🎻 How the back-to-school mentality can affect us all, especially in your music practice!

Hi Reader!

For many of us, August is back-to-school season -- and even though it's been about 7.5 years since I graduated from University College of Cork (don't get me started on how time flies), the back-to-school mentality has crept its way into my life in new ways.

Namely, the desire to start new projects, improve on skills that have been cruising on autopilot, and factor in some time for creativity and play.

I've been playing through the tunes in the back of Matt Cranitch's orange book (technically The Irish Fiddle Book, but I refer to his tune books as the orange and green ones), and just the other day got to the slow airs section.

It's been years since I really did any slow air playing. I'm not likely to play one in a session, since they're more solo than group tunes. Then for gigs, I'm usually singing as opposed to playing a slower tune.

But, Reader, I can't tell you how good it felt to try my hand at these tunes again!

I always picture slow airs as a bit more meditative tunes. You're perhaps standing out in nature, whether that's the seaside or perhaps a more wooded area if that's your happy place. And you're just breathing deep and letting the tune move through you -- a bit like you can hear the breath in the phrases.

And that's coming from a fiddle player as opposed to flute or whistle where breathing is definitely a larger factor at play!

There was no pressure to play the tune "right". I'll admit I was turned off of slow airs when my fiddle teacher in Cork mentioned they're the hardest tunes to play correctly. Was I not playing them right? Did they sound "too classical?" He didn't ever say, and unfortunately I never did press the matter. Maybe my slow air playing was fine all along.

My mini project of going through Matt's book has a mix of motivations:

• I have quite a few tune books in my collection, and feel guilty when I don't make use of what's in front of me.
• While it's easy to get the fiddle out for a Zoom lesson, session, gig or Tune Library video recording session, I find it harder to get the fiddle out and just play for me.
• Sometimes I forget what tunes I already know, and could stand to have a reminder of the many options out there (this one's particularly for session days)!

Maybe this will be the start of combing through a different tune book each month just for fun. I didn't go into this project expecting to rekindle a love of playing slow airs, but it's been a way to help calm the stress of all that's happening in the world.

Maybe sometimes you don't need a project that's attached to a gig, or learning more tunes for a session, or preparing material for a teacher -- though I find having those helps you get the instrument out of the case! Maybe once that practice is done, you can take 10 minutes to devote to a mini project that's just for you and your creative enjoyment.

If you have a "just for fun" creative project happening right now, I'd love to hear about it!

As always, happy practicing! Maybe try a slow air this week? :)

~Hannah

P.S. Each week I'm adding new bonus trainings to the Tune Library! This week is all about working through a Sliabh Luachra style polka bowing pattern + a student requested tune tutorial for Bunch of Green Rushes. Right now is a great time to get in the Tune Library and share what tunes or techniques you want training vids for because I'm able to get your requests recorded within a week!