Starting a jam

[Huda]

Hi,

How do I start a regular jam grouo in my city?

I live in a community of observant Jews about 45 minutes west of Jerusalem, Israel.

Any advice on starting a jam?

Thanks,
Huda

[Soupy1957]

Lots of folks in here, have seen my posts about the "Bethany Jam" that I promote, from here in Connecticut.

Having said that, and more in line with your question, I had an involved conversation with the gentleman and his good lady who host this monthly event.

First and foremost, if you are going to use your private home for the event, consider the safety and security of your guests and your family and home.
If your event grows, and folks wander in and wander out, some of whom you will most likely not know, you run the risk of theft, or difficulties of other kinds.

Also consider how you want to promote it, and how WIDELY you want it known. Everyone may dream from time to time about huge gatherings, but how much hassle are you prepared to put yourself and/or spouse as host and hostess, through?

Consider the amount of room you're gonna need, when you talk about the kinds and number of instruments that could potentially show up. At the "Bethany Jam" (for example), there are literally at least 100 guitars, that are "regulars" (± 25 or so that wander in and out all night), there are half a dozen dobro's, 6 or 7 Stand up Basses, a couple dozen Fiddles, a dozen or so Banjos, assorted flute players, kazoos, and lots of "in and out" visitors who just come to listen to the music.

I'd encourage you to make it clear that you wish to have the folks who come, bring any food and beverages they wish to consume, and set signs up on rooms in which you'd rather the folks who come, not go in to. (Folks at Jams that take place in private homes, have a tendency to wander and occupy various rooms of the house).

Consider the issue of "Parking" and "safety" and the availability of it. Also take into account the effect on your neighbors. Some don't like the traffic, noise, etc..of an event like "Jams." (Not everyone around you is a musician, or likes music, or large gatherings that can potentially be repeated with regularity; and some folks, believe it or not, have no use at ALL for "Bluegrass" in the neighborhood).

Consider the yard, (Obstacles and potential damage).

There's a lot to it, and you should plan carefully and not take it on if you don't think you are willing or ready to cope with some of the issues mentioned.

-Soupy1957

[bradeinhorn]

II'd start by finding a place that would be into hosting it regularly, be it a bar, restaurant or coffeeshop - and then simply tell a bunch of your friends who like to pick to come by and to spread the word to their friends. also see if there are any websites you can advertise it on (www.banjoben.com for example is a great one for the ny/tri-state area). Craigslist may be useful to you. you can also try making your own website (see mine on the ponkiesburg link below) with details of the jam and an idea fo the material played so people know what's up. a mailing list is a good tool as well to use.

it is good to have some regular type of core group, even if it is just you, a guitar player, and a bass player. i think a good host with a solid repertoire of material is important as well to prevent too much dead time and train wrecks from occuring.

you might also try to have a featured act each week. the jam i host began that way several years back and it was a good way to draw musicians in bands as well as people with a bit of interest. the people on the side began to join in and the little by little the featured acts were phased out and there was a steady group of pickers.

the most important thing to the success of any jam is REGULARITY. If it is weekly, be there each week, if it is bi-weekly, make sure to be there every other week. If people show up and no one is there, it will quickly cause crumbling.


B

[ab4usa]

Huda,

This is a link to an article written by the guy who started the jam I participate in regularly. Last night we celebrated our third anniversary.

http://www.banjo-site.com/E-zine_pdfs/April-Issue-2006.pdf

[arbarnhart]

Where are you going to hold it? If it is in your residence, you will want to talk to the neighbors. The police came out to my house the other night because a neighbor called them. They determined that I was not violating the noise ordinance (it was a very polite young cop surprised to find a bunch of geezers old enough to be his dad http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif ), but I am still taking some steps to try to keep it quieter. But if I had better rapport with the neigbor she might have let me know it was bothering her in a more friendly fashion.

[mandolooter]

[QUOTE] But if I had better rapport with the neigbor she might have let me know it was bothering her in a more friendly fashion.

