My Klezmer band is playing at Glastonbury.
The Studebaker is low on gas.
My spandex stage outfit is at the dry cleaners.
Living’ in the Mitten
The sky is falling
Those folks are only disguised as musicians
The aliens have landed
The zombie apocalypse has begun
I have nothing to wear.
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Actually I like jazz and Klezmer jam sessions.
The nearby train whistle plays C, D#, G# all at the same time, it clashes with the G tunes we're trying to play.
An aside, there's a fascinating train-horn sound webpage which tells exactly which musical notes (with clickable audio samples) that various types of train whistles are/were tuned to... so there's actually a valid musical reason why some whistles are dissonant (e.g., modern diesel locomotives) whereas other whistles had a more pleasing sound (think steam locomotives). I suppose for purposes of warnings and getting people's attention at crossings, the modern dissonant sound is more effective. But for just pure listening enjoyment, some of the steam-train whistles were great.
I'll be the only woman there.
I'll be the only old woman there.
I'll be the only old, amateur woman there.
Nobody wants to hear an old woman sing.
I am so weary of making nice with these old, redneck men who are never going to accept me as an equal, no matter how many years go by; it's like beating my head against a wall, who needs it?
I know that there are no politics in music (in theory), but I read the hateful things they said on FB during the election, and it has soured me on standing in the same circle with them anymore.
Unless you are being facetious, you seem bitter. If you are being facetious, it is not coming across that way. Rather, it appears you have some chips on your shoulder. I have been to a LOT of jams, all over the country. I'm in currently in Central VA, not that far from you. There are women, including older women, at most of the jams I go to. Some of them are revered as great players. I've never seen discrimination based on anything but skill, and even that is rare. At a jam, people will accept you as an equal if you can play well, period. Beginners are welcome, as long as they don't try to overplay their skill.
I've rarely heard politics brought up at a jam and usually that kind of discussion is discouraged. How is what someone has posted on Facebook relevant to a jam? Jams are an example of how people of all viewpoints can come together apolitically through music. Jams have been going on for centuries before Facebook even existed. Don't get me wrong, I have seen bad behaviors at jams, but nothing like you're talking about.
I would respectfully suggest you reexamine what you think jams are all about and what you expect from them.
I have never understood a jam or session to imply that the musicians are close friends or even of the same mind. As long as the music works out and nobody harbours hidden personal expectations, very different people have a chance to have a good time across those gaps.
Music is bigger than players, creating a harmonious and pleasant distance between them. Music is that mountain range where you move your trailer to get away from people and their views. It's the way to be together and apart at the same time.
the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world
OMG! That long ago!
Good phrase. I am going to use that.
Here, then are some more reasons not to go to the jam:
Its all men, I wouldn't be comfortable.
Its all women, I wouldn't be comfortable.
They are all adults, I would not be comfortable.
They let kids in, I would not be comfortable.
They take themselves so seriously. Hey, I just want to play music.
They aren't really traditional you know, they don't really know how to play the music correctly.
That one girl will be there, you know, the guitar player who does all those jazz chords and screws everything up.
That one girl will be there, you know, the chord banger who complains when it its not in G or D.
That one guy will be there who can't keep a tempo.
That one guy will be there who plays everything too fast.
Those kids from the university are always there, those young guns playing all those Sligo tunes at breakneck speed.
There's no young people there, just these three old guys. I think they are related, brothers or something.
They don't stop and introduce themselves. I never learn their names.
They play the same tunes over and over, from this book. They don't want to try a new tune.
They play so much stuff by the time I have learned a tune they have moved on. I can never catch up.
They don't allow drinking.
There is drinking.
I can't bring my kid.
They bring their kids some of them.
They don't do it they way Bill done it.
Living’ in the Mitten
The jam is dominated by this one guy who runs things. Very controlling.
There is no leader, its just chaos.
They don't give newbies a chance.
They spend too much time playing slow for the newbies. I want to tear it up sometimes.
The all play in unison over and over. How much Angeline the Baker can you take?
They all take breaks and improvise. What'll I do when its my turn?
They play so danged fast. If you can recognize the tune its not quite up to speed.
I have, although from a somewhat different angle, & not related to gender, and also it was quite a few years ago. It was more of a group philosophical-debate thing rather than anyone being looked down on.
I seldom participated in the discussions (mostly over my head) but I did listen in sometimes because I found it fascinating, in small doses anyway.
They would get to talking about the darndest things, ranging from labor politics in foreign countries, to animal rights, to the ideal curvature & thickness of the top plates on violins.
Sometimes the talking would last far longer than the tune-playing.
That particular jam was, in effect, more of a private social club with a side dose of music.
Most of the attendees were either like-minded, or, like me had never heard of that kind of stuff before so it was interesting just because it was something new to ponder.
They were all polite though, I never saw it degenerate into incivility or insults or anything. So that's different than what the poster up above a ways had expressed about feeling left out.
But, definitely they were mixing politics & music. At the time, I didn't have a problem with that. Now though, I'd definitely get bored (already heard all the politics I need for an entire lifetime) & I'd want to just play some tunes.
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