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	Contact Kell Chole (630 662-8611 e-mail     Sessions
	If you would like to play, learn or listen to traditional Irish music, the Murphy Roche Irish Music Club cordially invites you to their Wednesday sessions.   An Irish session  is very much like a folk jam.  You’ll hear banjo, fiddles, flutes, pipes, piano, tin whistles, piano, guitars, bodhran, and the occasional hammered dulcimer, all blending for jigs, reels, and polkas.  Whether you bring your instrument or come to listen, we think you’ll enjoy the warmth and tradition of this music.    People of all ages and musical abilities are welcomed warmly to these friendly sessions.  When you arrive, please introduce yourself to Mike Chole (the session leader, on banjo), Kell Chole (club chair, on flute) or any of us.  We want to get to know you.   The sessions run from 8:00 pm until 10:00 pm (often a little later) but come when you can and leave when you must.  For information on the session tunes, finding it, session etiquette, or the Club, please visit our web site at www. murphyroche.com or call Kell and Mike Chole at 630-662-8611.  Let’s come together with music and leave as friends!   Joe Martin Public Relations Officer Murphy Roche Irish Music Club
On this Page: Musicians Guidelines Spectator Guidelines Resources	The premier outlet for Irish traditional music is the session. (seisiun, in Gaelic). These are informal or semi-formal gatherings of musicians in pubs and other public places, to play the traditional repertoire. Despite the name, these are anything but jam sessions. Participants are supposed to know or learn the tunes and play melody , never improvisation. An informal system of leadership by seniority is enforced more or less rigidly. Despite the steep learning curve and the many obstacles that newcomers have to surmount in order to be able to join a session, they are still the best way to get involved and learn how to play Irish music.   While there are no hard and fast rules governing sessions, and opinions and practices will vary from session to session, there is what has become know as " session etiquette". We can't cover this sometimes sticky subject in depth, but we do like to offer the following suggestions in case you are new to Irish traditional music sessions.  Many of these suggestion are common courtesies or, to put it another way  - play nice!     Musicians sitting in on a session    Spectators at a session.
Suggestions for musicians sitting in on a session	Be courteous and respectful to all musicians at the session regardless of their playing ability. Be appreciative of everyone's contribution to the session and be generous with your help and encouragement. All instruments are welcome at our sessions but use discretion when bringing and playing what might be considered an esoteric instrument. Accompaniment instruments should allow the melody instruments to be clearly heard. Always keep your instrument in tune. We encourage the use of electronic tuners. Never play a tune in a key other than the original. The session is where you are introduced to new tunes and techniques and is an opportunity for you to hone you skills and expand your repertoire. If you are unsure of a tune play softly, or refrain from playing, until you know it. At our session we play Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Polkas and Marches almost exclusively. If you want to play another kind of tune it is a good idea to talk with the other musicians first. It is inappropriate to play a tune from outside the Irish traditional genre.  It is considered polite to wait until you are asked before playing a solo or singing a song. Respect the breaks between songs. This is an opportunity for the musicians to speak with each other.
Suggestions for spectators sitting in on a session	Be courteous and respectful to all musicians at the session, regardless of their playing ability. Be appreciative of everyone’s contribution to the session and feel free to voice your appreciation and/or put you hands together. As this is a night out, we expect and encourage you to engage in animated conversations with your friends, but while the music is playing, please try and keep your conversations at a level so that those who want to hear the music can. Please don’t record or video tape the session as this can turn a relaxed session into a tense performance. Our Ceili band has a CD which features all of the popular tunes we play at the session. If  you must make a recording - ask permission first. Remember, a session is not a concert and the musicians are not a band. The edges will be rough and expect long breaks between sets. Don't expect requests to be played and never, under any circumstances, request Danny Boy. Having said that, feel free to ask for you favorite jig or reel but don't expect it to be played right away.

Resources

So where do you start?

If you are thinking about learning an instrument, or already play an instrument and would like to explore Irish music, it can all seem a bit daunting. You should contact us and consider taking lessons. But if you should want to "go it alone" here are some CDs, music, and books that might help. The best learning experience is to play with others and to talk to them about you instrument and how it is played. Irish Traditional music is a folk tradition. The best resource is you own ears. Listen to the masters old and new. 

Just a few items to get you started - for more visit our Resource and Links pages

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