Toronto Beginner Sessions…

Hello all,

As a beginner fiddler, I am wondering where I could go to just sit in on a low level session? I have ni illusions about playing, as I have only been playing less then 6 months. I would just like to go somewhere in Toronto or surrounding area that is full of like minded people, as my current crowd is no doubt getting slightly tired of my fiddle-speak 🙂 The dont’ share the passion, and as such, I’m tossing them overboard!!! I would just like to meet some fiddlers so I could talk about things related and not be looked at like an alien!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


Justin
Toronto

Sandy MacIntyre has Cape Breton fiddle learning sessions on Tuesdays from 6 to 9:30. $10. The first hour is beginner’s level, and the second hour is intermediate.
http://www.sandymacintyre.com

Jamie Snider teaches a beginner’s Celtic fiddle evening course which runs on Thurs eve at Danforth Collegiate. It will start again in Jan 07.
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/
Click on Community, Community Programs.

I’ve been to both and recommend them.

The Langan-Gorman Comhaltas branch of Comhaltas Ceoltori Eireann hosts a music session on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month, September to June (there’s one tonight in fact). You can find more information on this session at http://www.tranzacsession.org/. The beginer session starts runs 7:30-9pm.

salut,

MacCarthy’s every Monday at 8pm.

Thanks guys/gals!!

Also, I know fiddlers sometimes complain about beginners coming to sessions, so my next question is this:

When should I start going to play? What benchmark of skill level should I use, so I don’t tick anyone off/embarass myself?

Justin

Hi Justin, I’m a beginner too, not ready to play in a session yet, but I’ve been going anyway and recording them. It works out pretty well---you go in, buy a beer, stand around and watch, figure out who the leader/most approachable person is, then introduce yourself and ask if they mind if you record a few sets. They’re always happy to have you there and usually ask you a lot of questions like who your teacher is, when you’re coming in to play, etc. Gives you a chance to know them before you jump in for real.

And then having the recording is a good thing because you can hear what they’re playing and how they play it. I’ve started picking out a few tunes they play that I like and learn them, and I figure I should have them in decent shape in a few more months when I’m playing at a better level.

It’s interesting the things you pick up just by watching. The seating arrangements, how people handle their instruments…one time I saw one woman making faces when she hit a bum note (just like I had been doing) and I decided I needed to mind my facial expressions better.

It’s cool that you’re so enthusiastic. Good luck!

Justin, you might be ready *now* - depends mostly on the session. Your teacher is probably familiar with the local scene; ask them about local session and whether they think you’re ready.

I’m a novice myself, and have been playing around as long as you, and I’m fortunate enough to have a teacher who leads a *very* friendly session, and he told me to come over and start playing a few months ago. So I did - played four tunes near the beginning of the evening, and then sat around and listened for the next two hours. This attracted some attention from folks who asked me what I played, and why I wasn’t playing.

“I play fiddle,” I replied, “but I’m brand new and I’m no good at all and I don’t know any of these tunes.”

“So what?” they replied. “Take your fiddle out and play!”

I’ve had the above conversation around half a dozen times, no lie, and eventually I realized that I’d stick out less if I played badly than if I didn’t play at all. I’ve picked up one full tune and several fragments this way, and it’s really helped me learn faster - when my teacher gives me a tune I’ve been hearing every week, it takes way less time for me to learn it. Anyway, this is the only session I’ve ever attended, and I know that not all of them are nearly this friendly! - so ask someone who’s familiar both with the scene and with your ability. And give me a shout if you’re ever in Vancouver 🙂

As for what benchmark level of skill you should use - in my case, my teacher invited me over when I could play a handful of tunes at session speed and with no overt mistakes. My bowing at that point was *extremely* sloppy, my intonation very much in the “getting there” stages, my expression nonexistent, but none of these mattered very much in a setting with 25-35 musicians, a dozen of whom were fiddlers. (When my teacher was trying to convince me to attend, he assured me earnestly, “Don’t worry if you miss some notes! No one can hear you!” Judging from the number of people telling me that I should play more, I am convinced he was right.)

Kennedy - I’ve been devouring your comments and posts for a few weeks, as you seem to be at around the same stage of the process as me, and I’m surprised you’re not attending sessions yet. The one (ones?) you’ve been sitting in on might be too advanced for you at this point, but there’s got to be something at your level in NYC!

er, in that last paragraph, by “attending” I meant “playing at”, of course…

Duncan Cameron also teaches a fiddle class at U of T and has a great learning book/cd program available. He’d be able to put you in touch with some good learning sessions. He’s a personal friend of mine and a great teacher.

Tall/Dark/Mysterious---you made me think for a long time this morning. There are some “beginner” sessions by me, and I haven’t participated yet because…because…well, I really don’t know why. I’ve thought from the beginning that I had to wait until I could play at least adequately before I could be in a session. But there might be more than one way of thinking about this. I gotta mull it over some more…

Kennedy, I can only speak for myself, but my definition of “at least adequately” evolves daily. When I’d been playing five weeks I could identify a dozen things wrong with the way I played; now that I’ve been fiddling for five months, I can still identify a dozen things wrong with the way I play, though there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ve improved drastically since this summer. (Incidentally, I started off with a goal of sounding tolerable by December, when I’ll be seeing my family for the first time since I picked up the fiddle. I’m not sure if I’ll be there yet; thank heavens for my teacher, whose goals for me are slightly more quantifiable…)

I’d be interested to hear from some of the more experienced musicians and teachers here when they think novices are ready to start playing in sessions. FWIW, when I first started, my teacher told me that his goal for all new students was to have them playing slow tunes at the everyone-welcome session that he runs, within six months.

TDM, if it’s the Wolf and Hounds you’re attending on Mondays, be aware that it’s an unusual teaching session, using the same repertoire constantly, and encouraging of beginners; many of whom are Michael’s students. This, of course, is an excellent way of getting out and playing, but it is not typical of other sessions.

Yup, oldstrings, that’s the one; I know it’s not typical, which is why I’m certainly not under the illusion that I’m ready to show up a stranger at any other session at this point! But is it so unusual a session that one couldn’t find a single one like it in any big city? Kennedy lives in NYC; would there not be *something* there suitable for beginners who are obviously very committed?

Patrick Ourceau is also an excellent teacher in Toronto. He teachers all levels. You can reach him through his website www.patrickourceau.com

Hi Justin. I only came across your discussion today. I’m a beginning-ish fiddler and, in the back of my mind, thought it would be nice to set up a “slow session” group in Toronto with like-skilled fiddlers. I’ve recorded lots of session tunes from Toronto pubs, my teacher is willing to transcribe them for me, but I don’t know of any other fiddlers who would be willing to meet once a week or every week to play together and learn some of the session tunes at our own pace. I’m a west ender - is this something you’d be interested in? Or anyone else out there?