I was there for the first time and I must say this is the best camp I have experienced. But then I have liked many others as well. Just so much fun and nice to be around so many pickers.
I got a phone call one time from my friend who was in charge of a fiddle fest before covid shut them down for a time, to see if I could teach a mando session at the fest. I jumped on the idea. I had 8 students and planned to teach 2 tunes. It was a real treat for all of us. I handed out tab sheets for each tune and we all learned a couple new tunes.
This is great. Swannanoa Gathering is an awesome thing. I would add that finding a weekly jam and committing to it will help to develop ones playing especially if you record the tunes at the jam, go home and learn them and return ready play one or two.
I sat in on a bluegrass jam, completely by chance, about a month ago, and on an unusual instrument: tenor banjo. It was only one tune (“Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms”), but I didn’t wreck the sound and I didn’t embarrass myself. Really, it wasn’t that different than a jazz jam (and I have played mandolin at a jazz jam): Listen, react, try to fit the song.
All levels are present. But it's helpful to know all the basic chords and maybe a few simple fiddle tunes. Everybody is quite helpful and there are some beginner classes.
I wanted to attend at least one camp but took sick during the event. My fiddle group is okay, but other than kids, is full of fiddle snobs. Jam rules are at least one fiddle on stage, and when there are 6 to 10 at one time, it makes it too much. I didn't even mention guitars. My good/best fiddler friend from 2019 had passed away and I lost interest, plus everybody played the same dozen tunes. I had picked up maybe 45 or 50 "newer" tunes that nobody was interested in, so I said screw it. It was a very depressing turn of events. My mando playing annoys my family so I don't play much anymore except in spring or summer on nice days. It makes me sad.
Sadly, my experience of jams has been very disappointing & dispiriting. At the last one I went to, someone suggested a song and I thought ‘Cool, I know this one’…this chap began the song then started playing so fast that he couldn’t sing quick enough to keep up with himself 🙄 I’ve not given up hope of finding two or three like-minded individuals to jam with but there are a lot of pretentious chumps out there 😟😢
