Folk music played on acoustic instruments
Playing a musical instument takes practise, but it also needs encouragement and inspiration. That’s where sessions come in: you get to learn new music, and to practise and play with others.
Every Wednesday (during school Term times) there are a group of us that meet from about 7:30 until a bit after 10pm. 11 Headingly Road Kalamunda.
Jenny Hoffman and David Hoffman lead the sessions with an ecclectic (eccentric at times!) list of new songs and revision. What to play and how to play it. You don’t have to read music, we learn it in phrase-by-phrase chunks.
The music can be called Folk Music, sometimes World Music, because it is from so many cultures it spills out of simple categories. Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, Shetlands, Finnish, French, German, Alsace, Italian, Canadien, American, Cajun, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Greek, Turkish, Yiddish, Klezmer, English… and even the odd Aussie number.
The group has included the following instruments: Accordion (up to 4), Flute (up to 3), Irish B/C Melodeon (1) English D/G pattern Melodeons (2), Concertina (1), Violin (4), Irish Bouzouki (1), Mandolin (2), Banjo (2), Hurdy-Gurdy (1), Guitar (4), Ukelele (1), Whistle(s) (3), Recorder(s) (1), Percussion including drums, tambourines, eggs, spoons, bones … and we are still awaiting our first piper…
People usually BYO cheese and crackers.
$5 per head per week funds the resources including practise CDs each week, with surplus to the Festival fundraising.
Tags: Creative, Music, Participation, Performance, Traditional
The BC music nights are a terrific way to unwind midweek. Sometimes challenging but always fun. The ‘choons’ take you on a journey. There are so many reasons for participating. No prizes for guessing -I love it!
I find that playing in a large group feels very supportive; if I fumble a chord or hesitate it doesn’t all come crashing to a halt (and I can get the right chord again watching you accoss the room!) and the banter around the table is great!
Wow! Do we really do all that? It’s certainly good fun (and challenging) getting our choons ready each week for such a great ‘coop’ of musos.
I think the guitars and accordians are running neck and neck at present. Where’s that piper??
There were 17 of us this week!
Black Chook Wednesdays are finger lickin good thanks to Dave and Jenni’s secret herbs and spice.