I don't know if the session is the best place for 'show off' tunes, as I always think that the format always allows for a good opportunity of the group to show it's 'greater than the sum of it's parts'. That's not possible if not all the members of the group don't know it or can't reach the speed of the tune being played.

As to speed, it was interesting that a golfer taking part in the Masters golf was asked what effect playing a big tournament had on his game. He replied to the effect that 'the adrenaline' resulted in him hitting the ball a few yards more than his normal game. I have noticed the same effect when starting a tune in a session, and for probably the same reason. I tend to play the tune a great deal faster than I would normally. I don't know if this is showing off though, as it usually sounds terrible, especially as tunes only seem to get faster, when everyone joins in, they never seem to get slower. It might explain a lot of the comments from 'old timers' when they say the music is played too fast today?

As to not knowing the tunes, there appear to be some experienced session melody players who seem to find it an affront, if they do not know the tune. A little like an un-climbed mountain to a climber or an un-ticked bird to a birder.

Most of the tunes I play best, because I know them better, are in fact the ones that I write myself. I don't tend to play them much at sessions because the melody players, understandably, get bored because they can't add much to a strange tune. The guitar and the bodhran players don't care though and seem to be able to contribute, whether they know the tune or not.

I have recently had a conversation about playing original tunes at session. One person said words to the effect that there were enough good tunes already. The other person thought for a while and came out with some very wise words, I thought. He said " we all need to live in houses, some of us live in them just as they are, others change things around a bit and some people like to build their own from scratch"........................ I suppose not everyone would want to live a house that I built though?