Hey, wait! WE've got another KC... I'm going to change my name before this gets confusing.

Re. the jams: Humility, grace, class and generosity are always called for, regardless of the arena. And when those are all present in a musical endeavor, it's pure heaven. (And why it's so easy to fall in love with musicians!)

Since I've moved to Wyoming, I've met several people through the various kinds of music I do. I started a jam after I'd been here a few months because I missed my musician friends from New Mexico, and because I didn't see anything similar around. A few of those people are still my good, good friends, and they've introduced me to other musical gatherings and other friends. I've just started playing guitar and am ... well, I suck ... . But what always moves me is how willing the more establshed musicians are to show me a new chord, or slow it down a little so I can sort it out, or play songs in keys I know. Not that they devote the entire jam to that, but they are willing to take the time and invite me into the music making. (And I do the same with singing, when anyone wants to try a new harmony or whatever)

What HASn't worked has been the people who only want to do bluegrass and have no interest in any other kind of music. (This is being discussed on another thread, so I wont' go into it here). But the upshot is that these people also haven't become my friends as the other musicians have. Their exclusivity isn't limited to their music. And I really don't have time to, nor interest in, trying to "make it" with people who set up too many barriers to my participation.

On the flip side, I do try to be more aware and sensitive to the way things happen in a jam or song circle, so I go with the flow, rather than galloping in and being a bull in the musical china shop -- a sin of which I probably was guilty when I first started. (But then, I didn't have anyone to 'splain to me how things were done. As soon as someone said, "We go around in a circle and you can say whether you want accompaniment and/or harmonies..." then I knew what was expected and did it.)

KC, who shall soon become WyoWoman

(How do I go about changing my name for Forum purposes, anyone?)

PS -- Helen, do you still have that list of 20 songs and the sheet music? I'd love to get a copy. As I said, I'm just learning to play guitar and it would be great to have a selection in those particular three keys. You can email me at kcompton@trib.com if you see this.