A bunch of people who have been playing Irish music together for a few years have invited me to sing with them. They've never had a singer before, and I've never sung with a band before, so I'm a little uncertain about how to mix a singer into this ensemble. They are a couple of fiddlers, a couple of guitar/banjo/bouzouki players, a couple of recorder/whistle/flute players, and a hammer dulcimer-er. They play from sheet music, usually all playing the melody. Just adding my voice on top of everyone else playing the melody doesn't seem like the best way to go. When I listen to groups like Solas and others with singers, I hear the instruments playing counter melody rather than what the singer is singing. Since most folk music doesn't come in "arrangement for voice and six-piece folk band", I'm assuming these musicians are writing their own arrangements and probably making up a lot of it as they go along. I don't think the people I'll be singing with are able to do that, and I'm no arranger, so I'm looking for suggestions on how to make this work.

Thanks for your help - and yes, I am incredibly excited that they want me to sing with them (Hey mom, I'm in a band!)