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Author Topic: Sessions in UK  (Read 3773 times)

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Helena Handcart

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Re: Sessions in UK
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2018, 08:01:55 AM »

I've recently reached the point where my idea of a good pub session is about 6 people, sharing tunes, playing together, improvising a little and actually listening to each other as they play. I don't get enough of this stuff and must cause more to happen.

At the other end of the scale is the steady speed sessions - and I run one - a roomful of enthusiasm, vary degrees of skill and musicality and so much volume you can't hear yourself play most of the tune. Managing it can be exhausting but also very rewarding as people develop in skill, confidence and repertoire -  and essentially we won't get more of the former type of session unless we provide plenty of the latter for new people to learn and develop.

Basically, a few tunes in the pub with your mates, what could be nicer?
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malcolmbebb

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Re: Sessions in UK
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2018, 09:10:22 AM »

Well said.
I kind of view these things as a pyramid - without kick and rush street corner football you wouldn't have a First Division.
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Sessions in UK
« Reply #22 on: February 25, 2018, 10:58:59 AM »

I've been absent from my local session for almost a year. Every first Tuesday something happened ranging from being unwell for quite a time through to missing the January one because the Star Wars film matinee went on much longer!
February's was changed to a Thursday because of another booking. It was superb. A much smaller gang of friends turned up possibly because of the late change of day. It was much more thoughtful and exactly as Helena described, as opposed to the normal mass thrash where anything up to 30 people are playing all sorts of instruments.. The 'normal' ones get a bit intense but we are a group of people where the majority have known each other for ~30+ years, so there's a strong social element of friends meeting up again. That too is part of the session culture for me.

I'm looking forward to the Loose Knit Band reunion at Sidmuth next month. I attended it for the first time last year and really enjoyed myself. Met a load of new people, some old friends and the music was great. People listening to each together, good players, really laid back.
In my expereince, the session culture is mixed and varied, there's no real format. If you attend one that's not to your liking try another. They all seem to have their own character.
Q
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Sessions in UK
« Reply #23 on: February 25, 2018, 02:29:34 PM »

Our Friday session is lagre, but rarely do more than half a dozen or so play or sing at the same time, which makes it more fun than one might expect.
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David J

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Re: Sessions in UK
« Reply #24 on: February 27, 2018, 05:30:31 PM »

Also the site is rather old fashioned - makes me wonder if it is still being actively maintained?
The site is managed by John Offord, and he doesn't do the legwork, it's very much down to the people who run the sessions. But if you send info, as Brian said, it's promptly acknowledged and updated. AFAIK it's the best national resource.
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