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.

Learning the easy way

It’s true — there’s an easy way to learn guitar, or mando, or fiddle or harmonica or any instrument. Better yet, it doesn’t involve practice!

The secret is by playing your instrument for fun. That’s what jamming is about. OK, you do need to begin by learning some basic techique and maybe a few chords. But after that — start attending jams! When you’re with others, playing and singing, the time zips by. You don’t think as much about your playing, and that makes it more enjoyable. Jams at the Old Town School focus on easy songs; sometimes from the songbook, sometimess requested by a student, sometimes suggested by the jam leader, who provides the chords. Everyone’s welcome, even if you’re not taking a class!

Here are some weekly jams at the School’s two locations:

LINCOLN

Wednesdays: 12 pm-2 pm — all ages, all instruments welcome! Have lunch!
Old Town School, 4544 N. Lincoln
USUALLY the concert stage or down the stairs by the Strummer (warm weather: in the courtyard!)

Thursdays; 7 pm- 10:30 pm – mostly adults, but all welcome!
Old Town School, 4544 N. Lincoln
Usually the concert stage; come before or after class!

ARMITAGE

Saturdays: 12-1 pm
Old Town School, 909 W. Armitage.
First floor; bring your songbook if you have one
Open Jam, all ages and instruments welcome. It’s fun, come share your tunes with us!

But also remember Second Half — the half-hour jams held on most class days. These are teacher-led and usually involve playing and singing five or six songs, from the songbook or brought in by a teacher. Lincoln:
Mondays at 11:30 am and 9:30 pm, Tuesdays at 9:30 pm, Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 11:30 am,
Saturday at 12:30 am, Sunday at 1:30 pm. Armitage: Mondays at 9:30 pm, Tuesdays at 9:30 pm, Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 1:30 pm.

None of these times work for you? Create your own jam! Meet regularly with your friends to play and sing together. Many jams are set up like song circles; each person leads a song, suggests a song, or “passes.”

If you’re interested in jams outside the school — or elsewhere in the country, as when you’re on vacation –
check out folkjam.org. Jams are not only a wonderful way to learn music, but also one of the best ways to make new acquaintances at the same time!

Filed under: Uncategorized by Skip | March 1, 2010 | Comments (0)


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