OPINIONS FROM THE ROAD
Bluegrass music is special in so many ways. The tight-knit community, the festival lifestyle, the accessibility of the bands and the jamming. Anywhere you find festivals, Bluegrass Conventions or shows you will find jamming. Early in the morning until sunrise the next you can find pickers of all walks coming together to share their take on the music. Traditional jams, progressive jams, Grass-Country jams and so many variations on each that finding a new jam is always like unwrapping a new gift.
It has been a tradition since the music started that you can find band musicians, local pickers and people who just enjoy the music all mixing together and having a good time. So many national touring acts have formed just from the simple act of meeting at a jam and finding a common passion and sound. Jams are also a boon to local festivals and associations. If a festival has bountiful jamming then more jammers are likely to come and that means more ticket and camping sales which turns into more money for the Bluegrass Scene. Jamming is so vital to Bluegrass that many “Jam Only” festivals have popped up.
While jams are innocent and fun, there is an underlying event going on….networking. While it may not be as obvious as “After Hours” drinks with co-workers or large trade conferences, Bluegrass Jams are a place people come together to meet others and be seen. You can have the guitar skills of Norman Blake or the vocal prowess of Russell Moore, but if you don’t have “people” in your corner…your just another person. While this is totally fine if that is your only goal (some people are totally content with going from jam to jam and never doing anything more) if you have aspirations of Bluegrass “Success” you will need to jam well with others and show people your passion first hand.
“It doesn’t matter WHAT you know, it’s all in WHO you know” couldn’t be more fitting for Bluegrass politics and exposure. Promoters and labels look for bands and musicians that are not only good at their trade (not to mention original) but they also must have a following. They must have a network of people who will attend gigs, buy records and also have the ability to add more of a following all the time. The best way to make this happen is to jam! You could beg on social media, you could spend money on adds online but the best way is to jam. Jamming also opens up new gig opportunities all the time. Bands/musicians who are asked to play a show and can’t do so will often suggest a friend/band that they know through jamming.
It is sad to see musicians stop jamming once they join a band. They come to a festival, play a set and then pack up and leave (I understand some may have other gigs) losing the opportunity to share themselves with other jammers who make up such a large portion of the Bluegrass world. I am of the opinion that they lose sight of what got them to that level or maybe they just don’t understand the value. I also know of many players who get “burnt out” on the Band member life, and then find their passion again after a good jam or two. In the end, Jamming is positive at all levels and if it is possible for you to join a jam…why the heck would you not?
Jamming is your Bluegrass Street Cred, Jamming hones your people skills, jamming broadens your musical horizons and best of all…..jamming is fun!
Justin Mason, Florida Bluegrass Network
Florida Bluegrass Network 