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Jams
Come join our jams!
There will be a lot of spontaneous jamming during the
camp, and you’re certainly welcome to jump into them.
However, if you feel intimidated, unsure, inexperienced,
or just plain nervous, we have some jams just for you.
Keep in mind that playing at home is one thing; making
music with others really takes you to a new level. At
first it may be a little scary, but it’ll soon turn into
a lot of fun. Some reasons you might hesitate:
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“They’re going to hear me mess up.” No, they’re all
busy trying to do their own thing. Very rarely in
the average jam does anyone even hear the stuff
you’re doing, since they’re worried about their own.
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“I’ll make mistakes.” Yes, you probably will, as
everyone does, and if you’re not beating the
daylights out of your instrument, you’re the only
one who will hear them.
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“I’ll be put on the spot.” No, in a jam, you can
always choose to hang back. If anyone calls on you
to take a solo, a shake of your head is a perfectly
legitimate response.
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“I can’t keep up.” Maybe so, maybe not. If you
can’t, you can still play the chords or notes that
sound OK to you as the music passes by.
The fact is that just like that cold water, it’s
sometimes a bit scary to jump in the first time, but
once you’re used to it, you’re telling everyone that
they should jump in; what a bunch of weenies!
OK, so here are our jams. Try them out—trust us!
Bluegrass Songbook
(Level 2), Mike Gurzi: Here's an easy and fun
introduction to many of the songs of the standard
bluegrass repertoire. You'll sing and play along, take
some breaks (solos) if you'd like, and generally get a
feel for the bluegrass jam in a supportive environment.
Songs covered will include Will the Circle Be Unbroken,
Nine Pound Hammer, My Home's Across the Blue Ridge
Mountains, Shady Grove, Sitting on Top of the World and
All the Good Times.
Fiddle Tune Slow Jam
(Level 2), Marianne Danehy: This is for all players,
not just fiddlers. We'll play some of the best-known
fiddle tunes such as Old Joe Clark, Red-Haired Boy,
Arkansas Traveler, Angeline the Baker, Over the
Waterfall, Liberty, waltzes, polkas, jigs, etc. We'll
start at good slow speeds, and speed up gradually.
There will be music notation provided, so bring your
music stand.
Beginning Folk Jam
(Level 2-up), Flip Breskin: You'll quickly be playing
and singing on some of the old folk favorites, and some
songs you’ve probably not heard before. This is a very
low-pressure, easygoing jam where you can either belt
out a song that’s struggling to burst free, or just sit
back and enjoy it. This one of our most popular jams!
Dave's Fiddle Tune Jam
(Level 3), Dave Firestine: This is a more advanced
session for favorite fiddle tunes on all instruments.
We'll play tunes like St. Anne's Reel, Whiskey Before
Breakfast, Fisher's Hornpipe, Soldier's Joy, Cherokee
Shuffle, Big Sciota, Over the Waterfall, Blarney
Pilgrim, Forked Deer, Bill Cheatham, Flowers of
Edinburgh, Off to California and others. We'll start
them faster than the Easy Fiddle Tune Jam, and get them
up to dancing speed. We'll also look at some tunes you
might not know, but you'll want to after you hear them!
Swing Jam - Intro
(Level 3), Cyd Smith: For all instruments, this class
will introduce you to a great mix of swing standards,
and you’ll work on getting the sound and feel of this
most American of musical styles. You’ll start with some
well-known Western swing numbers and see how you can
begin with the chords you know, then gradually add in
the standard swing chord shapes. You’ll learn about
intros, solos and endings as well as having a great,
great time.
Swing Jam - Advanced
(Level 4), Raul Reynoso: This swing jam is for all
instruments, for more advanced players who’ve been
playing some swing, know more of the swing chords and
melodies, and/or are comfortable with some soloing.
It’ll go faster than the Intro to Swing jam.
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