Glenn Schultz, BobB's first and the session last night.

Whistle
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It was a roaring session last night here at the Kildare House, in Windsor Ontario.

I finally met BobB from Lakeshore who is a member of this board, and Bob invited Glenn Schultz over for the session last night.

I’m telling tales right now —it was Bob’s first true session and as I warned him it is a fast session. So much music so little time. Everybody was super charged last night. Clare Renaud (a fine fiddler) was just back from two weeks in Donegal, Galway and Dublin and sessioned out but had so much to tell and play, that everyone just picked up on the energy and ran.

Eubiedubie (Bob Whitehead) was also there with his Schultz flute and Sindt and between him and Glenn, the craic was mighty.

I got Bob to play twice and he did an excellent job on the Blarney Pilgrim and for the life of me I forgot his second tune, but he did well. Although he felt a little out it, he said he enjoyed himself immensely and we want him to come back. We don’t turn anybody away who wants to learn and participate, regardless of where they are on the road of IrTrad.

And now the real gem of the night – Glenn Schultz. I have never met the man, but through this board, I have learned quite a bit about him and his whistles. Eubiedubie has talked to him quite a bit and when we talk about flutes, Bob talks about Glenn warmly.

It was Glenn’s first session here at the Kildare House and I want to thank Bob for inviting him. Glenn lives about a two hour drive north of Detroit, and in view of the recent tragedy, crossing the border isn’t as easy as it once was, so Glenn’s effort to be here last right, was and is more than appreciated. It was lovingly welcomed.

Well what did Glenn do you say? Glenn just sat for a while and listened. Then he got out his melodeon, strapped in on and quickly joined in. He sang two original compositions adapted from IrTrad, that were just lovely. Took us through jigs and reels, that some of us weren’t familiar with, but played over again so that we could get a start at them.

Cut to the chase you’re saying? What about his whistles. Well indeed. As most of you are aware, Glenn is suffering with emphsyma(?) and playing a whistle all night long is just out of the question.

But with that said, Glenn did bring out his own personal Thin Weasel and played a lovely air on it. He said it was a version of Barbra Allen, which I have never heard before. (WHOA, like sap in spring, is starting to flow upwards into my mind).

Then it was whistles all around, Eubiedubie’s Sindt, BobB’s Schultz PVC, my O’Riordan and Burke Brass D. It a wonder that none of us have Hoof and Mouth disease this morning. Glenn played my Casey Burns flute, and only I wish that someday, somewhere, that I will be able to pick any instrument and just play it, like Glenn did last night. But hearing MY flute being played by Glenn, has only inspired me to work harder.

By eleven o’clock last night, we had five fiddlers, two whistle/flute players, Glenn on melodeon, two guitarists, Jerry on banjo and me on bodhran and whistle, and the speed hadn’t let up.

BobB had to leave a little early for an appointment this morning. So – BobB it was twelve when Glenn, Clare and I left and there was still some going at it.

“Last night’s fun,” was just that.

And if there is anyone else in the Detroit/Windsor area on this board and you want to come, just email me for times and directions. You are all welcomed.

Mark


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“In any corner of the earth where solitude and imagination go hand in hand, people learn soon enough to love music.”
Stendhal (1783-1842) Life of Rossini

[ This Message was edited by: MarkB on 2001-10-10 10:37 ]

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Yes, last night was my first participation in a Sessiun, and thanks to markb,eubiedubie and the gang, they included me in their group and made me feel at home. By 10 pm or so, there were more musicians than patrons in the place. I led them in Blarney Pilgrim (which is featured in the movie Titanic) and Ryan’s Jig (aka Butchers March), and played along to a few others that I knew. And listened. As the least skilled musician there, I was nevertheless encouraged to join in anytime I I wanted. I encourage all who haven’t done so yet, to get out and participate in a Sessiun.I understand most groups are as welcoming as the Kildare group. It is an invigorating, humbling yet positively inspiring experience. And for those in Windsor/Detroit area, hope to see you Tuesday at the Kildare House.

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Glenn is a genuine jewel..I’ve known the man for many years via postcard, phone call, e-mail, and finally in the flesh. A multi talented man ( seen his poetry?),
If you liked the sound of him playing your flute, try one of HIS !! Same caliber as his whistles.

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I know what Glenn’s flutes sound like and have tried one. Eubiedubie owns a Schultz and I ---- can only dream right now.

Mark

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Glenn’s version of Barbara Allen is from Paddy Keenan’s self-titled 1975 album. I’ve heard him play that, and maybe one or two other whistle tunes, but never heard him pull out melodeon. You guys are lucky.

Were Sherry and Rachel there? I keep on meaning to come to a Kildare House session…

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Hi Colomon

Do we know each other? Sherry came after work, working afternoons. She was one of the ones that were still there when we left.

Rachel I haven’t seen for several weeks, she has a new full time job working as a translator and is quite busy.

By all means, come to the Kildare, you’re more than welcome. We never know who is going to show up. So surprise us!!!

Mark

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I sent a “wish I’d a been there” post right off to Glenn. He is one of a kind. If you know him…you gotta love him! Gm

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Darned if I know, Mark. Do you ever make it over to Michigan sessions?

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Colomom, we have met. I was talking to Sherry last night, and I told her about this post and the person who asked about them.

I don’t get to the session at the Gaelic League on Sundays’ as much as I would like to but, nor to I get up to the White Heather club on Thursday as much as I would love to.

