Music is a biological necessity
In Tune with Tradition - Perspectives on Session Etiquette in Irish Traditional MusicShow Notes
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.
Chapters 00:00 - Music as shared nervous system regulation 00:44 - Introduction to Louise Kelly and the episode’s focus 03:02 - Louise’s background in music therapy and why she speaks publicly about music’s power 04:32 - The TEDx selection process and the journey to speaking on stage 06:24 - Why music is a biological necessity, not just entertainment 07:46 - Sessions, teamwork, and rhythm as connection 09:01 - Growing up outside the Irish music tradition and feeling drawn in 10:55 - Discovering session etiquette through a therapist’s lens 12:49 - The nervous system’s job: keeping us safe 13:45 - Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn in session behaviour 15:05 - Loud playing as a possible fight response 16:33 - Playing louder after being ignored elsewhere 20:03 - Shy entry, fawning, and freeze in newcomers 21:00 - Humour and repeated movement as safety behaviours 22:25 - Watching body language and seat choice from the outside 23:39 - Why confrontation often pushes musicians toward flight 24:34 - Cultural identity, language, and why the tradition matters so deeply 25:08 - Louise rejoining beginner trad life through North Coast Antrim 26:43 - Practicing a session at home by recording and replaying it 28:26 - Therapy, music, and the value of repetition 29:44 - Confidence, anxiety, and finding a voice later in life 31:24 - Teenagers, music, and why young people live inside sound 32:28 - Why adults lose sight of music’s value 36:05 - What really stops newcomers is fear of getting it wrong 38:53 - How shame is learned through family and society 40:08 - School messages that damage confidence in music 41:16 - Everyone can participate without being “a trained singer” 42:06 - Walking in circles, staying on the periphery, and feeling safe first 43:19 - The sweet spot where musicians become one 44:17 - Coping strategies for anxiety and choosing music as support 46:20 - Breath work, self-awareness, and self-expression as regulation tools 48:08 - Session rules as a way to protect safety, not exclude people 49:28 - Mind-body awareness in music and in everyday life 50:44 - Music as mindfulness and being present in the moment 54:09 - Slow sessions as beginner-safe spaces and why they matter 57:47 - Session vibe, belonging, and why context changes everything 59:39 - Louise’s advice for listeners: be open, curious, and avoid perfectionism 61:34 - A memory of belonging in a school traditional group 63:48 - The tune that still moves Louise and why music stays personal 64:32 - Closing reflections on reopening a long-closed doorway
Resources: Louise Kelly, TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTKezQB0A3E https://resilientrhythms.co.uk/ https://www.sessionetiquette.com/questionnaire In Tune with Tradition - Private Session Experience: https://www.sessionetiquette.com/retreat
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.
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