Resources for Irish tune players
Virtual Guided Sessions & More
From the Heaton home in March 2020, we launched the VGS: a spontaneous offering for fellow tune players, something to bring folks together during lockdown days. We played an hour of session tunes at a moderate pace, suitable (we hoped) for a wide range of Irish music lovers.
People ended up joining from all over the world, and our community grew into an oasis of kindness, support, and humor. We ended up live-streaming these weekly (eventually monthly) sessions on the ShannonHeatonMusic YouTube channel for six years.
What now?
- Past Virtual Guided Sessions with archived chat will remain on the ShannonHeatonMusic channel.
- We’re launch the Tune(s) of the Month mini session series July 2026 (premieres Second Saturdays, 2pm)
- We’ll announce pop-up livestreams and other online (and in-person) learning events to our email list.
- We’re kicking around the idea of an in-person event in a spectacular location… world travellers, stay tuned!
Stay informed and stay in touch: sign up for the HeatonTuneShed monthly newsletter.
And/or check Our EVENTS page!
The VGS has been so special not only because Irish music is so sweet–it’s because of all the people who have come together to enjoy the music and to connect and support one another, as we learn and enjoy the tunes.
In our private VGS Facebook Group folks ask music questions, share ideas and encouragement, and post practice videos. It’s gentle accountability–fun and empowering. (Make sure to answer membership questions, to keep this safe and private for musicians!)
There are also occasional Zoom TUNE classes—usually a run of three (Feb/Mar/Apr… and Sept/Oct/Nov). Folks sign up for one or three, and it’s a freewill offering. We visit for a moment then learn one great tune together. It’s so sweet. And even though participants are muted while learning, there is real connection. We address a few elements of flute style, but it’s really for all instruments, all levels.
Everything is announced in the HeatonTuneShed monthly newsletter. Or just be in touch if you’d like more info.
TUNE BOOKS
Irish music is a living tradition. There are great musical and social benefits that come when we learn these tunes by ear and play them by heart.
And also… there are just a lot of tunes to learn, for players hoping to participate!
To help navigate the overwhelm, we made a Tune “Cookbook” called IN HARMONY — and we’re working on a follow-up. It’s a collection of audio recordings with the flute and guitar panned on different sides (choose your own blend), along with melodic and chordal notation.
These books haveadditional tunes and tips:
First 50: simple, beautiful tunes that prioritize smart flute breathing and fiddle bowing choices over ornamentation
Oil for the Chain: tunes and ideas for practicing and participating in sessions
TUTORIAL VIDEOS
In the Tune of the Month series, folks can learn tunes phrase by phrase, for easier aural learning. Here’s the TOTM Playlist
And there are Trad School Videos that address flute technique, aural learning, conquering nervousness in social music settings
Matt Heaton’s Backer’s Corner Videos are not just for chordal players! These are wonderful videos about harmonic accompaniment for all humans.
FURTHER READING/LISTENING
2022 Essay about SESSIONS
Irish Music Stories Episode 71 — a fun and funny look at session (and wedding gift) etiquette
IMS Episode 77 — about balancing rules and sponteneity
IMS Episode 03 — a survey of sessions in Boston, Chicago, New York, and Clare
And if you don’t already know (or haven’t read recently), Last Night’s Fun is an exceptional book of essays by Belfast flute player Ciaran Carson. On every read, he’s taken us “in and out of time” with incredible snapshots of Irish sessions and tunes.
Carson, Ciaran. Last Night’s Fun. New York: North Point Press, 1996.
ISBN 0-86547-511-3
There are ads on the beginning of the instructional videos. But we remain committed to keeping our Virtual Guided Sessions ad-free. It just feels like a more seamless, immersive learning experience this way… more community and mutual appreciation of Irish music, less commercial intrusion.
If you value our offerings and wish to make a contribution, we are always grateful!
PAYPAL tip jar VENMO tip jar
Past Virtual Guided Session Livestreams
6+ years of livestreamed music sessions with me and Matt Heaton, featuring featured common tunes (and a few unusual ones) at a moderate pace, are all up ad-free on the ShannonHeatonMusic YouTube Page
While Covid kept up apart, we connected with the weekly online sessions, and other special events, like the VGS Retreat, a weekend of live performances from Jean-Michel Veillon, Louise Mulcahy, Conal Ó Gráda, Hatao & Nami, Ivan Goff, Nathan Gourley & Laura Feddersen, Faliq Audi & SherLy, Soomee Han, and Matt & Shannon Heaton. We closed the event with SIX FLUTES playing the Wren + Road to Cashel + Fox on the Town
Virtual Guided Session Database
Our VGS friend Clayton Cook created this wonderful index to help folks navigate Saturday session tunes! His VGSdb organizes individual tunes with links to videos. It’s comprehensive and easy to navigate. Many thanks to Clayton for creating and maintaining this free tool for everybody–he also built my Original Tunes Database.
