the first line from the irish tune called John Ryan's

Our purpose is to hold Traditional Irish Music Sessions at local venues in the Nanaimo area.

These sessions are modeled after the Traditional Irish Music Sessions found in pubs all over Ireland. The format is fairly informal, usually just a bunch of musicians sitting together and playing some tunes. These sessions can be fun to watch too, so come out and give us a listen!

If you're interested in playing with us, please Contact Us first. With thousands of Traditional Irish Tunes to choose from, we have developed a core list of tunes that we play from most of the time. Visit the Tune Book page to see a list of some of the tunes we play.

No two sessions are the same as we have a few regular muscians but also various musicians who join us when they can. The variety of tunes also varies greatly depending on the musicians who show up, and that's something we love about our sessions!

🎵🎻Nanaimo Irish Music Session Etiquette 🎻🎵

Session Etiquette is the unspoken "rules" of a Trad Session. You might find slight variations in etiquette from group to group, but the core message will always be the same.

  • 🎶 Traditional Acoustic (non-electric) Session instruments only please

  • ⏱️ Whoever starts the set leads it. Let the starter set the pace and give them a few bars to work out their tempo before jumping in. Ease in gently and don't push the tempo faster than it was started.

  • 📣 We don’t signal when the next tune starts. Listen to the leader of the set and follow them.

  • 🙅‍♀️ Don't add tunes to someone else's set. If you'd like to play a tune, wait for your turn to start a set of your own.

  • 💡 Play what you know. A few wrong notes happen to all of us, but if you don't know a tune well enough to keep up at the tempo it was started at, playing some quiet accompaniment is ok or sit it out and listen. If you're still learning the repertoire, our slow session is a great place to get some practice!

  • 🎻 The melody leads in Irish trad. We love our rhythm players, but please follow the melody.

  • 👂 Listen first, play second. Listen to the other fabulous musicians around you to make sure you're playing in time and in tune with everyone else. If the group is sounding wobbly, follow a strong player that you can hear well, and the tune will come back together.

  • 🍀 Our group is meant to be mostly instrumental Irish Trad and staying within the Celtic music realm (with the occasional Shanty). This isn’t the place for Bluegrass, Old Time, or other genres. (although, we all have a soft spot for Stan Rogers, so his songs are always welcome!)

  • 😎 Relax and have fun! Chat for a moment between sets and give everyone a second or 2 to find the page if they are using 'dots'. It's not a sprint to the finish line, we are here to have a good time and enjoy the craic along the way! 🫶 Good manners and respect for your fellow musicians goes a long way!

Nanaimo Irish Music Sessions:

Beginner Practice Sessions

Are you learning a new Irish instrument, and want somewhere to get together and practice our session tunes? This is not a music lesson, but it will be a safe and comfortable place for new players to become comfortable playing our session tunes. We will be moving the beginner sessions to Wednesday evenings 6-8pm and a new location starting March 18th, 2026. Please Contact Us for more information!

Our beginner sessions will be musicians only events, no spectators please.