There is a session in Spokane every tuesday and I have been so pissed at myself for not taking the trouble to get into town for it. Well as it turned out I had an outragesly early appointment in the big city on Wed. so I decided to go into town and visit my brother and stay at his place the night so I could make my appointment a little easier. So, somehow he talked me into going to his Aikido class that evening, he is a master instructor. Now I gave up martial arts over 10 years ago when my body started going south as it were and other then working with horses have done nothing fiscal, or at least martial arts stuff for that long. Some how I made it through the 2 hour workout without a heart attack or injury and decided to go to the session. I needed a drink for sure. So I waited and waited and waited and finaly about 9:30 or 10:00 oclock it started. Not a whistle or a flute in sight. Plenty of guitars, mandolins, one bodron, and a bass and that was it. I stayed to listen to a few tunes which were sung with gusto but nothing Irish trad that I knew or had ever heard. By then my body was locking up badly and it was time to go. Very dissapointing in a way as I was realy hoping to link up with a flute player in order to have some kind of idea where I was at so to speak. Well anyway I wont beat on myself anymore for not making it into town on Tuesday nights.
But I may get myself back into martial arts which would be a coo of the highest order. To get my body back, oh lordy.
Sorry the session was a disappointment, Tom. I can relate!
I’m discovering the 50+ year-old body doesn’t respond to regular exercise the way even a 40-year-old body did. sigh Getting my body “back” is no longer my goal–I just want to keep the one I’ve got now going. Oh Lordy is right!
Sometimes the word “session” means different things to different folks. And, in fairness, sometimes people are desperate to play and try to make use of what’s available to them where they are–although if it gets too far afield, calling it a session really isn’t fair.
If you’re ever in my neck of the woods, give a holler. You’d be welcome at our sessions! Usually several fiddles, a couple of flutes, a couple of whistles, a couple of squeezeboxes, a couple of bodhrans, couple of guitars, and so forth. As for singing, only every blue moon do I try to sing in session, and if you ask me nicely (or buy me a beer! ) I’ll stop.
I hear you Susan, believe me. But the body Ive got just doesnt suit me if you know what I mean. 10 years ago when I fought in my last ternament I was trying to be the oldest qualifier for the nationals where the American Olympic tei kon do team would be choosen. Not that I would go to the nationals if I qualified but at 48 years old it felt pretty good to be in that croud. The ternament was the most brutal and bloody ternament I had ever fought in in the 10 years I competed and though I qualified for the nationals and reached my goal I was done with martial arts. I started to get the symptoms of the neoropathy that has plagued me these last 10 years. Tuesday night was my first proactive step in reclaiming my body. Small thing I know but monumental to this old guy, plus I have 9 horses to brake this spring being able to land without injury is a big thing. And it sure won`t hert my flute playing either.
Oh man James that is the picture I had in my head when I went. It could have been an off night or something I don`t know. I was too pooped and sore to even ask the guitar player any questions. Next time I go I will find out more.
What if we all learnt to play the pipes, ha? What then, ha?
(My mind staggers at the thought of 20 people playing Great Highland Pipes, all together, inside a building. I’m quite sure it would make yer nose bleed.)
I wouldn’t know, I wear earplugs when I play. (That’s actually true but they only reduce about 15 decibels).
Actually it’s not too bad depending on the room. It’s always going to be loud but if there’s a room big enough to fit a pipe band and an audience, it’s not overbearing, especially if there is carpet and acoustic tiles. Some times the little tuning rooms get raucous with the whole band going before a performance. I find the drummers to be the loud ones, but most pipers do.
Hey Tom,
If you ever make it back over to the wet side of Washington, you should drop in on our Sunday “intermediate” session at Fado. It’s billed as intermediate but the turnout runs the gamut from beginners to fairly advanced, so I suppose the mean level of experience works out to something like intermediate. The regular line-up typically includes 4-5 fiddles, 1-2 concertina/accordian players, 1-2 whistlers, a couple guitar players, and me. If you still have that Aquila flute it’d be fun to see it again after it’s been 2/3 of the way across the country and back. Oh, and the first drink is on the house if you’re a musician, or even if you just look like one!
Sounds like my kinda place Ming, and I sure do still have Aquila. Like I said before, that flute is a keeper. Hopefully I`ll have some time later on to get over that way. Might even ride the old Beemer over just to garentee it rains
The Bellingham session is very inviting. It’s not overly structured but not a free-for-all either and there is a mix of playing levels. There is usually a flute or two and it’s a very friendly crowd.
It was a lot of fun, friendly session Great bunch there in Bellingham. Now with Phil and Jenny up there, I amagine that it is even tighter.
When we were driving back to Mt Vernon, I told them about my accident. The guy that hit me going 50 mph, said later that he was “making cabinets in his mind”. So they decided to make it into a song:
“Just makein Cabinets in my mind”
Tune: " Won’t you take me back and love me one more time?" by Earnest Tubb
1 Officer, I’m sorry sir,
‘Cause right now my mind’s a blurr.
See I really meant to stop
I just had a mental block,
I was building cabinets in my mind.
Chorus
Building cabinets is my game,
and I say it without shame,
but right now the times is tough
say, could you loosen up these cuffs?
an’ I’ll keep building cabinets in my mind
2 Yes I’ll walk that 'ol white line,
turn around, stop on a dime,
but things really would be nifty,
if you’d just take this here fifty,
and I’ll go build some cabinets in my mind.
Oh my lord, how can it be,
bad luck’s always happening to me?
But if you value human life,
please don’t let 'em call my wife,
while I’m building cabinets in my mind.
Thanks for the laugh. we are beginning EMR at my office, and it’s so bad I have to say, if I could quit right now I would. (ie: instead of simply writing “PCN” on someone’s chart, you now go thru 15 steps to get it into their e-chart, then you can’t find it again… I’m sure it will get easier, but last nite I kept having bad dreams about it)
I am too mentally destroyed to even pick up my flute these days.
Well, at least I get to complain here and it will be buried in someone’s thread and no harm done.
Thanks, Jon, for a bit of sunshine in my cloudy day.
M
And it sure won`t hert my flute playing either.
All at once?
(That’s actually true but they only reduce about 15 decibels).
