00:00 Introduction to Young Musicians
01:06 The Essence of a Session
02:29 Positive and Negative Experiences in Sessions
05:41 Learning and Sharing in Sessions
09:10 Advice for New Musicians
10:59 What Makes a Successful Session?
11:45 Looking Ahead: The Future of Music
Conversational Transcript
*[This is an edited conversational transcript, lightly shaped for readability while keeping the spirit of the original conversation]
What does an Irish music session mean?
Tara:
I’m here with five budding students at the Cup of Tae Festival in Ardara in County Donegal.
We have Sarah, Annie, Angel, Síobha and Dearbhla, and they are all from the Ardara region. I am going to ask them a few questions about session etiquette because it has been such a long time since I have been 15 or 16. It is good to get the opinion and insight from people who are newer to sessions.
I might start with this question: what does a session mean to you?
Sarah, do you want to start?
Sarah:
What a session is to me, and what I love in a session, is when a group of lovely people are very welcoming and just play a good couple of tunes for good craic. It can be really anywhere.
Tara:
Annie?
Annie:
I think a session is all about people sharing their music from different areas, and everyone playing together and enjoying the music.
Tara:
Angel?
Angel:
I think it is a good confidence booster, especially for newer musicians. And as Annie and Sarah said, it is good craic, especially if you have good crowds.
Tara:
Siobha?
Siobha:
I think it is an opportunity to learn music together and for people to track their progress, how they are growing in their capability.
Tara:
Dearbhla?
Dearbhla:
I think a session is having fun with your friends and playing a few tunes.
Feeling welcomed as a young player
Tara:
Fantastic. So you have all had great experiences so far. Has anybody had any really great ones that stand out?
Sarah:
There was a session where people were just so welcoming. I was only starting out at the time and I was not that confident. It was a great boost, and I was speaking about it for weeks after.
Tara:
That is lovely. Were you speaking to your friends and family about it?
Sarah:
Yes. I was speaking to everybody I met.
Tara:
That is what we would all love to hear. Anybody else have a positive experience?
Annie:
When I first started playing, I would go to a few sessions, and I will always remember the more experienced players being really encouraging and patient, just letting you get the chance to play along. It was lovely.
Tara:
Do you think it is important that you get to play rather than only sitting there listening? It gives you a boost, does it?
Would you prefer everybody to join in with you, or would you prefer to play on your own?
Angel:
Definitely when people join us.
Annie:
It feels like you are part of something.
When someone jumps in before you
Tara:
Has anybody had any negative experiences?
Angel:
When you are trying to start a tune or a song and people jump in front of you to start, I think that is a big problem at sessions.
Tara:
Do you mean that you start and somebody starts a different tune altogether?
Angel:
A different tune altogether.
Tara:
That feels rude, does it?
I suppose we have to wonder why people do that. Maybe they are not experienced themselves. Maybe they do not understand the etiquette.
It is almost more like session manners, isn’t it? It is horrible to say there are rules, because it is supposed to be fun. But sometimes when people forget there are other people involved, they forget about the fun bit.
Respect, listening and not speeding people up
Tara:
Anybody else have a negative experience?
Annie:
It is just about showing a bit of respect and listening to everyone else.
Kind of the same as Angel, even if they start off with the same tune, they might speed it up and then you cannot keep up with them.
Tara:
Yes, so even if they join in with the same tune, they can take it away from you by speeding it up.
A session that says yes but feels closed
Dearbhla:
I had an experience where there was a person shouting, and it was just not welcoming.
They would say, “Yes, play along,” but really and truly they had their own wee corner and their own tunes that they would play by themselves.
Tara:
So you would like it to be a wee bit more inclusive.
What were they shouting?
Dearbhla:
I do not know. I was not paying much attention.
Why session etiquette needs to be explained
Tara:
I am thinking about writing a book from all these podcast conversations. I am thinking of writing a book with some of the advice and findings that come up. Do you think that would be a good idea? Or maybe a course, or this podcast even?
Group:
Definitely.
Siobha:
I think it would help a lot of people.
Angel:
Some people just do not know what to do. It is for everyone to have the same chance to be listened to and to be able to learn.
Annie:
Newer musicians would be scared to go to sessions if they did not know what it is or what to do.
Sarah:
Especially now, I notice there are a lot of younger children going.
Tara:
So you are almost the experienced musicians for them. You are helping them and bringing them along as well.
How do people get to know each other through sessions?
Tara:
Is there anything you would love to learn about session etiquette? Any questions you have?
Siobha:
I would love to know how everybody meets up. If there were not sessions, how does everybody know each other? Everybody seems to know each other deeper than sessions. I would love to know how everybody gets to know everybody.
Tara:
I can only answer for myself, but I imagine a lot of people are like this.
