Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

Jams! The School goes jam-crazy!

Jamming is perhaps the best way to strengthen your skills — and to have fun. You bring your instrument (whatever it is) and have the pleasure of informal, no-one-is-listening-carefully-because-they’re-having-too-much-fun music.

Opportunities for jamming occur daily at the school, with special jams on First Fridays. Not taking a class? That’s ok — this is a free community event.

The daily jams are “Second Half,” a long-time, Old Town School tradition. These mildly structured gatherings, led by teachers,
are scheduled before or after classes. Every day of the week you can join with other students to play songs, some from the School’s songbook and others brought in by a different teacher each week. A new feature, on Thursdays, is having two evening teacher-coordinated jams. The Second Half and jam schedule is below:

Mondays: 11:30 am, 9:30 pm (Lincoln and Armitage SH)
Tuesdays: 9:30 pm (Lincoln and Armitage SH)
Wednesdays: 12-2 pm jam (Lincoln), 7:30 pm (Lincoln and Armitage SH)
Thursdays: NEW! 7 pm and 8:30 jams
Fridays: 11:30 am (Lincoln SH)
Saturdays: 11:30 am (Lincoln SH), 12:30 am (Armitage SH)
Sundays:1:30 pm (Lincoln and Armitage SH)

The Wednesday daytime jam, from around noon to 2 pm, attracts people of all skill levels. The weekly “core” group includes a guitar, banjo, and fiddle, often joined by one or two other fiddlers, a guitar player or two, an autoharp player, singers, and a (wonderful!) player of the standup “slap bass.” This group has the honor of playing on the School’s main stage at Lincoln, with the back of that stage open to the lobby. Visitors are greeted by an “Open Jam – Join Us! sign, and often do.

First Fridays are the occasions for the School’s monthly open house. Starting at 5:30, activities take place throughout the building. The newest First Friday activity is the Gather-All, an all-ages singalong/playalong hosted by Jason McInnis. Held in one of the large first floor rooms, this jam attracts adult students, teachers, administrators, and families; come early if you want to get in! Other first Friday jams include the Fandango, the Back Porch Jam, the Old-Timey jam — and you’re welcome to come, find a corner, and start your own jam!

A very special jam was held on Inauguration Night, 2009. Students from all nights and members of the community were invited to s special, expanded Second Half. “Songs of Change” were projected on the screen and led by more than a dozen teachers, with about 300 students, friends, and neighbors participating. “This Land is Your Land” was recorded by WBEZ with video posted on their website.

If you’ve thought of taking a class or a private lesson at the School, but are hesitant — stop by and visit a jam! Whether you play, sing, or just listen. The jams are both fun and some of the best introductions to the School and its community.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 24, 2009 | Comments (0)


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