Field Guide to the Irish Music Session

The only people I know who don't like this book are people who don't do well at Irish sessions for the very reasons Mr. Foy gives. Funny thing, that. If you want to fit in and aren't Irish (ie: didn't grow up in Ireland, and are therefore completely experienced in the intricacies of Irish society), get this book, read it, and believe it. If you don't end up using the stuff in here, great. You're gold. If you DO need it, then you'll have it. Great. You're gold.The people I know who don't like this book always call it "elitist" -- interesting, if you think about it long enough.I should also point out that Irish people think a book of something like this is ridiculous -- unless they've lived outside of Ireland and regularly suffered through a session that has been so hammered into another shape that it's really not a session anymore, and then they are ALL for this book (and you'll note Martin Hayes writes a plug for it, among others).Irish sessions are often changed beyond belief to the point where they're no longer Irish sessions (or at least, sessions of traditional Irish music). Anyway, it's called "traditional" music for a reason, and if you don't like it or all the etiquette attendant upon it, then go make your own music, just don't sully either your own music nor Irish traditional music by calling it by the wrong name.Oh, and by the way -- "etiquette" has somehow become a bad word, I'm not sure how. It's worth remembering that there's an "etiquette" to inviting your friends over for pizza and beer or hanging out at the mall -- "etiquette" isn't relegated only to weddings and formal occasions.An extremely famous Irish fiddler once told me that there are sessions where he's glad that the participants are having fun, that they're doing something better than watching TV and all, but he would rather not be there. If you don't want to be the one to make an experienced player feel that way, get the book.P.S. Oddly enough, I recognize most of the names giving reviews. This is a very small society over the globe, this society of Irish musicians.

The only people I know who don't like this book are people who don't do well at Irish sessions for the very reasons Mr. Foy gives. Funny thing, that. If you want to fit in and aren't Irish (ie: didn't grow up in Ireland, and are therefore completely experienced in the intricacies of Irish society), get this book, read it, and believe it. If you don't end up using the stuff in here, great. You're gold. If you DO need it, then you'll have it. Great. You're gold.The people I know who don't like this book always call it "elitist" -- interesting, if you think about it long enough.I should also point out that Irish people think a book of something like this is ridiculous -- unless they've lived outside of Ireland and regularly suffered through a session that has been so hammered into another shape that it's really not a session anymore, and then they are ALL for this book (and you'll note Martin Hayes writes a plug for it, among others).Irish sessions are often changed beyond belief to the point where they're no longer Irish sessions (or at least, sessions of traditional Irish music). Anyway, it's called "traditional" music for a reason, and if you don't like it or all the etiquette attendant upon it, then go make your own music, just don't sully either your own music nor Irish traditional music by calling it by the wrong name.Oh, and by the way -- "etiquette" has somehow become a bad word, I'm not sure how. It's worth remembering that there's an "etiquette" to inviting your friends over for pizza and beer or hanging out at the mall -- "etiquette" isn't relegated only to weddings and formal occasions.An extremely famous Irish fiddler once told me that there are sessions where he's glad that the participants are having fun, that they're doing something better than watching TV and all, but he would rather not be there. If you don't want to be the one to make an experienced player feel that way, get the book.P.S. Oddly enough, I recognize most of the names giving reviews. This is a very small society over the globe, this society of Irish musicians.

This book is a must-read for session newbies, who will be introduced to the unspoken rules of etiquette at the typical Irish session, and for advanced players, who will probably get a kick out of Foy's amusing take on what very often goes wrong at sessions, and for those who attend public sessions but don't play, who will be interested to know what is really going on during a session.I wish that this book had been available about fifteen years ago when I first took up the Irish fiddle and cluelessly dove into sessions, probably helping to drive away some really outstanding players in the process. Thank you, Mr Foy, for putting into print what I had to figure out for myself over the years, and doing so in such a funny way.

This cheerfully vicious little book tells you all you need to know about the Irish music session, be you a listener or a performer. It's a quick, fun read, and makes a nice gift (as long as the recipient won't recognize him or herself in its pages).

A definite must for the ignorant hoi poloi (such as myself). Extremely witty, from the acknowledgements, in which the author acknowledges his own genius, to the glossary (Alpha male/female: .. the woman with the loudest instrument or the man with the biggest one). The rather odd illustrations indicate why the Irish are known for literature and music, but not for graphic arts.