Herge wrote in the poist that started this thread: "One in particular who is very young plays very fast to evey single tune that is played" - sounds very like a young boy who used to come to sessions with his dad, and accomplished musician.

The boy was actually very good technically, but also very enthusiastic and loud. So one day one of the other msuicians asked him to move away a bit. The man's good natured enough, but he has a gruff and abrupt manner to him sometimes.

Anyway the upshot was that the boy stopped coming, and decided he didn't want anything more to do with this type of music.

The point I'm making is that you've got to be careful in this kind of situation. People are often much moire vulnerable than you realise. There's no harm in the bodhran bashing jokes between friends, once you can trust each other, but you've got to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

When people really can't play, it's not so hard to find a appropriately +tactful way of shutting them up (and, depending on the person, "appropriately tactful" can be quite forceful). But when people are actually technically good, but playing in the wrong way at the wrong time, it can be harder, bvecause they have invested more of themselves in what they are doing - and that was what happened I think with the boy in this case.

But whatever happens don't anyone go following the example of the oaf wildlone mentioned who destrung the guitar while making a cheap crack about being a music lover. Not with a young player anyway. You might try that one with an old bastard like me - but you'd be taking a bit of a chance.