Moving: Stage 2, Tranzac session

Hudson Movers came today and took away the rest of our old apartment to put into storage: the furniture, kitchen, most of our books. It was strange to see the place so empty afterwards; it seemed both bigger and smaller at the same time. We're looking at more houses this weekend.

Attended my third Irish music session at the Tranzac earlier this week (I've already posted about my first and second sessions). This week's "slow session" involved learning a new tune by ear. I'd never done this before, and found it easier than I expected. Whether or not I actually remember the tune weeks from now, however, remains to be seen. I'm hoping to have a microphone hooked up to my iPod soon to record some future sessions as well as my whistle lessons.

Before the move.

The tune we learned was called Dusty Miller, except I was warned that there are many tunes by this name; later on, I was unable to find the same Dusty Miller tune online. And this is one thing I'm discovering about learning tunes: almost every tune has more than one name. No wonder so few players know the names of the tunes they're playing, plus most of them seem to have grown up with the music since childhood.

I suppose I'm a bit off my gourd, leaping into the whole Irish session thing at this stage in my life. But then part of me thinks it's better to leap in now than never. And so far, it's been well worth the effort.

I've been enjoying listening, for example, as well as learning the tunes. And I was ecstatic when a few came up at the session this week AND I WAS ABLE TO PLAY ALONG WITHOUT SHEET MUSIC (!!!): Thrush In The Straw, Maurice Manley (Ballydesmond #2), Ballydesmond, Egans. And later in the evening, someone launched into Dusty Miller, the same tune we had learned in the slow session.

Toronto was bone-chilling cold that evening, everyone with scarves wrapped around their faces, noses and cheeks numb as they hurried along the snowy streets. Inside the Tranzac, however, we were cozy in our circle around the fireplace, coats tossed on a table in the corner.

And our pipes, whistles, flutes, banjos, accordians and fiddles filled the room with music.

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