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

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