But that is were I have met you. You definitely have to come to the Kildare House on Tuesday, we need more whistlers, Eubiedubie and I are always outnumbered by fiddlers,

Mark

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Question: how many whistlers would you use in a session? Would they all play at once or take turns? I have seen two playing at once…Harvest Home at breakneck speed…they were awesome. Just wondered about this since you said you could use more whistlers. Gm

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In our sessions the more the merrier, with the exception of bodhran. We’ll have four or five whistles/flutes(usually only three in the circle, the others hanging around the fringes), at least as many fiddles, at least three guitars, two or three concertinas/accordians. But six or seven drums gets a bit overbearing, and usually only three play at a time.

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As many whistlers as the room will hold. As BobB said, there were more musicians than patrons in the Kildare House, we just take over the front room.

Everybody joins in on the tunes, with every available instrument that’s there. Clare is the session master, but I try to get others to lead in tunes. They can play anything they want. They can do their best tune as a solo, or as BobB did, lead us into a tune, or set of tunes. If you know only one tune or a thousand it doesn’t matter, but get in there a play.

Most in our group can pick up a tune on the run after a few plays, not maybe at break neck speed but enough to learn it and enjoy it.

Tyghress ---- six or seven bodhrans would even scare me, But fortunately I am usually the only one playing the bodhran for the session. If others show up and they do, I will give way and let them play or take turns. But if they aren’t on the beat and are just whacking at it, I usually step in a lay the beat down a little louder than them.

On Tuesday night , I think by eleven o’clock we had fifteen musicians in the front room.

“Make a joyous noise unto the Lord.”

Mark

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ONe other suggestion for setting up sessions-- you might want to start the session with an hour of “slow session” playing for newbies, or even more experienced players who want to share new tunes. Our local Comhaltas does this, and it really helps new players get the feel of things. After that first hour, things really rip and unless you know a tune perfectly, it’s tough to keep up.

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Hi Paul

Sometimes we try to do this but depending on how crowded the Kildare House is or who ever shows up, it gets to be hectic.

There is another group in town (the same players with others who don’t necessarily attend the Kildare session) that plays on Thursday nights here in Windsor.

This session is both fast and slow, everybody gets a chance to play or lead in it. And if a newbie wants to learn tunes, I usually direct them to this one and great bunch of people.

Mark

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Grannymouse – out here in Ann Arbor, the norm is three or four whistlers playing at once in a session. Usually with a similar number of fiddlers and a few miscellaneous instruments thrown in. When the sessions degenerate at the end of the night, it’s not unusual for the session to be JUST three whistlers. (At that point there’s a tendancy to switch to the lowest whistle that everyone has handy, usually Bb.)

Mark – I’ll try to get out to Kildare some Tuesday soon. (Wonder when Justin’s getting back?)

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Mark, in this area of the country it appears that people who don’t know how to play a tune decide to pick up a frame drum and whack along. My dear husband, who has tried a bit of whistle but isn’t really a tune player, just got what he calls électric spoons’-- you know, those wooden spoons that are connected at the top – and may give them a go.

One session I’m a regular at has four core players: a fiddler, a concertina, a whistler and a bodhran. The fiddler picks tunes with the input of the other two ‘tuners’ and lays down the speed. Only a few others (myself included) venture to request a tune.

The other session is lead by an accordian player and fiddler who appear to have been playing together since time immemorial. These guys will look at each other and automatically go into some esoteric tune and the rest of us are left scrambling. That is balanced off by the accordianist pointing to someone in the circle and saying ‘play something’, and he doesn’t much care if its played at half speed, as long as there is participation. He even goes so far as to remember what people play from session to session and asking them for ‘that nice reel you played…what was it…?’

So I have the opportunity to hear some very nice off-the-cuff new tunes (that even if I could get these guys to name, I’d never be able to find!) and some old warhorses. A year and a half later, I can finally keep up on a good handful of tunes.

We’re also getting moving on a ‘slow jam’ which can be very organized and a great learning experience. Typically there is a tune that is handed out to learn from notation, and you go around the circle and play something at a very slow speed, maybe a bit faster on the third pass.

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Hi Tyghress

It isn’t much different here, when it comes to someone who wants to particpate in Irish music, to purchase a bodhran, thinking it easy, to do so. And why not, they are watching us have just a whale of time in any pub.

When newbies on the bodhran show up I usually try to get them to sit beside me, where I instruct on the fly. If not I will usually take them aside to a “quiet” corner and a quick lesson. If that doesn’t work, and they ask, I will usually give some private lessons at home for free and suggest some training videos and material.

I like to teach, but with my work schedule and the nights and Saturday and Sundays’ I have to work, it is hard to arrange.

For those in the Windsor/Detroit area who don’t know about the slow and fast sessions in the area. I will post here the sessions and their tempo, after things kind of settled themselves at the border.

Here in this area of Southeastern Michigan and Southwestern Ontario, is a great cross border friendship of those that play IRTRAD. And we have passed friends on the bridge and in the tunnel going somewhere to play, be it a session, a benefit, a charity function, or just to get together at someones home around the dining table to learn tunes.

And we also have core people who “know all theee tunes;” but like you said will pick someone to play that nice tune of yours.
And so around the room we go. Slow - fast- fast - slow — really slow, then back up to speed.

Some nights it looks like an “Irish Sympathy Orchestra” rather than a traditional session. But such is life.

Mark