If you’re an Irish musician and you live in or near Rochester, chances are good you were at a party up at Webster Park on Saturday the 13th.
The occasion was the annual “Stand Around and Play Some Tunes” gathering, at which musicians of all kinds are invited to … well, stand around and play. The event was begun perhaps 40 years ago by well-known local Irish musician Lynn Pilaroscia, an invitation for his musician friends (whether Irish, folk, bluegrass or others) to hang out together, enjoy some food and drink, and play some tunes.
When everything really got going, it was quite a treat for the eyes and ears. At any one moment during the afternoon you might see anywhere from four to seven small groups of musicians, each in a different corner of the White House property — the front porch, the back porch, under a tree, in the main room — jamming. No matter where you were, music surrounded you: bluegrass, waltzes, folk tunes, and traditional Irish jigs, reels and ballads. And the variety of instruments was always astounding: flutes, concertinas, banjos, guitars, string basses, mandolins, accordions, tin whistles, bodhrans, and lots of fiddles.
Thanks to our significant involvement in the Rochester Irish community back in the 1990s, my husband and I knew Lynn well and attended many Stand Around and Play gatherings. It was a great chance to visit with old and new friends from the Irish community and listen to some trad Irish tunes. My favorite memory is when my son Sean — who at 5 years old was inspired by Joe Dady to take up the fiddle — actually got to chat with Joe at one of these parties, and play his fiddle.
Around 2014, Lynn decided to take a break from the parties, in large part because his friend who had done all the grilling wasn’t able to do it anymore. For a long while, the event was forgotten. Lynn passed away in July, 2024 before resurrecting the annual musical gathering.
But last year, and again this year, thanks to the efforts of John Michael Ryan, Jonathan Kyle, and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Rochester Irish Musician’s Association, Stand Around and Play returned to the White House. Once again, music of all kinds filled the air from all corners of the building (mostly indoors this year since it rained buckets that Saturday). Perhaps because of the threat of nasty weather, attendance was down. But organizers are hoping that in the years to come, the event will continue to grow again, and Lynn’s dream is rekindled, bringing musicians together to do what they love most: play music.
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(posted 6/25/2026)
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