I attended a lot of festivals, like you are doing now. You meet people your own age at workshops, and then you meet them again at sessions. You meet tutors too, and they can be your entrance into the session. They might say, “Come on in and play a few tunes.”
After years and years, everybody gets to know each other. Then you start asking, “Do you want to go for tunes?”
It is a bit like what you are doing already. A few of you play regularly together, and you can ask each other to go for tunes.
Imagine people your age who do not play music. What do they do?
Group:
I do not know.
Listening and learning by ear
Tara:
Did any of your teachers over the years mention the importance of listening?
Annie:
Yes, definitely. When we were learning tunes, our teachers would send us recordings of them, just to listen to and get the tunes into our heads.
Tara:
That is a really good idea.
Sarah:
I nearly thought the recordings were better, because you always have them. If you forget years later how to play a certain tune, you will always have the recording.
Tara:
Yes. The notes are never quite the same, because the music is never played exactly as it is written.
Listening is very important. I wonder if many people outside Ireland have teachers who might not mention how important the listening is.
Joining a session and starting a tune
Tara:
What about starting a tune in a session, or joining a session? Would you normally ask, “Do you mind if we join in?” Or do your parents ask? How do you normally join?
Annie:
Any time I have been to sessions, I have gone with someone who has already been there. So I go with them, and at least I know someone.
Sarah:
And just have a look around, because you do not want to interrupt someone else.
Look around to see if anyone seems like they are going to start a tune. If no one looks like they are going to start one, that is always a good time to start.
Tara:
Would you ask as well?
Sarah:
If I am not asked, I ask my parents. They usually say, “Go on ahead.” Then I go in and play along with them. I might start a tune midway through the session.
Advice for newcomer musicians
Tara:
What advice would you give to newcomer musicians who might be starting off?
Sarah:
Even if you are not feeling confident to play, just play, because someone will always know the tune.
Angel:
Music will always get you around the world. It will always give you a confidence boost.
Even on rainy days, I pull out the fiddle and my father does too. We play tunes and we are as happy as Larry after.
I would say just do not stop it.
Tara:
Around your age, a lot of people give up, don’t they? It is important to have friends who play along with you.
Anybody else have advice for musicians who are new to sessions?
Angel:
Even if you are nervous to start one off, play it anyway, because someone will always know the tune you are doing.
Siobha:
No one is judging you either. Everyone has been a starter.
Tara:
Absolutely. We have all been starters.
One thing I noticed while interviewing people for this podcast is that even the most talented musicians, the ones you would really respect, have gone through this too.
Even they would not usually go into a session without asking. They rarely start a tune in a session where they are not familiar with the people.
They would usually only start in a session where they know people and they are among friends.
So it is almost the same unspoken rules for everyone. It is not different rules just because you are a beginner or because you are advanced.
What makes a successful session?
Tara:
What would a successful session look like?
Annie:
I would say it is when everyone gets their turn. They all get to play their tunes, but at the same time everyone is playing together.
Everyone gets a chance.
Sarah:
Everyone goes home happy, and no one is wishing they did not play something, or wishing they did something they did not do, or did something they should not have done.
Dearbhla:
Even just for fun in general. You can go and have the craic and have a few laughs.
Tara:
That is what it is about, isn’t it? It is about the craic.
Craic, for anyone outside Ireland, is an Irish word for fun. It is spelled C-R-A-I-C. It is not any other substance.
Will you still be playing in ten years?
Tara:
At the end of the podcast, we always have a mystery question.
The mystery question this week is: do you think you will still be playing in ten years’ time?
Group:
I hope so.
Yes.
Playing sessions would be great.
Tara:
That is what I would love to hear.
Sarah, Annie, Angel, Siobha and Dearbhla, thank you so much. You have done me really proud doing this interview today. It is your first time being recorded.
Thank you so much.
This short episode says a lot.
The Donegal teen fiddlers describe sessions in simple terms: people, tunes, confidence, fun, respect and inclusion.
That might sound basic, but it is exactly the heart of the matter.
For young musicians, the difference between a good session and a bad one can be sharp. A welcoming session can give someone a confidence boost they talk about for weeks. A careless moment, such as jumping in front of someone, speeding up their tune or making the space feel closed, can make the session feel unsafe or discouraging.
What is striking is that these young musicians are already aware of the culture around the music. They understand that listening matters. They understand that everybody needs a chance. They know that sessions are not only about playing well, but about making people feel part of something.
They also remind us that session etiquette is not just for beginners. Experienced musicians shape the room. They decide, often without realising it, whether younger players feel welcome, nervous, encouraged or pushed aside.
A successful session, in their words, is one where everyone gets a turn, everyone goes home happy, and there is still room for craic.
That is not childish. That is the point.
Cup of Tae festival, Ardara
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Wild Atlantic Way official website
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