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[Jesse Smith]

I've been playing the melodeon for about two years now, and I feel like I am reaching a point where playing with other people would be enormously helpful, not to say very enjoyable! Trouble is, I have not found any sort of general traditional music session where the English tunes I play would be part of the repertoire. There are quite a few Irish sessions, an Old Time American fiddle jam, bluegrass jams, blues jams, even an Indonesian gamelan group, but no "English session". The thing is, I know there are people around who do play this sort of repertoire or would be open to it. There's a weekly contra dance with live music. My son's music teacher has taught several Playford tunes to their recorder ensemble. An hour's drive east of here there's a Scottish session and an English Country Dance group that does an annual "Jane Austen ball", etc. It seems like the people are there or could be cultivated, but no advertised venue.

So if the mountain will not come to Muhammad... My winter project is contemplating starting up my own monthly session, in the "English pub session" spirit. My thought is to define it as a "traditional music session" rather than specifically English, but with the idea of leaving the Irish repertoire mostly to the long-running Irish session in town. It would be open to any traditional acoustic instruments. (I might be the only melodeon player in my city, and almost certainly the only D/G player.)

Any advice people can offer would be much appreciated! (Especially if there's anyone who has started up or run a session in the United States.)

A couple of specific questions:

My understanding of the cultural difference between the "Irish session" and "English session" (mostly garnered from online reading) is that in most Irish sessions, the expectation is that you learn the tunes on their own time, and do not attempt to join in at the session unless you are confident in being able to play along at speed. While in most English sessions, there is much more allowance for quietly playing along trying to pick up the tune, or playing chord vamps, etc. Would you say this generalization is accurate? This was certainly how things worked in the English sessions I've attended at the Northeast Squeeze-In free reed weekend the past two years, and I would prefer to promote this more laid-back approach as long as people are sensitive enough to try to be making a positive contribution to the music.

As a relative beginner, I'm concerned about ending up in a situation where no one, including myself, feels confident enough to start tunes. Will I end up having to teach the repertoire? Does it make sense to have an established playlist that we all attempt to learn? At what point does it become less of a session and more of a workshop / ensemble?

I guess my hope is to create an opportunity to draw together people who are interested in traditional music in general, and see where things evolve from there. As I said, I think there are other musicians out there with interest or exposure or willingness to play this kind of music. The trick is getting people connected.

[squeezy]

I live in England so playing English sessions is not too hard here ... but in my spare time I love playing French dance music - and a French session was started up here more than 10 years ago and is still going strong.  The original guy who started it up charmed people who were really great players and got them to come along ... he also started a facebook group (pah!) OK I'm not a fan, but most people are ... and put up tunes there to learn before each session which gave some people the confidence to come and drove the repertoire of the session with some great tunes.

Similar things have since been done with a Galician session and a Scandinavian session here in Oxford with some good success.

Good luck with it!

[squeezy]

Also ... sessions for the main part ... you are expected to learn the tunes in your own time.  But a policy of playing tunes a good number of times through during the session helps participants to hone their ear and learn tunes rather than the common policy of play it 3 times and change.

[Pearse Rossa]

My thought is to define it as a "traditional music session" rather than specifically English, but with the idea of leaving the Irish repertoire mostly to the long-running Irish session in town.

You could always stick up a "No Irish" notice like they do in England.

[Tiposx]

Please tell us that's supposed to be a joke?

[Steve_freereeder]

You could always stick up a "No Irish" notice like they do in England.

That's just nasty. I've been to many sessions in England over the years and never, ever, have I seen a notice like that.

[Winston Smith]

I've often wondered what the state of play would be if someone started up playing slow English dirge types of tunes in a session in Ireland?
It seems to me that this whole argument is rather pointless, as people who meet together to play tunes would probably have an interest in the same sort of music, and, if they were lovers of what's recognised as English folk, really wouldn't want someone to come in and start bashing out French or Irish or Ukrainian (or whatever?) music, if that wasn't their "bag". I find that most people congregate with like-minded souls, in whichever field we're talking about at any particular moment.

[Theo]

The best sessions are with people who are friends and know each others musical likes and dislikes.  Picking up on something Squeezy said earlier I suggest that you start by seeking out those people who you think would be interested.  Once you have made contacts you can start conversations about your shared musical interests and see where that leads.  If the others are at a similar musical stage to yourself then small get togethers in each others homes might by a more enjoyable way to share music.  Going public in a pub session really does need strong but unobtrusive leadership from a core of confident players.

[richard.fleming]

After 2 years few people would be good enough to lead a session, so unless you've made extremely good progress I think you need either to find an established session where you can quietly see if you can fit in, or find someone to play with in the house.

