Say "The Ballydesmond Polka" and BOOM - You Are One

 

Today after Mass Travalon and I got treats and coffee at the place with three businesses in it, then we took a walk on Governor's Island. He took this photo that puzzles me - it looks like the water is flowing over the cliff, but it must be an optical illusion.

We saw a little of the Packers game, and they were struggling against the Giants, then Travalon took me to my drum lesson, where we drummed on the floor with our hands for a lot of the lesson. When we did get to use the drums, I chose the big surdo I was always getting stuck with before, but now with the knee pad it doesn't bruise me. I like the deep sound of it, and the syncopated rhythm we play on the surdos. Meanwhile, Travalon went to the East Side Club to watch the Packers win. Then he and I took a walk by Lake Monona and saw a ton of coots.

We also saw the sun setting behind the Capitol building.

Then I went to the Slow Irish session, wearing my new violin earrings. (Which people loved.) The bassist who used to be in our band was there, along with the guitarist and one fiddler who are still in the band, Famie my Irish teacher, and the red-headed flute player, along with a lot of other people. We had concertinas, a piano accordion, a ukulele, and banjos besides the usual fiddles, mandolins, flutes, and guitars. I brought my fiddle because it's a lot easier to play fiddle tunes on it, and also I get steps while playing it if I put my FitBit on my right wrist, which is not necessarily true of the mandolin. The thing about being an independent adult is I can bring whichever instrument I feel like, and nobody else can do anything about it. Tomorrow there's the big Moldy Jam, and I'll bring the fiddle again. I'm not giving up on the mandolin, but I am really enjoying getting back into fiddling. 

To my disappointment, the grad student from my department didn't come last night or tonight, so I doubt if she'll come tomorrow. Did she forget? We didn't email about it last week. I thought she enjoyed both groups, but this is now two slow sessions she has missed. Maybe we scared her off with the low attendance at the one she went to, which has not been true since then. I hope she gives us another chance.

I just want to note that tonight we played both Ballydesmond Polka 1 and 2, and both have this thing where the ending phrase sounds like "the Ballydesmond Polka." When I pointed it out to the group, the leader said that is the qualification for a tune being a Ballydesmond Polka. I assume this is a joke, and that they are named for the village of Ballydesmond, but it is a very distinct thing about both tunes. It helps me remember their names - if a tune ends with a pattern that sounds like "The Ballydesmond Polka," then in fact it is a Ballydesmond Polka. The AI on Google claims that this is not because there were ever words to the tunes that included that phrase. I guess it's just a coincidence...?

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