What Time Is It?

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

Nice Session!

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

Great December Session!

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