Have you signed up for an Old Songs traditional music class today? Eric Everson's Irish Guitar Accompaniment Class will be held on Monday evenings at the Old Songs Building. As usual, George Ward and Roger Mock will be offering up various selections, and a new addition: Nathanial Ward teaching Jazz! Kewl. For info or to register, visit: www.oldsongs.org.

Time Flies...

2007-02-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

Wow! I know I promised to stay in touch with everybody since we got back into the country. But, boy does time fly when you're catching up with everyday life. We've been busy catching up on business, and of course we're always exhuasted from coming home and going back to our boring old jobs after two weeks of nothing but tunes and travel!

Week One P.I. [post-Ireland]: I miss the food...
We spent the first week home trying to capture the magic of Irish food. You might think that "good Irish food" is sort of an oxymoron, but I beg to differ. The meat is very fresh, great fruits and fresh veg, and the seafood chowder and mushroom soup is to die for! The sad thing is that I still can't figure out how to make proper brown bread!

And to anyone that thinks having beans with your eggs is crazy, I challenge you to try it. The thing about Irish baked beans is that they're in this light tomato sauce that's nothing like the crazy heavy sweet sticky American beans. So go ahead, if you see a can of Batcheler's, buy it. You might want some Beano, though. They are beans, after all.

You know that there's the traditional breakfast called a "Full Irish" or up north, an "Ulster Fry." That's fried eggs, "chips" (french fries) or fried potatoes, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, black & white puddings, bacon, Irish sausages, toast and tea or coffee. Well, in a nostalgic fit, last night's dinner was what I affectionately a "half Irish": eggs, bacon (can't get good Irish sausages here), toast, beans, "chips". No mushrooms, no tomatoes, no puddings (bleah). Woulda had the veg if we'd had any floating around the house. Plenty of tea, anyway. Ah, it's a good meal any time of day.

My big discovery of the trip: Treacle.....is......MOLASSES!!!! OK, now I know I can make ginger cookies when I'm over there. Whew. What a relief. I did also find this cool type of brown sugar they have over there. It's called Muscovado sugar, and it tastes a bit like molasses itself. I think it's kind of cool, and I did bring a little back to try in baking, but it's not my favorite, and it makes my chocolate chip cookies taste a little funky.

I did try to rein in my undying passion for grocery stores while over there, so as to NOT drive my friend Gary absolutely crazy. I failed miserably. Gary survived. I regret that I didn't take any photos of the stores, and my biggest regret is not getting to the gigantic Dunne's Store on the outskirts of Limerick City -- I was drooling as we drove past on our way to Cashel to climb the Rock. We did manage to get into a Dunne's Home Store, which is like the home section of Target, only better! Next time I'm going to get to the home supply places on the way into Galway City.

[A thought: Why do they tag Limerick and Galway with "City", when Sligo is only its little old self with "Town" tacked on the end? Guess I'll have to go up there to find out.]

Week Two P.I. [post-Ireland]: Back to the Tunes
Week Two was mainly all about getting back into playing tunes here at home. I was off to slow start, though, because I had to hand over my fiddle to my repair tech. A little mishap on holiday resulted in a broken peg, and I needed a replacement asap. I did work out an arrangement to try out a nice fiddle while mine was in the shop, so to speak. This fiddle probably had a good 40 years on my baby, and it had a nice even, full tone. I enjoyed playing it, but in a session setting it was incredibly quiet. The neck on the loaner is considerably thinner than on my fiddle. I enjoyed how responsive the fiddle was, allowing for quicker movements and changes in noting and phrasing, but it also changed how I held my wrist. It's still a little sore from a couple of days in a weird position, like.

Your Assignment, should you choose to accept it...
I think I probably have a harder time trying out other folks' instruments, because I'm a lefty, but I still do ask to try nice sounding fiddles, just to see how they feel. I also like trying out different bows, too. If you haven't done that before (and assuming you're not a flute player with a cold or something), I highly recommend it! Just see how a different instrument feels or plays or responds to a technique that, on your current instrument, isn't working. It could be the way your instrument is set up, or the way it was made. On the other hand (as in my case), it could be the way you're playing and not the instrument. But you won't know if you don't try, will you?