Yea, the neighborly way might have been a better start. It seems neighbors aren't what they used to be in some places. I make it a point to get to know mine and always tell them Im a naturally loud person but that a simple call to me will quite things down no problem, with no hard feelings. I held a jam at my house for a year and then at my shop for another year. I started it thru the local Bluegrass Association and never had any troubles in any way. It was a blast, I learned a lot and I miss it. I did put a blurb in our local weekly magazine and some flyers at the local Guitar Store too. Meet some great folks who I still see around and pick with. Good Luck with yours!

[John Flynn]

I'd start it as an invitational jam, with just a few people you know and you like to play music with. I agree that it should be in a regular time and place, so people get used to it and build it into thier schedules. I'd really make sure everyone who shows up has a great time. Then, I would build it up slowly by having the regular members suggest new invitees. If you can keep it going as a closed, invitation-only jam, I would, but if you want, at some point you could open it up and start advertising it, get a website, etc. However, I like closed jams. More control over who shows up, the level of play, the focus of the jam, etc.

[hanknc]

"Any advice on starting a jam?"

Holler out a key and count to four. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[mandroid]

Given your location (Israel/Palestine) that would be A Klezmer Jam , perchance ?

[Dan Krhla]

http://www.folkjam.org has a list of area jams as well as a "Resources" area and a Forum that have some good advice on starting a jam.

[jim_n_virginia]

To fight the winter blues this past winter me and two friends started a jam at a local coffee house.

We approached the owner and asked him if we could use a specific spot on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month and we would host it from like Oct till this past spring.

It was a very enjoyable venture and we will probably do it again when it starts to get cold again and gigs slow down.

What we did was patterned after another popular local jam in my area. You sit in a circle and take turns going around. You could either play or sing something, request something or pass. Also whoever started the tune took the first break if they wanted and they ended the song.

It also helped some folks for a gentle e-mail reminder about the jam a few days in advance because everyone is so busy these days. And as new people show up get their email address and put them on the mailing list just don't send out anything but the reminder as most people (like me) hate spam or all those inane chain letters.

We got to do a lotta picking with friends and made some new ones in the process.

Also I always make it a point to buy something from the establishment and tip a server or waitress. I didn't want to be someone who came in, made a mess and sipped water all night.

I also cleaned up (picked up our trash) when we left. The employees at the coffee shop said they enjoyed us and was sorry to see us go. And I'd like to think we brought in a few customers for them. I know for a fact that after several weeks people started coming in just to listen to us.

good luck! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Deaf David]

Just an observation: "Jams" in venues like coffee houses and bars tend to turn into performances and lose something of the informality that I have seen in only a very few jams.

The absence of an "audience" seems to bring a different atmosphere and encourage more learning and a less competitive spirit.

There are no jams within an hour of me, but I have managed to attend a few of the distant jams when the occassion arose.

I would suggest starting with the simple question of whether you want people to be "good enough" before they can participate. If there is a desire to screen for the more talented, then a public venue may be the right way to go.

If you want these jams to be open to all levels of players and be a learning experience, finding a venue where the primary reason for being there is to play.

Just my thoughts...

[Windflite]

Recently (January of this year) I started a jam at my home. #The reason was primarily a selfish desire to play regularly with a group of hand picked folks that may or may not have any other reason to play with each other on a regular basis...but are all a lot of fun to jam with! #To that end, I have purposefully kept it 'by invitation only' and at least so far the response from the 15 or so invitees has been very positive. #

The 'steps to success' to date have been;

1) Make sure all is well with the wife, neighbors, etc!
2) Research other jams...make your jam 'fit in' timewise and keep the time consistent from month to month. (3rd Monday of the month for us.)
3) Send out monthly email reminders to the participants.
4) During the jam, politely keep things 'on track'. #ie. Everybody gets the opportunity to select tunes, don't allow an individual to dominate the jam, etc, etc... #
5) As a thank you to the folks that come, I keep the fridge stocked with soda, bottled water and beer. #The way I see it, I didn't have to drive at all...and a bunch of really good pickers came to me! #The least I can do is offer 'em a cool libation. (All of the attendees are adults!)
6) We started a 'Tune of the Month'. #The idea was to get everybody to stretch out a bit and learn something new. #(Last month was the 'Theme from the Flintstones'. #I think next month might be 'Cattle in the Cane'. #You get the idea... )

