It is with great excitement and abandon that The Vocal Academy announces the upcoming birth of The Leap Sessions which will begin on Tuesday 8th March, 2016 at the beautiful, historic Salmon Leap Inn on the River Liffey in Leixlip.
The Leap Sessions was started in order to fill the void for singer/songwriters, acoustic musicians, et al, both from the west Dublin/North Kildare/South Meath and from further afield to showcase their songs and performances in a warm, relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
The Leap Sessions runs at the historic Salmon Leap Inn which sits on the border between Dublin and Kildare at the Liffey Bridge and The Leap Sessions is run in conjunction with The Vocal Academy, Leixlip.
• The Sessions ‘nominally run’ every other Tuesday starting at 9.30pm (sharp!) from 8th March, 2016.
• Musicians will be asked to perform 3 songs.
Set Up
Bose L1 PA System, Desk, Two Mic Stand, Guitar Lead. We would advise that prospective performers attend at least one session before committing to performing so that they can familiarise themselves with how the session is run. If musicians need anything else we need to know at least 7 days in advance!
Structure
This is not set in stone but the general idea is that we will have an Open Mic section to head the night off. This to be followed by one or two. more ‘established’ performers and occasionally a ‘Headliner/Special Guest’. Regarding the Open Mic section of the night, the deal is strictly first come, first served. Depending on the night we could have slots for 3 up to 5 acts.
Vibe
We like the atmosphere to be easy going and respectful for every musician. While we will on occasion have a ‘Headline Act’ the main purpose of the Sessions is to provide a platform for performers to try out their songs in front of an audience for the first time, to try out reworked versions of existing songs for the first time or perform their music in front of a new audience.
• Given the nature of Sessions/Open Mic, some of our performers will be quite nervous so it is imperative that we give as much support and respect to each and every performer – like anything else in life, if we don’t practice it makes our progress longer. It can be a tough and demanding experience for some.
• Given that we are running this as a free event we ask that every performer do their bit in promoting ‘their night’ and bring a few friends and family along to enjoy your performance. For our bit, we’ll provide the ambience and even a bit of finger food for all of our guests. That’s just the way we roll folks!
• The beauty of this location is that it covers such a wide geographic area, it welcomes performers not only from the immediate surrounding areas of Leixlip, Lucan, Celbridge and Maynooth but also from further afield – Dublin City, Naas, Dunboyne, Blanchardstown, Palmerstown, Clondalkin, Bray, Swords, etc. Super easy to get to (20 minutes from Dublin City Centre, 25 minutes from Naas) it is also ridiculously hospitable. Beautiful rustic interior, friendly staff and we ALL LOVE MUSIC!!!
• We have a substantial Free Car Park at our disposal and even a minibus that we can commander if necessary!
All you have to do is bring your music and entertain a new audience!
For more information contact us at theleapsessions@vma.ie