Raise Your Glasses to our Friends! Congratulations to our own Beth Lassi, who performed on mountain dulcimer at the Old Songs Sampler [a fundraiser for the Old Songs Festival]. Also, a hearty hale and welcome to our own Pete Forward, who showed up a local fast session to try his hand at some of the tunes we've been working on! Pete and Beth are good examples of a)loving the music, b) working hard at it, and c) having a great attitude! Keep up the good work!!!!

Remember, it's only two weeks to the next slow session at Old Songs! I'll be putting the list up this weekend. Don't forget to practice the repertoire.

So, hey. Stay warm, keep on playing, and we'll see you around the peat fire....

The Trad

Nothing Doing here in West Clare...

2007-01-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

Well, folks. There's not much to tell.

We're in Ireland. It's raining. What can we say? It is January, isn't it?

There was a day full of sunshine last week when we went down to visit the Rock of Cashel. You'd believe if I told you that most people in Cashel don't even bother going up the hill to see the place. You do the same damn thing with your tourist attractions, don't you? It's a shame though. There are some pretty incredible stone carvings and the view is 360 degrees of absolute beauty. The Galtee range is just to the south, and even on a hazy day, it's pretty impressive.

So far, we've been there, and down to our favorite haunt -- Loop Head in the farthest west in Clare. Otherwise, we've had loads of time to read and walk and visit with friends. Our first day trip last week was a bit of a false start, with a trip up to Birr (yes, "Cat Who" fans, there is, in fact, a Birr) in County Offaly (hold the dead meat comments, please.) to see the Birr Castle. Well, my reading skills being what they are, I missed the fact that it was actually the Birr Castle Demesne, and those of you who speak French can just hold your laughter thank you very much. There was nothing to see but the grounds and gardens and the big-ass moat they dug around all of it.

Well, my trusty travel companions were having none of that. We wanted Castle or nothing. So, instead we wandered the sweet and winding streets of the town of Birr. Only in Ireland do you find Georgian mansions just up the street from a tumble of brightly painted shop fronts and ancient stone buildings. The castle itself, at least what we could see from outside the walls, was pretty nifty, and when I get to a spot where I can upload photos, I'll do so.

We also had our first grocery trip to a local Lidl, and picked up some really nice veg. Meat's a bit dear here, and kind of sparse at that grocery, so we took a trip to Ennis the next day. Mainly we went to Ennis to visit Custy's and spend €€€€ on music.

Here's what we can tell ye: Concertina player Martin O'Brien has his first CD out. It's a must have, but not for this trip. Our purchase was Tola Custy and Mirella Murray -- fiddle and piano accordion. Just lovely, and totally worth buying even if it's not entirely Irish. There are some seriously beautiful Breton tracks on here, and ye'd better buy it if you know what's good fer ye. The Junior Crehan book and CD aren't as dear as folks are making it out to be. They're worth getting, and at €25 each, they're worth it. Our trusty travel companion bought out the shop, though, so there's no getting it for a few days. According to trusty shop clark Paddy O'C, the stockers don't rush to get items out to the shops right away after Christmas, so.

We've been well met everywhere we've gone! Nice sessions just about every night, and some nice visits with musician friends. We've so far had the privilege of crowding into tiny, sweaty rooms with the likes of Jackie Daly, Josephine Marsh, Susie Cox, Vincent Griffin, Seamus Bugler, Martin O'Brien, Cyril O'Donohue, Mark Donellan (Francie's kin he is), Andrew McNamara, Mary McNamara and her daughter, and some pretty hilarious storytellers, up close and personal. (There are actually more fiddle players that we've met, but we seem to be on an accordion tour of Clare this year, but no fears, all is not lost. We have another week here and count on me to find the fiddlers!)

We'll bring you some new tunes when we come home, now. We hope you all go to the slow sessiun tomorrow night out at Old Songs, and play one for us!

Warmest Wishes for a Gloriously Happy (and musical) New Year to All!!!!

