April 2019: Sorry to say that we haven’t had the interest to keep the Bluegrass Jam sessions going and this summer we won’t be able to host The Bluegrass Camp. The summer schedule was challenging and we are a little short on volunteer power these days. If you have an idea for a music opportunity and especially if you are willing to do the work to make it happen, The Space would like to support you! Also, most of our Bluegrass Camp instructors from last year are putting on a Bluegrass Camp in Greeley at UNC on July 19 – 21. For more information visit their website: UNC BLUEGRASS CAMP
THE JAM SCHEDULE HAS BEEN MODIFIED FOR THE MONTH OF JULY! NO JAM ON JULY 9 & 23. PLEASE COME TO THE BLUEGRASS CAMP JAM AT RAINBOW PARK ON JULY 16TH AT 6:30 INSTEAD!!!!
Bluegrass Camp Instructors in action
Martin Gillmore is missing from the video short, but you get the idea.
Also, in addition to the camp and the concert, on Monday night, July 16th, we’ll be having a jam at Rainbow Park in Wray. You do not need to be attending the camp to come and enjoy. Bring your instrument and join in or just bring a chair, sit back and listen. We’ll be starting around 6:30. Last year folks came out, brought a picnic supper, their kids, knitting, etc. and we had a great time.
May 15, 2018
Hi Bluegrass Jammers!
Time to look at our schedule for the summer. We are still sticking to our 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month but we’ve got a few changes that we are really excited about!
As you know, 3 of our most faithful and ardent supporters of the Jam nights travel quite a ways to come to The Space to play. Since we meet twice a month we thought it might be nice to have one of those times gather at a location that would make their commute a bit more friendly. The Cornerstone building in Idalia has graciously offer to let us make music there once a month. We’re hoping that having it at that location will also encourage more musicians from that area to come join us.
So here is how the schedule will look: MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SPREAD THE WORD!
May 21 – NO JAM. The Steel Wheels are playing at 4th and Main on this night and the next. A must see for all of us!!!!
June 11 – Jam in Wray at The Space
June 25 – Jam in Idalia at The Cornerstone (please use the entrance on the north side of the building). The Cornerstone is at the intersection of Idalia’s main street and Hwy 36 – just look for the former church building.)
July 9 – Jam in Wray at The Space featuring songs from Dig Deep
July 23 – Jam in Idalia at The Cornerstone
Aug. 13 – NO JAM
Aug. 27 – Jam in Idalia at The Cornerstone.
Most of you already know, but another important happening this summer is the 2nd Annual Bluegrass Camp in Wray. Not only are Dusty Rider, Natalie Padilla and Martin Gilmore coming back but they are bringing along two more faculty members from UNC adding mandolin and bass experts to the fold. We are going to condense the 4 day experience into 3 and Camp will be July 16th – 18th. Cost per camper is crazy low cost of $35.00 per camper/$70.00 per family. The Wray Area Foundation, The Space and UNC are putting some big bucks into the kitty to bring this to town and keep the registration costs so low. It truly is a very unique experience and I encourage you to make the time to attend because you absolutely won’t regret it. A lot of you have already signed up which is great. We cap it at 30 participants and last year we did have to turn away folks so don’t wait too long to sign up. If you would like to help, we will need a small group of folks who would be willing to host one or two of the instructors while they are here for the camp. Please let me know if you could do that.
Lastly, The Space & Cliff Dwellers Acting and Singing Society are putting on a Bluegrass Musical this summer called Dig Deep. I am so happy to announce that some of our regular jammers are going to be in the show and for the first time in a very long time Wray will present a musical with a live band! Performances of Dig Deep will be August 16 – 19. That’s why there won’t be a Jam on Aug. 13. And that is also why the Jam on July 9th has a little added twist— we’ll take that opportunity to play the songs with the cast for the first half of the jam that night.
I think that’s about it for now. Thanks to everyone who has been coming to the jams. We have a lot of beginners who come and feel more comfortable with the music to look at so we try to have music available for everyone but please remember that a jam, in the true sense of the word, is not a place for following music or aiming for perfection. It is a place to share songs and play along if you can. Mistakes are made. Practice does not occur to make perfect. We just play the songs because they are fun and playing in a group is the best way to improve your skills and have fun while you are at it. I’m so grateful that we have some advanced players who come and mentor while they lead the way. I know we are missing some wonderful musicians who somehow think they aren’t good enough to join in. If you know of someone like that please print this out and give the schedule to them and invite them again. And even if you only come once in a blue moon that’s just fine. You’ll be glad you did.
What is the Bluegrass Jam?
Bluegrass Jam nights were inspired by the great time we had at our first ever Bluegrass camp Summer of 2017. We had so much fun playing together that we wanted to keep the music going. The Bluegrass Jam is a time for bluegrass musicians and people who love bluegrass to get together and make some music! You don’t have to preregister, you don’t have to pay a fee, you don’t have to have attended the camp. Just bring your instrument and play along or if you prefer, you can just watch. All levels and ages are welcome but kids under 10 please bring an adult with you.
When do you meet?
2nd & 4th Mondays of the month. 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Don’t worry if you can’t be there right at 7:00. Come late, leave early– just come! We meet at The Space in Wray. 146 Main St.
What instruments are you looking for?
Traditional bluegrass instruments are guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, fiddle. But one of our favorite jammers plays a mean recorder & clarinet that sounds awesome playing the fiddle parts. We are open to thinking outside the box a bit if you can blend your instrument to the bluegrass style.
What songs do you play?
We encourage folks to bring a song or two to share with the group. If you don’t have it written out, that’s o.k. but it would be fantastic if you could print out the lyrics and chords to the song. If you can manage to bring about 10 copies that would great, too. After each jam we try to email the new songs out to the group participants so if you couldn’t attend you can still work on the songs. Don’t worry if you don’t have a song to bring– the group leader will have plenty on hand. If you would like to come but feel nervous about not knowing the music, contact Missy Uyemura and she’ll get you on the group list and email you what songs are on the current “play list”. But hopefully you’ll just come and dive in– you’ll discover there is nothing to be nervous about!
