The Fisherman's Tavern Session

The Trad Circle

Sitting in a circle of musicians playing celtic music I can't help but feel like I'm bearing witness to the continuation of an ongoing tradition. As long as people have been gathering there've been a sharing of stories through song. Ballads touch upon issues such as lives cut short, of unrequited love, of friendships and the mysteries of life and death. Some instrumental fiddle songs commemorate stories and events, like "Callum's Road": a tune named after a Hebridian man who hand built a stretch of road on his remote island to connect his croft to the community thus insuring the success of his croft for future generations.

New England Trad
I've been to celtic sessions in the past, mostly in the northeast of the United States, and it wasn't a welcoming vibe. I wanted to love it, as I do love celtic music, but there was a rule at these sessions that 'if you don't know the song, then don't play'. I brought a bodhrán to one of these sessions once and was mocked by the guy running the session. Sadly, I equated all trad sessions to having this draconian structure. It was one of the reasons why I got into bluegrass music, as the bluegrass community in New England is very welcoming.

Trad on the River Tay

I'm happy to report that the celtic music scene around where I live in the northeast of Scotland is very welcoming to newcomers. The musicians here at the Fisherman's Pub in Broughty Ferry happily put up with me despite my foreign American repertoire and my 'figure it out as I go along' approach. The bodhrán player was even kind enough to let me play his drum and gave me tips such as how to properly care for the instrument, how to hold the tipper, and how to change tone with the left hand. I am reminded that it's this sharing of knowledge that ensures this music gets passed on, thus continuing the tradition and keeping this space open for future generations a place to retell these stories and create new stories.