The Trad

Teada and the Great Christmas Extravaganza

2006-12-19T13:07:00.000-05:00

Well, my friends, it's just two weeks until I change the date back to the American style. I know you're holding your collective breath. In the meantime Trad Scribe Karen wants to share her thoughts on the Christmas fundraiser concert at the Egg:

Irish Christmas in America @ the Egg on 12/12/2006
by Karen White, Trad correspondent

"Irish Christmas in America" was a pleasant evening's entertainment despite the fact that the performers turned out to be not exactly as originally billed. Cathie Ryan did not appear and two members of Teada (Damien Stenson, Flute/Whistle and Paul Finn, Button Accordion) were also among the missing. Tommy Martin (Uillean pipes), Grainne Hambly (Irish harp), andMichael Londra of Riverdance fame proved to be wonderful surprises though. Tristan Rosenstock (Bodhran) of Teada served as narrator for the evening and recounted many of the traditional Irish holiday customs as slides were projected behind the performers. The musicians were joined from time to time by smiling dancers whose straight locks were a nice departure from the usual ringlet curl wigs. The first set featured Michael Londra's rendition of Wexford Carol and the singer later proudly announced to the audience that he is indeed from County Wexford.The second set involved more great music and a few chuckles brought on by a short skit. The images of the thatched cottages and people dressed intraditional garb were a nice touch and a reminder to the audience that Christmas was not/is not ALL about the craziness we Americans participatein each year at this time. The compact performance came to a close about an hour and 45 minutes after it started. Soloist Londra sang a verse of Silent Night in Gaelic and then, at his urging, the crowd joined in singingthe English version. And for a brief moment after the carol was finished, everyone seemed quietly surprised at how lovely it had turned out!

__________________________________________________

We have to agree with Karen on her point about Irish Christmas not being all craziness like in America. We had friends visiting from Ireland this Autumn who shared their dismay at our collective Christmas psychosis. They did say that things were changing at home (i.e. becoming more commercial), but they were completely shocked at how much Christmas had taken over everything around here so quickly and so soon after Halloween!

Thanks again, Karen, and Happy Christmas to all!

The Trad

Great December Session!

2006-12-14T09:31:00.000-05:00

As the Trad is just learning how to be a blog of any interest to anyone at all, we've been trolling around, reading any blogs we can get to come up on our screen. This one brought us to tears: http://www.drbobcares.com/blog/. Please read and weep. Dr. Bob is an amazing man with a mission that should inspire anyone to greater generosity in their own life. He and his team inspire me to be more connected to the folks around me, and to be grateful for what I do have.

Speaking of grateful, I am grateful for the folks who come to the session, because there is just nothing that beats looking around the table at faces young and old, concentrating hard on picking up a bit of tune. Or to see the smiles when we get it, and we're chugging along through a reel: playing off of each other, listening to each other, having fun! Let's keep this nice energy going through May.

We'll be putting the links to some tunes up, as well as the tune list from this month. Please, please practice the tunes between now and January 10! The whole idea isn't just to learn the tunes, but to come back to them over and over until they come to your mind and your fingers easily. We're building a repertoire here, so please send us any suggestions for tunes you want to work on. We want you to walk away from slow session in May with a pile of tunes, and have a load of fun playing tunes at all the summer festivals!

Our session scribe Karen White is thinking of writing a review of the "Irish Christmas in America" concert held at the Egg on Tuesday. Keep your eyes on the blog, and feel free to send us your writing submissions to be posted, as well!

Warmest Wishes for a Happy Christmas and an Abundant New Year!

The Trad

Foreign Correspondent!

2006-12-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

Great news! Kyle Carey from Skidmore has agreed to send us some entries from her diary when she's over in Dingle, Co. Kerry! We'll look forward to hearing from her about her experiences there, and hopefully get some new songs to learn...hint...hint....

We here at The Trad want to wish Kyle all the best in her Final Exams this week. You go girl!

Nice blog...but what's with the date?

2006-12-11T11:37:00.000-05:00

So my crankiest friend of all my cranky friends (not you, of course) e-mailed me and complained about my using the "british" mode of listing the date on my blog page. Well, it's european I'll have you know, my friend. I was just getting myself into Irish mode for various reasons. So, after January 1, I'll change it and you can have it your stupid American way. See if I care. As Opus would say: "phhhhhbbbbbbtttttt!!!!"

