Looking for other musicians to jam with!

[naetuir]

Howdy all!

I'm a "somewhat" new bodhran player (started learning last year- I feel I'm fairly decent), and I'm looking for people to jam with to start getting a better feel for playing in a group. I work on the MHS fence this year, so I'm certainly willing to do something after hours (or during the week) if that's the preference. I'm just looking to get some group work!

I have little or no preference on the tunes, though I do personally like a lot of pirate songs/dirges. I think a well played bodhran can add a whole lot to the tunes that sounds very 'cannon' like.

Feel free to post here, or email me at naetuir@bluesiren.net (it's a spam mailbox- It may take a day or two for me to get back to you if you send to this address).

- Daigh (Fest) / Chris (Real).

[Prof. John Bull]

I keep looking at your post and trying to figure out how to help.  In many ways, fest itself is an extremely difficult place to find support or opportunities for music for people who are not already performers.  I've been there in years past and it's awfully unfair to be on the receiving end of it but it's part of the culture.  I'm in a band but we have a demanding stage schedule from cannon to cannon and tend to plan, work the street, and rehearse with each other during longer breaks.

Part of the problem is that everything we do at fest is, in a very real sense, performance, and we want to play our best, which isn't compatible with teaching, formation, or whatever.

The best thing to do is seek out other musicians at a similar point in their musical journey and get together outside fest.

[naetuir]

Yeh, I've certainly noticed that about the bigger faires (regarding the bands being busy cannon to cannon). I got my first taste of stage performing with my Bodhran while I was at a tent faire a while back, and performing with a commedia group. I really enjoyed it and have been looking for opportunities since then.

The problem I find is in finding like minded people. That's sort of why I decided to post on here (along with on another website I am a part of). The problem seems to be that those who have the drive to perform, are! Those that don't have the drive.. aren't.

I'm not really looking for instruction, either. Just trying to get more acquainted with playing with others. I've played guitar for a long time, and I've never really spent time just playing with people. Either just playing, or doing songs, whatnot. I've been debating joining up with the IMDA (Irish music/dance association) groups, but the problem then becomes my real life schedule, which can be somewhat hectic for 'standard' meeting hours.

And just to be clear- I appreciate your thought! Though I hope you don't mind if I don't keep my ear out, here.

[MissBubu]

Have you checked with the musicians at opening gate? There's also a group that drums for the morning belly dancers at Bad Manor Meadow.

[Will Gamwell]

Hey Daigh,

As Miss Bubu said, you are welcome to join us for the morning Gypsy Jam.  We have one or two people on occasion that stop by and play bodhran.

Will

[MissBubu]

Hey Daigh,

As Miss Bubu said, you are welcome to join us for the morning Gypsy Jam.  We have one or two people on occasion that stop by and play bodhran.

Will

And you don't have to be professional quality, they've even let me play with them in past years.

[naetuir]

Sounds great! I'll see you guys around opening cannon tomorrow, then.

MissBubu- I have spoken with some of the musicians, but not seriously. I know they're very busy trying to keep themselves moving. Just like Prof said earlier. I tend towards those that I have some more personal connection to (such as other programmers and whatnot), because I'm much more comfortable talking about that and then moving in to the chitchat about music. Since I feel much more 'out of place' in that realm.

[Prof. John Bull]

such as other programmers and whatnot

In my experience 80% of the fest musicians have a background in either software development or church music.

[naetuir]

In my experience 80% of the fest musicians have a background in either software development or church music.

This, for some reason, doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

[groomporter]

In recent years the band Reve du Faun has held a jam about 5:30 in the evening when most musicians are done with their gridded shows except for closing gate, haven't heard if they are doing anything this year.

[white trillium]

The "Mayhem Music Jam" is scheduled at 5:30 again this year at what is now known as Chateau Vino - parts of Bedlam and Reve Du Faun were in attendance last year (we didn't have a chance to stop by this year yet - hope to be there this weekend).  Last year (at least) it seemed to be a pretty open event.

[naetuir]

I'll try to track you down at Fest Friends today and find out where it is.

[groomporter]

Super! I'll have to try to make it away from the booth. Traditionally the Mayhem Jam has been a loose jam of everything from trad. music to Grateful Dead -kind of a end of the day break loose thing from playing more traditional music all day. It used to be a fairly big unscheduled event hosted by the now defunct band Morrigan.

[naetuir]

I didn't make it to the Mayhem jam, but I actually managed around two and a half hours of drumming yesterday in different places from drum jams to playing with one of the local solo musicians! Had a blast all weekend playin.

Thanks to everyone who has been givin' advise! It's been very much appreciated!