Re: Don't be nervous
Inspired by sbhikes and this thread, I headed down to the "Celtic Kitchen Party" this afternoon, only to find a group of confused people standing outside a locked pub. My sweetheart called the organizer, who said that he'd just arrived home, and he too was surprised to discover the pub closed. No one told him. Oh well, I'll have better luck in 2019, I hope.
Regarding the quality of sessions: people have the right to play music, sports, games, or whatever at the level they want. However, if you want a tradition to carry on, you must allow people to join in. You can't have a session for only the best, and then complain that young people aren't carrying on the tradition. As I mentioned on other threads, I've heard of fiddle sessions in British Columbia, in which the tunes become more complex as the afternoon goes on, so that beginners can play with better players at the beginning, and the best players can cut loose at the end, while the beginners learn from and are inspired by them. That sounds good to me. There's nothing less inviting than a so-called "Celtic" session in which everyone sits in a tight circle with no one invited in. I'm all for the introverts having a good time, but this seems disrespectful of both newer musicians and listeners. I contrast that performance style with house sessions I've played at in Cape Breton, where everyone is individually asked to play, then complimented on their performance no matter how scratchy their fiddling. (Of course, they may have a few things to say after you leave. ) In my experience, the poorer musicians become skilled over time. If you're part of an elite jam, ask yourself how did I learn to play well with others, and what am I doing to help others who are less sophisticated musicians become skilled like me? Many newcomers may be better than you think, but are not used to playing with others, and just need a bit of the group experience. However, I'm afraid every group will have problems with the stunningly insensitive who play on despite their lack of skill or despite strong hints to sit out this tune. The organizer may have to take them aside, and let them know what's expected of them.
Last edited by Ranald; Dec-30-2018 at 6:48pm.
Reason: typo
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
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