How Far to Session or Jam?

Subject: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 May 06 - 06:14 PM

When visiting with UKers around last year's Getaway time, it was fascinating to hear how CLOSE music is to one's home in the UK versus how FAR it is in the US in most places. In fact the more I thought about it in the last year, the more it seemed to present a microcosm of US/UK world views and cultural differences.

For me:
Weekly existing sessions/jams-- several hours' drive
Monthly-- an hour
Quarterly-- A handful of festivals in a day's drive

~Susan

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: gnomad
Date: 12 May 06 - 07:36 PM

That is a point that we East pond-siders often forget.

I am better-off than many in this respect with 4 weekly sessions, 1 monthly, and 3 annual festivals all taking place within a 5-15 minutes walking distance.

Within a 40 minute drive there are 3 more weekly possibilities, and if it came to that I could drive almost anywhere in the country in a (long) day.

Mind you my decission to come here was largely driven by such considerations, most of the country doesn't seem to be quite as lucky.

I'm unsure how this extends to our respective world views, however.

The impression that seems prevalent here is that as a former imperial power, though lodged in a small island, Britons think in global terms; that they tolerate other cultures, viewing them with everything from deep knowledge and enthusiasm through to vague disdain. The impression of US attitudes to the rest of the world is that many US citizens have little knowledge of, or interest in, anything outside national boundaries, and that anything "unamerican" is viewed with deep suspicion.

My own view of it is that we Brits are actually as parochial and suspicious as any nation, and often shockingly ignorant of our own culture, never mind anybody elses. Having only met those Americans who have travelled outside their homeland I am unqualified to speak of those who have not travelled.

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Midchuck
Date: 12 May 06 - 08:03 PM

"A European thinks 100 miles is a long distance. An American thinks 100 years is a long time."

Who first said that? Donno.

Peter

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 13 May 06 - 03:16 AM

I think you're even better off for sessions in the UK If you're a player of U.S. Old Time. I live in South Yorkshire. I have a weekly session 45 minutes away and a monthly one 30 minutes away. The half-dozen or so Festivals (Old Time or Bluegrass) are between 1 and 4 hours away.
But some of the U.S. festivals are worth travelling over the pond for, and I'll be in Mount Airy in June!
Ray

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Pauline L
Date: 13 May 06 - 04:24 AM

I'm thinking about relocating to Great Britain just for the proximity of sessions. I have tried many, many times to get weekly or biweekly jams going around here, but have not had success.

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 13 May 06 - 04:52 AM

For US festivals, we drove from Seattle WA, to Winfield KS three years in a row. The first trip actually was because Lin wanted to visit her mother in Texas, so we "stopped off" at Winfield on the way. Each of the next two was essentially the same trip:

Seattle to Winfied = 1,900 miles (3,040 km)
Winfield to Higgins TX = 245 miles (390 km)
Higgins Tx to Seattle = 1850 miles (2,960 km)
Round Trip = 3,995 miles (6,392 km)

(Distances approximate, prefered route from DeLorme CD Atlas)

On these trips we usually spent about 4 - 5 days at the festival, with about 2+ to 4 days driving for the long trips between Seattle and either of the other end. Winfield - Higgins is only about 5 hours.

While in Seattle, we did 3 or 4 local weekend festivals at Darrington, Mt St Helens, and such. We considered them "local" since none of them were more than 200 miles each way.

Since relocating to Wichita, there are small groups with whom we've played fairly regularly, but the most active/regular is a local pseudo-Irish bunch that is enjoyable occasionally but "not really our kind of music." These are "in town" jam sessions, but float around in location, so it might be 3 to 18 miles (one way) to one of them.

We've played quite a lot with a group of old-time country/western types, usually at one of our homes. The nearest is in a suburb lapping into Wichita, at about 35 miles one way. Another who hosts regularly is in an "adjacent village" at about 65 miles each way.

A couple of regional associations have periodic "weekends," usually at County Parks at an average of 50 to 95 miles each way.

A much more active Folk/Irish/Old-Time climate is rumored to persist in the vicinity of Lawrence KS (University of Kansas "college town" 156 miles one way) and into Kansas City (192 miles one way). We've been tempted to try getting to more of their activities, but schedules (for the activities) seem a bit erratic and are hard to connect with. With a 3 or 4 hour drive, time to setup camp, and the same for return, a typical "weekend" is a bit hard to justify on a regular basis.

Just a rough outline.

John

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 13 May 06 - 10:52 AM

Dick and I go to a lot of sings and festivals. Sings are mostly monthly. Festivals are mostly annual.
Sings:
   (1) in our house
   (2) 20 minute drive
   (3) 1 hour drive
   (4) is a 3 hour drive [we don't go every month]
Festivals:
   Getaway - 3 hours? (new site this year)
   Friends of Trad Music - 4-5 hours
   Old Songs - 4 hours
   Mystic - 3-4 hours
   Champlain - 8 hours
   FSGW Minifest - 3 hours
   NOMAD - 3 hours
   NEFFA - 5 hours
   Whitby - 3000 miles?

