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Title: Field Guide to the Irish Music Session by Barry Foy ISBN: 1-57098-241-4 Publisher: Roberts Rinehart Publishers Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.09 (11 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Definite toungue in cheek
Comment: [....] The book in no way is serious but DOES contain some definite nuggets of truth. The derision of the statement "The fact that you are holding a musical instrument in your hands does not automatically entitle you to play it." is off base I feel...the statement IS true in an Irish session. Irish sessions have, generally, unwritten and unspoken rules which one would be advised to learn before plunging in!
And it completely depends on the TYPE of session one is attending. Many "purists" come across as elitists in exclusion of "non-trad" instruments and turn their noses up at anything other than a fiddle and button accordeon. Singing is even frowned upon! Whereas many include much which is non traditional.
I felt the book was amusing and held many grains of truth. Regardless of how the man handles himself in person his book is a witty intro to the structure of Irish sessions. I certainly know some folks who could benefit from reading it!
Rating: 5
Summary: SPOT ON>>>GOOD MAN, BARRY FOY!
Comment: Barry Foy's Field Guide is a must read for anyone thinking about participating at a traditional irish session. Don't be discouraged by the book, but realize that it takes a lot of hard work to play "simple" Irish melodies in an authentic style on a traditional instrument. It also takes a bit of humility to realize you don't know everything and that maybe you should shutup about yourself and listen to more experienced players.
The people who shout "elitist" at Barry are just the sort of people who wreck the fun of sessions through their own insensitivity and/or lack of dedication.
Do whatever you want within a band or studio context, but if you don't like the traditional sound and think it needs "innovation", for crying out loud stay out of traditional sessions!
Rating: 5
Summary: Read It and Weep -- and laugh a lot, too
Comment: 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.
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Title: The Rough Guide to Irish Music (Rough Guide Music Reference) by Geoff Wallis, Sue Wilson ISBN: 1858286425 Publisher: Rough Guides Limited Pub. Date: 31 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Last Night's Fun: In and Out of Time With Irish Music by Ciaran Carson ISBN: 0865475318 Publisher: North Point Press Pub. Date: 01 March, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: Celtic Music: A Complete Guide by June Skinner Sawyers ISBN: 0306810077 Publisher: Da Capo Press Pub. Date: 06 March, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: A Pocket History of Irish Traditional Music (The Pocket History Series) by Gearoid O hAllmhurain ISBN: 0862785553 Publisher: O'Brien Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Folk Music and Dances of Ireland: A Comprehensive Study Examining the Basic Elements of Irish Folk Music and Dance Traditions (Text) by Breandan Breathnach ISBN: 1900428652 Publisher: Mercier Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 1993 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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