Shhh…listen.

August 18, 2011

I was at a session recently where a flute player started a tune and someone in the audience came right up and asked the flute player a question while he was playing. I’m not sure how she expected him to answer at the same time blowing into his flute but for some reason she just had to know at that very moment if that was a flute he was playing.

Another time I was singing at a wedding gig, my guitar player was singing backup harmonies and at the very moment he leaned into his mic to start his part, an audience member stepped up to him and started asking him a question. I’m not sure how he was supposed to answer while singing and playing guitar.

Just as there is proper etiquette for musicians performing, there is proper etiquette for people listening to the music.  Here are some tips on how to be a good audience member:

  • When listening to a live session, it’s okay to clap after a tune set. It lets the musicians know you like what you hear.
  • Tapping your foot and dancing is always welcome if the space allows. We love when others are moved by the music we make.
  • A live performance is a two-way relationship but the conversation should be left for the break. Most of the time we are concentrating and playing in the moment, talking to us distracts us and takes us away from the task at hand.

The only thing musicians like more than talking about their music is actually playing it. So be courteous and let them do their thing. There’s plenty of time for talking later.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

Busking: begging, bartering or bestowing?

May 7, 2011

When I told one of my friends that I was going to perform this summer on the street she said “its good that you are exploring other life styles.” It made me wonder, what people think of street performers. Are they beggars begging for money, business people bartering with their performance or artists bestowing their craft?

Check out this video I took while in Paris:

Would you consider these guys beggars, business people or artists?

Personally I don’t think anyone who is offering you something in return for another is a beggar.  I have seen quite a few street performers in my time and I’m here to tell ya, most of them have been quite talented.

I’m not sure people fully understand how much practice goes into a performance. To put it in perspective, I could literally spend hours, if not days, just learning one tune. I can’t even imagine how long it took that juggler to learn to juggle fire without hurting himself or that tight rope water who learned to ride a unicycle on a rope smaller than my pinky finger. To even imply that street performers are beggars I think is just plain silly.

Most performers I know, have spent hours, months and years learning how to do the very thing they love the most. The passion for their craft and the joy of sharing it with others is why they perform.  But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get paid for what they do.

So I ask you again are street performers begging, bartering or bestowing. What do you think?

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

Smile while you play

April 21, 2011

SmileIsn’t it nice when you walk by a stranger and they smile at you? Isn’t it even nicer when you’re watching live music and the musicians smile at you? When performers smile it puts the audience at ease. Yet why don’t more of us do it?

Smiling while performing for me has always been such a chore. Its not because I don’t enjoy what I’m playing or even enjoy smiling. I think its just because I’m concentrating so damn hard on the tune that I can’t possible engage my 26, or so, face muscles on top of it.

I recently had an audition to get my street performer’s permit (which I got, by the way). Before the audition one of my friends asked me if I smiled while I played. When I answered “no,” he replied “you should.” And I can’t tell you how many times my mom has seen me play and said “Trina, you should smile more.”

Smiles just plain make people feel good. So I have come up with some ways to help us concentrating musicians smile while we perform:

  1. Practice playing and smiling in front of a mirror, friends and family. The more you practice the easier it will get.
  2. Know your music inside and out so you can concentrate on smiling. Review tip #1.
  3. Right before performing think of something funny and try to keep that in your head throughout your performance.
  4. Practice smiling all the time. Even if you don’t feel happy.
  5. Smile at every stranger you see while walking down the street. (I’m not sure if this will help your performance but it will make a lot of people feel really good so why not?).

What are some of your tips to smile while you play?

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

Street performing, what does it take?

April 19, 2011

Street PerfomersThis year I decided to apply to get a permit to become a street performer on Church Street in Burlington. Apparently, this is a big deal. You don’t just have to fill out an application, you actually have to audition for it as well, get a criminal background check and pay $25. They don’t let just anyone perform on Church Street, you know.

I always hate auditions, they are so nerve-wracking. Why is it that when I’m in the comforts of my own home, I can rock it on my fiddle without making any foibles but the minute I think someone is watching, let alone judging, I lose it?

I guess this is one of the many reasons I want to be a street performer. I think it will make me a better musician, not to mention I get to share the music I love with anyone willing to listen (and hopefully make a little cash).

Playing in front of people whether its on Church Street or at sessions, always pushes me to play my best so it’s a good exercise if nothing else.

Tomorrow is my audition. Wish me luck.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

Listen with your ears, not your instrument

March 1, 2011

When I was a little girl my grandmother used to say “listen with your ears not with your mouth.” I’ve been at sessions where I wish I could say something similar to some of the musicians around me like “listen with your ears not with your instrument.”

If you listen to as much Irish music as I do, you’ll know each different musician or band has a different style of playing the tunes. Maybe one puts a swing in their reels or elongates the first beat of a jig. It’s no different at a session. Whoever is leading the tune may have a slightly different view of the tune than you do. So if you swing your reels and the person leading the tune doesn’t, something’s got to give, otherwise its a train wreck.

Often times we spend so much time practicing tunes by ourselves that we get to the session and all we want to do is play it the way we learned it. So we put ourselves out there and play our hearts out. The truth is though a big part of participating in a session is listening to the music around you.

