Jams and Picking Parties

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Americana Slow Jam

Winchester Community Music School 407 Highland Avenue, Winchester, MA

Join WCMS for an acoustic evening of Americana classics – blues, Bluegrass, and classic hits that twang! This jam session offers a great entry level experience for those who want to learn how to play with each other in a jam setting, as well as being appropriate for more accomplished or advanced players. Songs are projected onto a screen to help you follow along, and host Steve Latanision will be on hand to help with chords and scales. We'll start with 20-30 well known Americana genre tunes to choose from (including Angel from Montgomery, Old Joe Clark, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Friend of the Devil, and Rider). You can add your own favorite song if you bring a legible lead sheet. Note that this is an all acoustic evening – bring out your guitars, banjos, mandolins, and fiddles. $10 for participants; free for audience. For more information, call 781-721-2950 or visit www.winchestermusic.org. Winchester Community Music School, 407 Highland Avenue, Winchester.

$10

Indian Hill Music Bluegrass Jam led by Tony Watt

Indian Hill Music 36 King Street, Littleton, MA

Enjoy a toe-tapping Bluegrass set led by guitarist Tony Watt and Laura Orshaw on fiddle and vocals, followed by an open jam.  Bring your instrument and sit in, or come to listen. All ages. Free refreshments! Tickets: $10 at the door. 36 King Street, Littleton MA. (978) 486-9524 | http://www.indianhillmusic.org.

$10

Mirror Lake Bluegrass Jam

Next Mirror Lake Bluegrass Jam is coming. When: Saturday, June 1, 3 pm to ? Where: 350 Forest Grove Ave, Wrentham, MA Details:  This is currently a random event, but we are hoping to develop it in to something more regular. We'll cook up some food and drink. Pot luck food and beverages appreciated but totally optional. If the weather is nice swimming/wading/boating on tap so bring clothes/towels etc. for that.  Please RSVP if possible with number of people and what instruments you'll be playing so we can plan for food and instrument balance. We'll probably cap the numbers around 12 pickers due to space limitations. Kids & family members that would like to hang out and enjoy the lake are welcome. Listed end time subject to change. Hosted by Steve and Galina.

Free

Jam in Boarding House Park

Boardinghouse Park 40 French St., Lowell, MA

To get folks ready for the Lowell Banjo and Fiddle Contest (Sept 7th), we are going to meet in Boarding House Park in Lowell on August 17th for jamming.  We will play from 10AM until 2PM or so.  We will break up into separate jams for different styles if there is interest in doing so.  Bring instruments, a chair, and your own water and food.  There won't be any vendors around but there will be open restrooms in some of the park buildings.  Backup rain date is August 18th.

Free

Lowell Banjo and Fiddle Contest

Boardinghouse Park 40 French St., Lowell, MA

The 39th Annual Lowell Banjo and Fiddle Contest (Platinum sponsored by the BBU) will be held on September 7th, 2019 in Boarding House Park, in Lowell Massachusetts with workshops at 10AM, organized jams at 11AM and the contest beginning at noon.  Informal jams happen all day long.  For more details visit: http://lowellsummermusic.org/page.php?wpage=root/eventdetail.htm&Event=LSMS-E67225  

Free

FreshGrass Festival

MASS MoCA 1040 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, MA

FreshGrass is a wonderland of traditional and cutting edge bluegrass and roots music, tucked appropriately into a 19th-century factory turned 21st-century museum in the Berkshire mountains of northwestern Massachusetts. An opportunity for enthusiasts to both appreciate and participate, FreshGrass is family-friendly and brimming with the brightest talent not just on our four stages, but also in our galleries, brick-lined courtyards, and grassy fields. MASS MoCA is one of the world’s premier centers for making and showing the best art of our time. The museum’s vast galleries and multiplicity of stages — both inside and out — offer artists unprecedented opportunities to make and present large-scale sculpture, inventive theater, roots music writers, ‌and big new musical ideas that will confound expectations…and delight you.

$3 – $350

Online Rollick

The Ashokan Center 477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge, NY

Old-time immersion weekend ONLINE! Starts TODAY! ashokancenter.org/online-rollick-2020

$50

Fiddle Hell Online

Online MA

Our schedule and instructor list are posted at https://FiddleHell.org, and registration is open for Fiddle Hell Online, April 15-18, 2021. FHO will have 200 live workshops to learn from, 35 live concerts to enjoy, and 35 live jam sessions to join on Zoom, for fiddle, mandolin, cello, guitar, old-time banjo, and singing. All sessions will be replayable (and can be slowed down) for 3 months after the event. More than 100 instructors -- experienced & supportive teachers, and wonderful & inspiring players -- will cover Bluegrass, Blues, Cajun, Cape Breton, East European, Electric, Québécois, Gypsy Jazz, Irish, Jazz, Klezmer, Latin, Mexican, New Acoustic, New England, Old-Time Southern, Scandinavian, Scottish, Swing, Texas, and Western Swing styles. Attending FHO is not only an amazing experience, it’s a way for you to support and connect with these wonderful instructors and performers. Bluegrass instructors & performers include Sharon Gilchrist, Andy Statman, Erica Brown, Richie Brown, Margaret Gerteis, Billy Contreras, Darol Anger, Ellen Carlson, Jeremy Kittel, Alex Hargreaves, Matt Shipman, Peter Anick, Joy Adams, Andy Reiner. A few instructors in other styles include: Kevin Burke, Wendy MacIsaac, Michael Doucet, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Hanneke Cassel, Jake Blount, Mike Block, Cathy Fink, ... With 270 sessions + 100 instructors + 3 months of video replays, Fiddle Hell Online is of great value to players and listeners alike. Previous attendees said that their broad opportunities for learning (tunes, styles, instruments, techniques), gains in musical inspiration, and renewed connections with the community were priceless! And it's great to have a front row seat for every session. As in the past, discounts are available for seniors and young musicians, and there are further discounts and giveaways for early bird signups. Scholarships based on financial need are available. … Read More »

Recurring

Concord Conservatory Open Bluegrass Jam

Concord Conservatory of Music 1317 Main Street, Concord, MA

The Open Bluegrass Jam is back! Thursdays, 7:30 – 9:00 pm in the sanctuary Open to bluegrass players at all levels – guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, dobro, bass, singers – join Max Anderson as he calls the tunes, posts the charts, and leads the group (at a manageable speed) through the great repertoire of tunes and songs from the bluegrass tradition. Open to musicians and those who just want to listen and observe. Jam dates: December 2, 9, and 16, January 6, 13, 20, and 27, February 3, 10, and 17, March 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, April 7, 14, and 28, May 5, 12, 19, and 26 $10 suggested donation is greatly appreciated to support the program.

$10