I know this is preaching to the choir, but ain’t C&F just the greatest thing? I mean the people, of course, and the way the internet has made it possible for so many from so far to be so close - almost like sitting in a pub. (I said ALMOST!)
I haven’t posted a lot, but I read a lot, and learn alot. So thanks for that.
I want to report on my first visit to a “session” because I know a lot of you can relate. Fortunately I stumbled into a good one. Anyway here’s the tale, with some background so you appreciate it properly …
Christmas - I decide to make a whistle out of some PVC laying in the garage. I find Guido’s Low Tech instructions and make something that makes sound. Cool! I gave about five away over the holidays.
Jan-Feb - I make a few more, they are getting better. I’m getting to play a little. Nothing I’d want to inflict on a human, but the dogs don’t seem to mind.
I read some posts here about sessions and wondered if there are any around. I find a monthy one about an hour away, and a weekly one 15 minutes away. I e-mail some locals and meet some players at an Irish Festival. Sounds like fun.
(So, now you know how close to the very start of my whistle playing I am.)
Mar - I do a recon visit and have dinner with the wife at the pub/resturant while the session is happening. Horrors!! they are sitting on a small stage in the corner of the dining room! Right in plain view and everyone can hear! I brought a whistle just in case, but jeese these folks play well. Oh well, I’ll go say hello. Didn’t stay cuz the wife had things to do, but at least I saw what it was about.
So, what to do? I’ve only got about six tunes total, and only two or three I’d play for my wife, never mind strangers. I stop playing when the mail comes so the mail lady doesn’t hear me. That my confidence level. I’ve tried playing along with tunes on the computer and found that I get lost when trying to listen and play at the same time.
Should I inflict myself on these nice people? Oh what the heck, what’s the worst that can happen? There’s gotta be a first time right? May as well be early on so expectations are suitably low.
Feeling a little like I’m going to the dentist or something I walk into the pub as they are just getting out the instruments. There was a whistle/flute player, a manolin and misc other stuff I don’t know the names of player, a guitar and manolin player, and a fiddle and guitat player. So I introduce myself and although I feel a bit out of my league pull up a stool. I mean I’ve seen three of the four on stage before!
Everyone was very welcoming and … I’m not sure how to describe it … non-threatening? I felt right at home. It was amaizing. I didn’t even take my whistle out for the first hour, I just sat among them soaking it all up while they had fun playing for/with each other. They played stuff they knew well and stuff they messed up a bit. It was all good fun.
Finally I couldn’t help but contribute something, so I borrowed a hard mandolin case and supplied some percussion. (All those years of drumming on the steering wheel paid off.)
After about and hour of that, I decided I brought the whistle so let’s have a go. Nobody knew my tune (Snowy Path) but I had a go and after a few bars they joined in. Which of course imediatly put me off my game. But I started again and after two or three more goes managed to get most of the way thru it. Not well mind you, but I had played WITH them. Another hour or so of manolin case percussion (no other drums showed up that night) and it was time to go. I asked what tunes to learn for next week and they named a couple.
I actually smiled all the way home. What great fun with such nice people. And it all started with a section of PVC on the garage floor and Guido. (Thanks again Guido for the site.) And C&F gave me the insight and information to search out a session, not to mention lots of other useful info. So thanks to y’all here too.
Sorry to ramble, but I thought some might like to be reminded of the first time they dropped in on a session. And if you have one you can get to and have not gone, by all means get there!
Cheers!