Here are some notes about running an L1® Jam Session. This is tied to an application note in the wiki - Jam Session

Jam Session or ...
This may be more complex than running a showcase or an open mic night. I'll probably create notes about those too as some point.

How not Why
This is primarily about the organizational mechanics. We can debate about whether or not Jam Sessions are good for the live music ecology or not in Jam Sessions: Merits and Perils, and other interesting thoughts. These notes are for someone who has decided to do it, or who is at least seriously considering it.

Stakeholders and their Interests & Motives
There are many stakeholders in this scenario. Some of these have competing interests and some have interests that complement each other. It would be good to know more about what you want to do.

Examples of Stakeholders and Interests & Motives

1. Players - Pros - give them a place to play
   
2. Players - Up and coming - give them a place to showcase
   
3. Players - Amateurs - give them a place to play (some who don't normally get to play in public)
   
4. Songwriters - give them a chance to perform, and perhaps meet Players
   
5. Audience members - various reasons
   
6. Venue - bring (paying?) traffic through the doors
   
7. You - Monetary?
   
8. You - non monetary
   
9. ... lots more if you look for them
   

You could produce the show differently depending on where you prioritize the various stakeholders with their interests and motives.

Here is one structure that has worked well for me and managed to meet the needs of several of the stakeholders in the list above (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Here is an outline for a 3-4 hour show

Opening - Host act 30-45 minutes depending on how many pre-booking we've had *** (See: Pre-Booking below)
Host act (solo, duo, band) opens the show with a set. This can be a full set or just a warm up. I like to do a set that is

• Entertaining (provides value to the audience)
  
• Sets the tone for the room
  
• Suggests the kinds of music that are suitable for the room
  
• Gives performers time to arrive, settle, sign-up (there's a sign up. See Sign Up Sheet, below)
  
• Gives the venue time to serve whatever they sell
  
• Consider doing a quick introduction of the L1®. This can be a 30 second announcement. Just for example. Imagine that you are pointing at things and doing interesting things with the microphone as you say...
  
  Hi everybody,
  Just a reminder that we are using the Bose L1® sound system tonight. That means that you the performers will be controlling your sound. I will be here to help, but the controls will be up here on stage with you.
  
  For you in the audience, that means that if you can't hear the vocals you can tell the performer - repeat after me. "Eat the mic!"
  
  

Middle - Guest acts 60-120 minutes

• typically 3 songs max or 15 minutes depending on what is going on.
  
• 5 - 10 minutes turnaround between acts
  
• if you stick to the schedule you can do 3-4 acts per hour for 6-8 acts for the show
  

Some details***
Pre-booking
I invite people to sign-up in advance by email. When they do, I want a firm commitment about what time they will be there and if they are late, they may forfeit their spot.
Sign up sheet One line per individual performer
Depending on style of music each line might include some or all of these points.

• Name of individual
  
• Style of music (may not be necessary if you are doing a jam based on a specific genre)
  
• Instrument (or Vocal, lead or harmony)
  
• Playing with (name of known collaborators)
  
• Would like to include (other instruments or vocal roles they would welcome on stage)
  
• Contact info: Okay to share with other performers
  
• Other comments
  

As you can tell from the list, this would be suited to a jam session event that is somewhat organized chaos. Individual performers tell you what role they would play and if they want to collaborate. Then the host (you) put together the acts and schedule them on the stage. If you want, you and anyone you brought with you as the host act can stand-in to support these impromptu acts.

It's a lot of work but if you do it well it can be a boat load of fun and very rewarding.

End - Host act 30-45 minutes
Host act closes the show with another set.

• Entertaining (provides value to the audience)
  
• A chance to acknowledge various people who have played
  
• Occasionally bring some of the guest performers up on stage for a song
  
• Gives the venue time to serve whatever they sell
  

Other thoughts
There are a lot of other details I haven't covered. If you want to get into more details we can talk them, but here are a few thoughts

• Stage setup (one of more L1®s - and then you get to think about who is controlling the Remotes or T1®s)
  
• Gear provided (will you provide or lend instruments? Drum Kit?)
  
• If you are using L1® Classics or L1® Model Is, then you may want to bring a Mixer and Acoustic Guitar DIs
  
• Roles, Rules, and Boundaries
  - who is in charge
  - who will introduce each act (you or will you share this)
  - what you will do when the crowd asks for "more, more, more" from a particular artist
  
• Compensation for performers (typically no more than a beverage)
  
• Coaching / Training provided (These days I provide a coaching sheet for using the L1®)
  

I have notes about this in the wiki - please see: Jam Session. The latest version of these notes will always be there.

If you have suggestions or notes about how you run jam sessions please add them here.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

Hmmm............
(I'm not sure whether this thought goes with this topic or the other one.)

When I think "jam session", I think about a fluid, changing collection of musicians playing together ... either "songs" they know or just following each other through some improvised music. What I think of as "classic" jazz or blues jam sessions.

What you've described (with one exception), seems to me to be more like an 'open mic' forum or a 'music fest'.

