Re: [Harp-L] Jam cheering sections...

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

> "Bry Thomas" <baddaddy_46@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Do you ever notice participants bringing "cheering sections" with 
> > them that
> > encourage them to take over and blow regardless of what the tune 
> > calls for?

    )*(  says:   This seems to be prevalent only if the cheering 
section is younger.
> >
>  Garry says: while i might like for my family to see me, i haven't 
> brought anyone since
> i started playing in my local jam.  i don't need the distraction.  the 
> way i see
> it, i'm there to work on stuff, to ask lots of questions from the 
> other musicians,
> and to learn as much as i can.  attending to an audience, whether i'm 
> on stage
> or not, cuts into the very limited time i have (a few hours a week) to 
> do those
> things.

  )*(  :  Ok, I was going to stay out of this one but until Easter 
2004, my wife had NEVER heard me play in a "Real" musical setting, and 
I am now 62. A month later, our 34 & 30 year old daughters heard me for 
the first time. The wife hadn't BEEN to any of the SPAHs of Buckeyes 
where I played the evening. Daytime open mike was all the wife ever 
witnessed. Lately, the wife has been going along. I suppose now that 
she knows she won't be embarrassed, she is willing to tag along.

 A club/bar should be aware of what a jam is. It's been my experience 
that the bar will profit from a jam because several of the people there 
will already be musician types OR suportive family/friends that 
wouldn't BE there otherwise. For every "Purist" who wants to hear 
perfect music that you loose, you will gain others for the fun aspect. 
Besides places that will hold a jam usually have other nights where 
there is entertainment. THEN, you get the possibility of cross-over 
customers.

 Which brings up my point. Pros get more than enough play time from 
other sources (mostly paid). Do they need to play at every single 
solitary opportunity that comes along? Pros should do a "show", 
intermediates should do "jams" (until ready to do their OWN show).

 And what about the "intermediate"? Let's suppose (for example) that 
there's this guy (or gal) who would really like to play with other 
musicians. I mean, we're talking here about someone who so wants to 
play and worships either their instrument, or the music, or the 
excitement, that their heart is beating a mile a minute. So, they show 
up at a jam and sit there on the edge of their chair anxiously waiting 
either their turn OR an invite.

 You can see it in their face. You can see it in their eyes. They will 
somehow gather the courage to approach the other musicians and "slip" 
in the fact that they play. I can tell when I look out at the audience. 
I look over at Timmy (keyboard) and say "See that guy over there, HE 
plays".

  Sooo, do you expect ME to shoot these people down? Ain't gonna 
happen. I'M not gonna be responsible for breaking their hearts. I'm not 
so big that I don't consider it an honor to be considered good ENOUGH 
for THEM to choose for their "Coming Out".  Not after they came 
(possibly) a long way, planned all day (or WEEK), and maybe ran around 
like a little kid thinking "Oooh, there's a jam at the Tijuana Turtle 
tonight". Then they get a baby sitter, grab the wife, their sister, HER 
husband Fred, and off they go, risking their life through traffic. 
Nggggggghnnn, go back 3 giant steps.

 I see it at SPAH all the time. There are big guns who already HAVE 
juicy night time show slots. Then what do you see? They monopolize 
everything else. It's all done unconciously. They don't MEAN to do it. 
It's just that they're so used to being stars, that they forget that 
there was a time that they TOO started with "Home on the Range".

 Doc, can I get up from this couch now? 
...............................the ghost of Smokey-Joe