Clearly some of this wouldn't apply to a 'public' jam...however, just thought I'd toss in my 2 cents. #

Good Luck!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[smclewin]

In starting a new old time jam my biggest challenge has been in building up a common repertoire of tunes that the group can play. I publish a tune list to the participants, bring sheet music for those who are so inclined and make recordings of us playing available with a little help from another friend who records and cuts the mp3s.

So far so good. A friend and I are getting this going together, so in the very worst case he and I are at the venue we found to host us playing tunes together for a few hours. We decided to play in the coffee shop in a local church rather than at one of our houses for many of the reasons Soupy described about the Bethany Jam.

Scott

* if you happen to live around Kansas City come join us. Our next session is Saturday June 16th at 10am. We are using this folkjam group to manage the session and find new musicians: Whiskey Just After Breakfast (and other tunes) (http://www.folkjam.org/group/us/kansas/lenexa/whiskey-just-after-breakfast-and-other-tunes)

[PhilGE]

We started jams in our home Midland, MI about 10 years ago and more recently in Goshen, IN about 5 or 6 years ago. Both grew and moved out of our homes. Both times we simply invited other musician friends to come on over and jam. The jams in Midland turned into jamborees (large audience and many participants) under the guidance of others. The jams in Goshen now take place at a farmer's market (see blog link below) and are self perpetuatiing at this time. We try and keep the jams based in old-time fiddle tunes with brief detours into Celtic or old-time pop standards. You can look up the Goshen jams at Scott's www.folkjam.org. (http://www.folkjam.org/) Thanks, Scott!

[fstylemb1]

I have hosted a jam here in Louisville for over 8 yrs. There are a few other jams locally. One key thing is to have a host and a regular location. Me personally, I encourage pickers of all ages and levels to attend. With the number of people who attend, you can usually find someone close to your level that you might be able to breakaway with. I also encourage people to have their own jams. More pickin'= more pickers = more pickin'= more pickers... Also consult the 10 Jammandments!
Have fun!

[Greg H.]

Windflite
5) As a thank you to the folks that come, I keep the fridge stocked with soda, bottled water and beer. The way I see it, I didn't have to drive at all...and a bunch of really good pickers came to me! The least I can do is offer 'em a cool libation. (All of the attendees are adults!)#


I've been hosting similar jams in my house for the last couple of years (but pretty much only in the winter, between festivals and vacations summer months seem just too busy). My approach has been very similar to Windflite's with one significant exception: I make mine BYOB! I don't want to be monitoring who drinks how much (this isn't too much of a concern, most of my invitees are very good at controlling their rate of consumption) and more importantly I don't want to be held responsible if someone gets stopped afterwards and is over the limit. If I am serving the beer (or they're just taking the beer from the refridgerator with my permission) then I could be viewed as responsible for their condition. This becomes more of a concern when people I don't really know come along with an invitee. If I see someone who's obviously drunk then certainly I can act on those grounds (happily this hasn't happened in the last two years of hosting jams), but I don't want to be held responsible for those who might be borderline cases.

Sodas and snacks are, of course, completely different and I do provide those.

[arbarnhart]

A tune list and music is a really good idea. One problem I have with my jam occurred again last night; the guy who usually leads was not there. He's played in a few different bands over the span of several years and is a walking songbook; he knows the kick off licks, solos, chords and words to a tremendous number of songs and plays guitar and sings well enough to carry a song while the rest of us learn it. We generally follow his lead on song selection as well. We still had a good jam, but we had some really awkward starts and stops on some songs, a few made up verses and song selection took longer because we would discuss it instead of having a leader that just announced and started playing.