The good news: we're getting our Colleen O'Sullivan handmade dinner plates at the session on Wednesday! I'll post a picture when we get them. We have mugs and bowls already, and now we're going to have to commission some dessert plates (if she doesn't kill us first). This woman is one talented artist, if you didn't already know, and quite a nice whistle player to boot!

I promised to post Carty's Jig again, but I can't get it up on the page! Grrrr! The version I have I got from one of Mike McHale's students. (I'll try to post it elsewhere for January and provide you a link.) Mike is great. He's got such flowing, beautiful versions of tunes, and he's a real pleasure to play with. You're more likely to get 'hold of him south of Catskill, where he lives, but sometimes he ventures into the great north (you know, Albany) and then, look out! Here come the tunes! If you play flute or whistle, you might want to consider taking a class with him at the Catskills Irish Arts Week (http://www.east-durham.org/irishartsweek/).

By the way, the date for Irish Arts Week has been moved out a week. It's now July 15-21, 2007. The organizers in Ireland moved the dates for Willie Clancy Week, and Paul didn't want to conflict with the father of all teaching weeks, so don't forget to put in for your vacation time as soon as you can. You don't want to miss this. From what Paul tells me, it's going to be a humdinger of a week.

Don't forget: slow session at Old Songs Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 PM. (www.oldsongs.org)

We're havin' a heat wave....

2006-12-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

Hi! It's a beautiful day in the mid-Hudson Valley today. It's about 45 degrees F around here, and it's quite sunny. Hard to believe that two days ago it was about 5 degrees with the wind chill. And last week, we had weather in the low 60s. This wild weather makes me kind of skittish, though. I worry about my instrument handling the transition from warm house to cold car to stuffy session.

Is that a chicken or a fiddle?
I finally had to cave and put my little humidifier thing in my fiddle because my pegs kept shrinking and slipping and the strings would loosen all up. My husband says the dampit looks like one of those built-in chicken roaster thermometer things. Halfway through the session it'll start to pop out, and then somebody says, "I think you're done!" (Oh, I'm sure they're joking! ...um...aren't they?)

I said "dampit"
Anyway, you ought keep an eye on the humidity, or lack thereof, in your house, and think about buying a humidifier for either the room you put your instrument in or for the instrument or case itself. (I think I might do both this year, because my short-haired cat is starting to look like a fuller brush.) I'm especially concerned for my friends with wooden instruments: your mandolins, guitars, zouks, flutes, and fiddles. If you don't own a damp-it for your instrument, please get one. They are worth ten times their weight for people who live in cold, dry climates. And they really don't cost much. As for flutes, I suspect you might have to clean them out a little differently in winter and use a damp-it when you're not playing. Check out this link for more info on flute care: http://www.caseyburnsflutes.com/care.php.

The Case with Cases
My friend Linda Baker (RIP) told me that when her band was on the road they had a little mishap with a cold guitar: they'd been traveling with the instruments in the trunk of the car. It was really cold outside, and when they arrived at the gig, they brought all the instruments inside. Without waiting for stuff to warm up, somebody opened up a guitar case and it was so cold inside that when the instrument came in contact with the warm air in the room, the finish cracked. So, take your time and let your case and instrument get warmed before you start playing at a session or a gig. The music'll keep and you can finally get that pint you've been pining for.

Glacial tunes...
So, next Wednesday is our December slow session: 12/13 at 7:30 PM at the Old Songs Building, 37 S. Main, Voorheesville, NY. Last month, we handed out the sheet music for The Three Sea Captains, a set dance piece, for study fun! We'll try it out next week, along with the jigs and reels we did last time. Also, there's been a request for Carty's Jig, so let's dust it off and play it. I've got to scan it in, but I'll post it here for y'all to practice.

Stay Warm and See You Soon! -- Hilary

Are you a people, too?

2006-12-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Power to the People!
I went to a concert last night at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Nine amazing musicians (two of whom come regularly to our slow session), spent an evening sharing songs, tunes, stories and folklore from the Adirondack region and the world. There should have been a campfire in the middle of it all...building codes be damned! It was great, and it was exactly the way this tradition should be shared: from person to person. Folk music is the same the world over: made by the people for the people about their stories, their lives, their loves, and their joys and sorrows. What is so exciting is that evenings like these, with many, many talented local, regional, and professional musicians, are happening all over the world, every single night of the week!