Pay attention to whether  it is a jig, reel, hornpipe or polka and listen to the beat. Not everything is in 4/4. And even though a reel and a hornpipe are, there are differences between the two. So take a step back and listen to what is being played. It’s okay to step off a little and not play for a few minutes. Remember, there is beauty in the white space.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

A Tune for Kaye

December 30, 2010

I’ve always felt that music is both soothing to the soul and spiritual. It can transcend you to a different time and place whether you’re playing the music or just listening to it.

This past weekend I lost a friend and colleague to a tragic car accident. The first thing I did was turn to my music. Both to help her soul along its path and to try to make sense of this tragedy. Some believe that it takes three days for the soul to leave the body and that music helps carry it along. So here I play my tunes for you, Kaye. May you pass through with all the happiness and joy you passed through to us. You were an inspiration and will be sorely missed.

Below is one of my favorite songs by the Wailin’ Jenny’s. It’s called Long Time Traveller and its about the hope of heaven. I hope you finished your journey to heaven, Kaye. You will forever remain in the melody of my music.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

The gift of music

December 9, 2010

I was recently asked if I would play some Christmas music with my cousin for our family Christmas eve celebration. As I pulled out my old sheet music and started to practice the songs that have been sung to me every year since my birth, I remembered just how beautiful the music really is.

It reminds me of my childhood when my grandmother used to read us How The Grinch Stole Christmas under the Christmas tree. And I remember the excitement of waiting for Santa Claus and trying desperately to stay awake to listen for the reindeer on the roof. I also remember singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer so many times that to this day that song is banned from being sung in our house.

But what I remember most is being in church, listening to the music, hearing the choir sing, literally like angels, and feeling a tingle down my spine as it all echoed through the halls.

The whole scene in my head reminds me of just how special music is. It stirs memories, it creates emotion, it brings us together. So whether it’s at a session, a concert, a church or even just someone walking down the street humming tune, take time to relish in the music this holiday season.

With that, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite Christmas carols – The Carol of the Bells by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. What’s your favorite Christmas carol?

Enjoy the music and happy holidays.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

Enjoying the white space

December 1, 2010

There is beauty in the white space. Whether its art, advertising or music, that empty space can enhance an experience. You don’t have to use every color or play every note for something to be beautiful. In fact some of the most beautiful tunes have a break in them and some of the most touching pieces of art are the simplest of pictures.

The same holds true at a session. There are definitely different sets of core tunes played at each session so unless you frequent the same session every week, there are going to be moments where you don’t know the tune and you have to sit one or two out. This doesn’t mean you have to stomp your feet or slap your hands or, God forbid, pick up the spoons because you feel left out. This is an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of a session, listen to a new tune or just relish in the white space.

Listening can sometimes be the best part. I think too many times we get wrapped up in thinking that we have to be participating at every moment in order to enjoy the session. But I dare you to take a step back and take a view from a different angle. You may just like what you find.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

The strategy behind learning tunes

October 18, 2010

Recently, I enrolled in an Irish Session Music class at the Summit School of Traditional Music in Montpelier. In this particular class, we are learning all about the great composers of traditional Irish music like Ed Reavy, Paddy O’Brien, Josie McDermott and more. What’s great is that we learn the history of the tunes as well as some of the tunes themselves. The problem is our homework is to learn 2 tunes a week. Sounds simple but when you learn tunes as slowly as I do, this can get frustrating.

The class has been going on for about 3-4 weeks now and each week I find it extremely difficult to learn all of both tunes. So, I have decided to take a different approach to learning tunes.

For me when it comes to learning a new tune, I am meticulous about learning it note for note. I learn the A part and I will not move on to the B part until every note in the A part is where it belongs. Then I learn the B part and put them together. I then play the whole tune over and over and over again until the melody becomes ingrained in my brain. Unfortunately, this can be a long process.

This week I was determined to learn both tunes but a week with a full time job and a trip to CT to visit family didn’t leave too much practice time. So I decided to change the way I learn a tune. Big move for me.

I decided to listen to the tunes a couple of times and then just try to play the whole tune hitting what notes I could find. The first few times, it wasn’t pretty but the more I listened, and the more I relaxed and the more I stopped “trying” to play, the easier it became.

I can’t say that I learned all of both tunes note for note but I think I might be onto a new way of learning that might allow me to learn these tunes quicker.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

How to be a better musician – stop playing

August 26, 2010

My very first fiddle teacher said if you just practice for 15 minutes every day, you will improve greatly. But what happens if you just stop playing for months at a time?…You will improve greatly!

As you can probably guess given my recent lack of words on this blog, I haven’t played my fiddle in quite some time, let alone visited a session. During the summer it’s always hard to practice because there are so many other things I could be doing outside under the sunshine. Since we don’t get much sunshine in the great state of Vermont we got to eat up that Vitamin D while we can.

But tonight though, I broke out that fiddle, dusted off some tunes and went to the monthly session at On The Rise Bakery. I was reminded of just how much I love this music and how much fun sessions are. It inspired me to review that ever-growing list of tunes to learn and start practicing.

I’m pretty sure every musician goes through these little hiatuses every now and again, where you don’t play a note for weeks or even months and when you get back to it, not only does it feel good, but there is a new love for your instrument and the music. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. When I return to playing it seems I love the music even more.

So if you find yourself in a rut, and you don’t feel like you’re getting any better, take a break, take up painting, biking, hiking or something completely not music related. I can almost guarantee when you get back to playing you’ll wonder why you stopped in the first place.

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Posted by Katrina VanTyne

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