Live from the Ennis Trad Festival 2025
In Tune with Tradition - Perspectives on Session Etiquette in Irish Traditional MusicShow Notes
Summary This episode of 'In Tune with Tradition' features a live discussion at the Ennis Trad Festival in November 2025. The panel consisted of fiddle player, Siobhan Peoples, multi-instrumentalist Autumn Rhodes and dancer and listener, Carmel Greene. We explore the essence of Irish traditional music sessions, exploring the roles of musicians, dancers, and listeners. The panel discusses the challenges faced by beginners and intermediates, the importance of etiquette, and the collective experience of music. Together with the audience we also reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on the music scene, the commercialisation of traditional music and emphasising the need for community and connection in sessions.
Links mentioned in the podcast: Pilot phase of in depth courses on session etiquette - the chance to ask the questions you've always wanted to ask. https://www.sessionetiquette.com/courses
Book featuring a chapter on 'Unlocking the Magic of Irish Music' by Tara Connaghan: ChangeMakers - Entrepreneurs with a Mission - Voices with a Message' https://amzn.eu/d/1DFvxNA (available now) Or pre-order https://www.sessionetiquette.com/shop
Link to school child out-competing the rest of the school choir: (mentioned by Siobhan Peoples) https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4182812845154569&rdid=0JSf80e6yuKMA8tS
West Clare Mullagh Half Set (mentioned by Carmel Greene) https://youtu.be/tPwfGJEJb0c?si=fffXwuQ75DMv3FEY
Takeaways Irish traditional music sessions are social gatherings that require awareness and collaboration. Listeners play a crucial role in enhancing the session experience. Beginners often face challenges when entering a session for the first time. Intermediate players must navigate social dynamics and repertoire choices. Listening is as important as playing in a session. Session etiquette is essential for maintaining harmony among musicians. The architecture of a session affects the overall experience. The collective experience of music transcends individual performances.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Irish Traditional Music Sessions 03:04 The Essence of an Irish Traditional Music Session 08:40 The Role of Dancers and Listeners in Sessions 11:12 Challenges for Beginners in Music Sessions 16:25 Navigating Intermediate Challenges in Sessions 22:23 The Importance of Listening in Sessions 26:18 Session Etiquette and Group Dynamics 32:23 The Architecture of a Session 37:41 The Collective Experience of Music 42:56 The Disconnect Between Dance and Music 48:11 The Impact of COVID-19 on Music Sessions 56:59 Commercialisation of Traditional Music 01:02:19 Closing Thoughts and Audience Engagement
Keywords Irish music, traditional sessions, Irish music sessions, music etiquette, session etiquette, dance, community, COVID-19 impact, music challenges, listening, group dynamics, commercialisation, music interview
More from In Tune with Tradition - Perspectives on Session Etiquette in Irish Traditional Music
In this episode of In Tune with Tradition, Tara chats with harper Janet Harbison at the Donegal Harp Summer School in Dungloe. Janet has spent a lifetime around the Irish harp, but this conversation is as much about belonging as it is about the belonging of the instrument. Tara and Janet talk about sessions as social life and practice, the difference between a harper and a harpist, learning the core session repertoire and why Janet now describes herself as a teacher of social musicianship. Along the way, Janet traces a musical life through Dublin, Belfast and Donegal, and reflects on the musicians, teachers, students and sessions that shaped how she thinks about traditional music. “Where there was traditional music, there was my tribe.” Mentioned in this episode: Patrick MacGill Festival Visit www.patrickmacgillfestival.ie for more details.
This episode Éamon Ó Ciosáin talks with Tara about nerves, listening and the things musicians gradually learn by actually spending time in Irish music sessions. Éamon speaks openly about going blank when asked to start a tune, playing slightly above your comfort level and why nerves do not necessarily disappear with experience.
This episode of In Tune with Tradition was recorded in person in Miltown Malbay during Willie Clancy Week 2025, (shortly after the podcast was officially launched), where Clare fiddle player, teacher and broadcaster Joan Hanrahan joins Tara Connaghan for a warm, reflective conversation about what Irish traditional music sessions really are: shared spaces built on listening, trust, and people first. They talk through session etiquette, intergenerational learning, the role of repetition and repertoire, and why music can feel healing in moments of grief, joy, and everything in between.
Fiddle player and teacher Jacqui Martin joins Tara Connaghan to talk about friendship, slow sessions, rhythm, seating, safe places to play and why Irish music sessions can feel like strange social experiments where anyone can walk in and change the whole evening.
This episode explores how music can regulate the nervous system, build belonging, and help people feel safe in communal playing spaces. Tara Connaghan is joined by Louise Kelly, a consultant music therapist from the North of Ireland, TEDx speaker, and co-founder of Resilient Rhythms, whose perspective connects traditional music with anxiety, confidence, and connection. We discuss why some players sit on the periphery, why others play loudly or keep leaving and returning, and how those behaviours can be understood through fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses rather than judgment.