I hope you'll stick with me...
This blog is for my friends at the Old Songs slow session, and anyone else who's got an interest in traditional Irish music. Even though we're just focusing on learning tunes at the session, I want to encourage you to read and listen and look around and meet people who are doing what you're doing. Visit the links below for ideas and connections. I'll post concerts I think you should know about, and I'll include my listening suggestions, and I want to hear yours, too.

I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I'm trying to do my part in passing the tradition along: I'll give you the tunes I've got, the bits and pieces of stories and information that get shared around, some recommendations on music, and some tips on playing as I get them from the masters who let me pay to watch what they do with their bow hand....um, when they play...ahhh..oh, dear, that did not come out right....but you know what I mean. I'll share what I learn, if I can. So, you're all welcome to our slow session. We're focusing specifically on Irish music, and trying to do as much as we can to practice our new tunes or instruments by ear.

Ah, well, in the meantime: stay warm, practice lots, and keep the faith! This is the people's music, and everyone can play (one bodhran at a time, though, OK?). -- Hilary

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
p.s. I want to thank my friend and co-leader Colleen for giving me the courage to start (and maintain) this session. And to my friend Karen who comes faithfully to the session, records all our tune lists, and keeps on plugging away at the music. You are my inspiration! Thanks also to the pros who take the time to come and make the session a success (you know who you are), and I do mean Thank You all so very much!

Hudson Valley Trad

Started a New Blog

Irish Mist Session moves to The Altamont Fair TONIGHT!

Matt & Shannon Heaton at Old Songs June 25-27, 2010

We Need Your Help!

Cancelled.....Again.

Slow Session Cancelled for 2/10/10

It's Time for the DanceFlurry!!!!

And Then I Saw the Weather Report...

February Slow Session 2/10/10, 7:30 PM

Irish Slow Session at The Jam & Sing Thing

Tonight's Slow Session CANCELLED (12/9/09)

December Slow Session -- 12/9/09

What's the Prob?

NOT TONIGHT FOLKS!

Slow Session Wednesday, July 8 -- 7:30 PM

Yay! DONE!!!!

The Yin and Yang of Solstice

It's a week for Sessions

Grand Tunes, Ladies & Gents!

Now what did I come in here for?

Who Am I and Why Am I Here?

Flutes and Fiddles and Tunes, Oh My!

Hard to Listen when your ears hurt!

Kerry Night was Fun!

It's Kerry Night...and the feelin's right...oh what a night!

Clare Night was just a start...

How can I possibly have summed up Clare music for you? I am a total nut job!

*Sigh* Where did summer go?

Slow Session on Brief Hiatus! See you in Sept!

Walking the Dog or "How I found my Beginner's Mind"

Right on top of things, eh?

Cancelling for Tonight -- but don't forget Old Songs Festival & Irish Arts Week!

Sorry! Slow Session is THIS Wednesday -- May 14!!!

Nicely Done...

Even Further Update...

An Update...

April Session brings....May Flowers...?!

Slow Session Tomorrow Night...

Spring?

Keep your hands where I can see them!

Zamboni Ride!

Random...

What Time Is It?

Living in a Virtual World

Happy New Year!

Something New in Oght Eight?

Brrrr. Feels like Winter!

Nice Session!

October Tune List

Piece of String

Some Items of Interest...

Eight Days a Week [or seven days 'til session day!]

Concert for Jerry Holland

I'm feelng guilty.

Tanglewood Schmanglewood

Vertigo Sucks.

So...What was I saying?

Why I don't review events...or I was too busy eating Fish & Chips to hear the music

Breaking out of the minors? or Two more innings before Dinner!

I Say "Yay."

This Blog is A-OK.

Time Flies...

Nothing Doing here in West Clare...

Teada and the Great Christmas Extravaganza

Great December Session!

Foreign Correspondent!

Nice blog...but what's with the date?

We're havin' a heat wave....

Are you a people, too?

Sigh Where did summer go?