I'm not at all implying that there is anything wrong or "lesser" about either kind of event.

This...

quote:

Would like to include (other instruments or vocal roles they would welcome on stage)

...is one element that may distinguish (in my mind) a jam session from simply a sequence of acts/performances.

Perhaps, as I think about it another way, a concert or an "open mic" event is a set of performances put on by performers for the sake of an audience.

A "jam session" is a group of musicians who get together for their own mutual enjoyment playing with (and sometimes for) each other.

There may be folks at a "jam session" who just are there to listen -- might even be a lot more of them than there are musicians -- but the focus of the musicians tends to be on their mutual enjoyment of creating music together.

(Aside: the L1 Conferences I've been a part of have included both kinds of music sessions: sequences of performances, as well as jam sessions.)

The particular "edge" of a "jam session" -- the elements which can contribute to making them truly memorable as well as unique -- comes from the risks and unknowns about making music with some combination of:

one or more people with whom you haven't played with before.

music that you haven't rehearsed or heard before.

the inherent uncertainty of improvisation.

the unique dynamics of the people gathered (musicians, listeners, location, weather, phase of the moon, ...).

L1&trade Wiki

On occasion our church Praise Team rehearsals evolve/devolve into "jam sessions".

Fundamentally, we get together at a scheduled time to learn and rehearse music to be used during worship at some later time.

Sometimes we find we're in the midst of worship through a "jam session" during portions of our rehearsal.

Sometimes (albeit far less often) we have "jam sessions" with the entire congregation during worship.

-----

I recognize we are truly fortunate when those latter two events occur.

-----

I'm *not* saying that rehearsed music can't be magical and "real music"; however, there can be something rather precious about music that -- even to non-musicians -- is not likely to ever be re-created.

-----

The "risks" of jam sessions include the fact that there sometimes is 'music' created that no one EVER wants to re-create again!

Hi Dan,

If you look at the structure of the sign up sheet and the scenarios below, maybe you will get a better sense of the event I was describing.

quote:

Originally posted by ST:
Sign up sheet One line per individual performer
Depending on style of music each line might include some or all of these points.

• Name of individual
  
• Style of music (may not be necessary if you are doing a jam based on a specific genre)
  
• Instrument (or Vocal, lead or harmony)
  
• Playing with (name of known collaborators)
  
• Would like to include (other instruments or vocal roles they would welcome on stage)
  
• Contact info: Okay to share with other performers
  
• Other comments
  

This is how it might go.

First Scenario - you will lead an impromptu ensemble
You walk into the venue and talk to Joe who has the sign up sheet. Joe asks you questions and fills in the information on the sheet. For this example, let's say you are alone and you want to sing and play.

When your turn to play comes up, Joe announces you and the other performers who will be coming up on stage. This will be three or four people that he has chosen. In this case it is you and a few others who will accompany you. These may be strangers, or regular players at the jam. Maybe one or more will be members of the host band.

That's it. You hit the stage, plug in what needs plugging in. Call out the tune, the key, maybe talk about the structure, demonstrate any hand signals that you will use (but you better be fast) and then someone counts in the tune.

Second scenario - you will support an impromptu ensemble
This is not very different than the first scenario -
You are an accompanist, or that's the role you want to take today. You check in with Joe who takes your information.

A little while later you get called to the stage to accompany someone who will call out the tune, the key, maybe tell you about the structure and hand signals, then sing, play, and lead the impromptu ensemble through the song.

You definitely get all the edge you mentioned.

quote:

Originally posted by Dan Cornett:
The particular "edge" of a "jam session" -- the elements which can contribute to making them truly memorable as well as unique -- comes from the risks and unknowns about making music with some combination of:[list]

one or more people with whom you haven't played with before.

music that you haven't rehearsed or heard before.

the inherent uncertainty of improvisation.

the unique dynamics of the people gathered

I have run or helped run events like this that ran for years as Saturday or Sunday afternoon or evening jam session house gigs.

It was not uncommon to have some version of these scenarios play out 6-8 times in an afternoon or evening. That is, 6-8 impromptu ensembles working it out live on the stage.

Some of my most enduring musical collaborations started started with a quick handshake with a relative stranger just before someone counted in a tune.

I understand. Your second description puts a different interpretation than the "mind set" I was reading from all the details of the first note. My first read of the topic opener gave me the impression I would simply be signing up for an "open mic" slot ... and others would only be on-stage with me if I explicitly stated

quote:

Would like to include (other instruments or vocal roles they would welcome on stage).

I did not catch the assumption that the organizer would be forming groups/combinations at their discretion (whims); I suspect my thinking got sidetracked by all the details of "signing up" and the very early use of the words "showcase or an open mic".

Back to your regularly scheduled program ... I mean ... jam session.

Hi Dan,

quote:

Originally posted by Dan Cornett

I did not catch the assumption that the organizer would be forming groups/combinations at their discretion (whims);

Much more than a whim, this particular job is pretty much act of love and and it takes non-trivial levels of compassion to do this well. One has to be extremely clear about the priorities and the ranking of the needs of the stakeholders.