I just returned from our monthly breakfast session in Bielefeld (and it DOES exist!). At one point, a very good flute player started a set of reels, at moderate but groovy speed. I didn’t know the first and the second, but the third was to be Tom Ward’s Downfall, one of my faves. He finished the second reel and nodded to me. I joined him and what followed is the coolest session moment I can remember so far - our flutes played almost by themselves, perfectly in tune and playing with each other, one breaking out from the tune for some short improvisation and returning promptly to allow the other one to do some fancy schmancy schtuff. After we played that reel the first time with only the other flute player’s wife accompanying us, the rest of the gang (another flute, whistle, four fiddles, concertina, banjo, mandola, bouzouki) joined in and we repeated it four or five more times. This was just so cool. Something magical happened there. Everyone was speechless right after that, then we all fell into laughter. So great!
I’m sure everyone here made similar experiences already…so share your stories!
I only hope to be able to do something like that one day. My story is much more plain.
At the last session I arrived early. Nobody had ever heard me actually play. I’m a beginner and usually arrive late and hide in a far away corner so nobody will hear. But since I was early they wanted to hear me play so I called up all the courage I could muster and played a few tunes. Then we attempted to play a few tunes together but it didn’t really work out very well.
I was afraid I’d be rejected but instead they really welcomed me after that. Insisted I sit in the circle instead of far away, gave me a list of tunes to learn and were just really friendly. I sat in the circle for a while but I couldn’t keep up or play in tune so I moved out.
At around 8pm I was thinking maybe I should just go home since I was sitting out pretty much everything and feeling hopeless as usual. Then they played something I knew: Sean Ryan’s Polka. Miraculously I could keep up! Seemed everybody knew it and there was all this energy and fun all of a sudden. I felt so great because I could do it.
Afterwards they were cheering for Robert who had started this string of polkas. Seriously, more polkas need to be played in sessions. They really lift things up!
So, after that positive experience I decided that was the right note to go home on. I hope that happens again.
Now that is the craic! That few moments when everything meshes well, everyone is at their individual best and the stars are aligned. Great feeling, eh?
It’s something that even most folks who aren’t normally paying tight attention notice.
It will happen again. But realize that, even when you become an expert, it won’t always be great. That’s just part of life… the best thing is that you enjoy playing and don’t let even a bad night make you forget it… there is another chance, and there will be those rare moments of pure ecstasy that make it more than just worthwhile.
I take you aren’t talking Don Maclean, then? Do I rightly recall Ms Hennigan as the actress who played “Willow” in Buffy? (Yes, I am a sad old man. When my 14 year old son borrowed the entire set of Buffy DVDs from a friend last spring and systematically watched the lot, I watched as much as I had time for too! I don’t watch much telly, but I missed Buffy when it came to an end - by the last three series the writing was actually extremely clever! (Which was of course, my main reason for watching…) I virtually never go to the cinema - I quite happily wait for films that interest me to come on terrestrial TV! (So I’m no film buff!)
Sorry to stray off-thread so. Must be the effect of Terry’s Charanga dancing girls!
Re: telly - I’ll be watching rather more than usual over the next month - the Rugby World Cup starts on Friday! American friends, watch it if you can and wonder how Gridiron players would survive! (And why anyone bothers watching Football [“Soccer”].) I’ll try to do some refurb work on flutes while cheering Wales on… But I may be posting less on here, no doubt to the relief of many!
when i had a surgery in my right eye, that is my memorable moment in my life. I never become so tensed as much as that day. I felt i would never return home and that is my last day in my life.
I have a few specific memorable moments, but generally speaking the best sessions moments for me have been when I’ve hung around after things have died down and a few other stragglers don’t want to quit. Usually it’s me on the flute, with a guitarist and bodhran, or sometimes flute with a whistle and bodhran. Things are quieter and we can really tune in to each other. Good stuff.
Also, whenever anyone comes over to the table and thanks us for the music, and tells us how much they appreciate it. Feels good.
Oh yeah, when the second I walk in the door, the hostess asks me what I want to drink. That’s just dandy.
Great feeling, eh?