[Thrupenny Bit]

I think both Richard and Theo have put my thoughts forward for me.
Establishing a group of like minded friends give you a group protection. If you loose the tune if leading then, someone else can pick it up and remind you, allowing you to pick it back up.
T
Just reflecting on my monday's 'first of the month' session, of the dozen or so people there, at least 4 others I've known for 40  years (argh!!) of dancing/playing with them. They've been encouraging when I switched instruments, and you do get to know their favourite tunes that come out frequently. By learing those, you increase and strengthen the group musical bond.
Good luck with the project.
Q

[The Oul' Boy]

You could always stick up a "No Irish" notice like they do in England.

That's just nasty. I've been to many sessions in England over the years and never, ever, have I seen a notice like that.

Well, I've seen listings giving 'Irish session' for one night and 'Anything but Irish session' on other nights, but nothing as crass as 'No Irish'! Probably useful to specify in areas in England with a big Irish folk scene.

[Chris Brimley]

I heartily applaud anyone who is willing to take the initiative and start up a music session, of any sort, Jesse.

Personally, I most enjoy sessions where any kind of acoustic music is played and enjoyed, and I find the idea of unspoken 'rules' on what to play rather at odds with the whole point of enjoying playing and listening to music.  However I also appreciate that others do not necessarily agree with me there.  For example, there do seem to be many sessions whose point is for participants to learn standard tunes in a particular genre - often English or Irish trad, and players enjoy it because that's what they want to learn.  If the club says to everyone that's what it wants to do, that's fine with me.  It's fine for the club too, provided enough musicians are interested in that specific idea to want to come along, and any non-players in the pub or room don't get too put off. 

However, if you want to start a session, isn't the first thing to do to find out who else is interested and what their ideas are, and then see what emerges from that by consensus?  I agree with Theo here.  We are blessed (or cursed?) with playing an instrument that is quite capable of drowning most other instruments out if played insensitively, and I'm afraid we do need to recognise that a roomful of us can be a mandolinist's worse nightmare!  It is indeed the case that many sessions are based round a capable group of friends playing together, but they need to be very careful to be very inclusive for the club to succeed, otherwise other musos will quickly decide it's not for them.

[Roger Hare]

I've often wondered what the state of play would be if someone started up playing slow English
dirge types of tunes in a session in Ireland?

I've often wondered what the state of play would be if someone started up playing "The Sash my
Father Wore" in a session in Ireland (as opposed to Ulster)? 

[Tone Dumb Greg]

I've often wondered what the state of play would be if someone started up playing slow English dirge types of tunes in a session in Ireland?

That sounds like fighting talk, I think you mean well paced bouncy dance tunes, or something of the kind. 

[Pearse Rossa]

You could always stick up a "No Irish" notice like they do in England.

That's just nasty.

I agree. The Irish have a resilient nature though.

I've often wondered what the state of play would be if someone started up playing "The Sash my
Father Wore" in a session in Ireland (as opposed to Ulster)? 

You would counter it with a good old Republican number. Maybe this one.

[Thrupenny Bit]

Looks like we're drifting away from Jesse's question into
 ( another ) Irish sesh debate....
Here Be Dragons !!!

[Tone Dumb Greg]

Given that there are no English sessions in you area, Jesse, how about getting a group of like minded people together to play music at a comfortable speed in a non-public location. My friend Jimmy (of this parish) did something a bit like this in Cornwall. He runs a very successful slow session in the Liskeard Public Hall (which is actually private), on that basis. I think he probably started out with more experience, but that doesn't really matter in your context. You already have sufficient to know, what you want to play and how you want to play it.

[Thrupenny Bit]

I think Greg's suggestion is a good one. Build a base of like minded people.
Finding them might prove problematic in your location....?
Q

[Tone Dumb Greg]

I think Greg's suggestion is a good one. Build a base of like minded people.
Finding them might prove problematic in your location....?
Q

You don't know if you don't try.
Jesse did say he knows there is an interest in the English repertoire, there just doesn't seem somewhere for it to happen.

[Winston Smith]

"Here Be Dragons !!!" Indeed!

Nevertheless, I don't think that any Irish music v English music is necessarily the case in this instance. But it does need to be pointed out that, as Q goes on to say; "Finding them might prove problematic in your location....?"
(My own preferences in music to play on my melodeons hasn't really been catered for in any of the gatherings which I've attended, but I can (mostly) still enjoy what is on offer, even a bit of French stuff!)
But how does one go about finding individuals who are generally easy-going enough to be willing to adapt to other's tastes, while playing tunes of your own choice only infrequently, in Jesse's situation? Do other melodeonists anywhere near him read this forum, for instance? Or, is there a folk music or Morris scene where other instrumentalists might gather? Are our instruments apparent in any American music genres? (I know there's Cajun etc, but that's pretty specialist, surely, and not really what he seems to be looking for?)