Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Overwhelmed

Life gets busy. No doubt everyone experiences this. Sometimes are busier than others. My busy time is involved trying to put together some free music experiences. Not having time to market myself and my music, I've involved myself in some experiences that are free with the hopes that they will build a culture in my specific geographic locale as there seems to be a lack of that.

I was starting to write about being frustrated and fed up with cable or satellite television as well as the current politics that are going on. Topics worth writing about but I'd rather spend my time playing music and connecting with other musicians to make music that is enjoyable to both the musicians performing and anyone listening. Such an event is less about performing than it is about creating a community of participation. That's another subject I have frustration about. Our society's proclivity to deify performers and consider fame more important than personal relationships.

It's peculiar that where I live, there isn't a community of musicians who get together in a public location to just sit down and make music. In Ireland and Scotland this is called a session, or a hooley. These events take place in various local pubs on at least a weekly basis. In the U.S. folks used to get together on a Friday and/or Saturday night and have a party (hooley). Food would be shared, stories and jokes told, socializing amongst friends occurred, those with musical abilities brought their instruments, and dances were danced. Community, contra or barn dances. This could go on all night in some instances. It was a relief from the work week.

Nowadays, we have television, stereos, the internet, personal dvd players, and smartphones. Curiously enough for me sitting here writing this, there are folks who blog or write digital journals that go out into the ethernet and may be around for eons. All these things make personal, face-to-face connectivity less a reality.

Here is a video clip posted on YouTube by clarebannerman of a session by the band, Providence, in an Irish pub, Cruises Pub in Ennis, County Clare that I enjoyed seeing awhile back. It is a bit produced as the music and musicians are very proficient at this set of tunes they perform but the clip does capture a sense of the session experience.

Below's a video of session in an Irish pub, Billy Andy's, posted by fiddle4u on YouTube. This video shows a truer view of a session, imho.