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 13 May 06 - 11:01 AM

I have been blessed with the session that I started in my local boozer (UK, if that etymology isn't specific) being popular and enduring, as well as being a Eurogathering location. However, the five minute walk is too far to lug a fridge-freezer size accordion.

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Grab
Date: 13 May 06 - 03:34 PM

My personal limits would be:-
- half an hour's drive (each way) for a weekly/monthly session
- 3-4 hours drive (each way) for a weekend festival
- any distance (within UK) for a week-long festival

More than that and you're spending more time travelling than playing, and there's no point to that unless you're retired and have time to burn.

Graham.

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Susan A-R
Date: 13 May 06 - 11:04 PM

One weekly session is about a 10 to 15 minute drive, the other weekly is a 15 minute walk. The monthly Irish session is a 5 minute walk, and if I really want music and don't want to stir, I call around, say I'm making a big pot of soup and invite folks over for music. Seems to work.

(in Montpelier Vermont, US)

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: GUEST,Sharon G
Date: 14 May 06 - 10:40 AM

I live in Tucson, Arizona.
We have about 1 session per week, alternating a generic fiddle tunes session that includes old-time, Irish and anything else that seems to fall under the contra dance repertoire, and a 2nd session that is just Irish. Both are about 20 minutes drive for me.

Once a year there is a festival in Prescott that is about 4 hours drive. It has performances, but the sessions are a big part of the draw, and once a year I go to California for the Summer Solstice Festival - about 10 hours drive- partly for the workshops but mostly for the sessions.

I've rearranged a couple of trips that were supposedly for other purposes - tagging on extra time and expense in order to go to a session (extra night at hotel plus car rental in San Francisco for example)
Sharon

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: IanC
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 09:43 AM

Susan

I live in Ashwell, Herts UK

Monthly session / singaround 10 yards (2 seconds walk).
Daily session / singaround (various venues) ... max. 20 miles (30-40 minutes drive).
Weekly concert club (there are more than 1) 10 miles / 20 minutes drive.

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Fidjit
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 10:42 AM

OK the session currently in, "The Dubliner" in Oslo Norway on Tuesday nights is the remains of the Folk Club started in 1972 at "Jeppes Kro" also in Oslo.

There is another session on Saturday afternoons/early evening, but that only started in 1993. When pub was taken over by the previos owner of "The Queens" Also in Oslo, where the remnants of the Jeppes Kro had been for some time. We just followed the Landlord, because he was so good to us.

As for other possible playing. Well. Few and far between. There are a few "Viseklubb" a sort of Folk Club Norwegian style. Where they sing what is know as "Small Songs" Very simillar to British Folk Songs. In fact some British songs have been translated to Norwegian. The same applies in Sweden. There are also some Folkmusic Festivals around too.

However, to get to the REAL STUFF. I travel several times a year to England. What with the cheaper airlines making it more possible for us poor people to get about.

Mind you, being a pensioiner helps to have the time to do it.

Chas

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 11:18 AM

I live in Chester,UK.

Here are all folk do's in the immediate area.

None are more than 10-15 mins drive away.


What's On: [Chester, England] (May/June 2006)
Regular Weekly Events:

Sundays:
The Raven, The Cross Keys, Lower Bridge Street, Chester
8.30 pm. Free admission (except guest nights). Session downstairs 2nd Sunday each month
   (Phone [phone] or e-mail [e-mail])

Telford's Warehouse, Tower Wharf, Chester
Open mic session. 8 pm
   (Phone [phone])

Mondays:
Chester City Morris Men, Community Centre, Tower Road, Chester
8 pm. Practice night. New members welcome
   (Phone [phone] or e-mail [e-mail] )

Tuesdays:
Ship Victory, George Street, Chester
Acoustic Jam Session. 8 pm (phone [phone])

Alexander's, Rufus Court, Northgate Street, Chester
'Tuesday Unplugged'. 8 pm (phone [phone])

Wednesdays:
Union Vaults, Egerton Street, Chester
'Mr Happy쳌fs Come All Ye'.
Singaround & Acoustic Jam Session.   
9 pm (phone [phone])

Thursdays:
Gardener's Arms, Boughton, Chester
Informal Session. 9 pm (phone [phone])


Regular Monthly Events:

Union Vaults, Egerton Street, Chester
Sunday 7th May Informal Session 2.30 pm
   (Phone [phone])

Carlton Tavern, Hartington Street, Handbridge, Chester
Friday 12th May Informal Session 8.30 pm
   (Phone [phone])

The Red Lion, Handbridge, Chester
Sunday 21st May Informal Session 2.30 pm
   (Phone [phone])


Union Vaults, Egerton Street, Chester
Sunday 4th June Informal Session 2.30 pm
   (Phone [phone])

Carlton Tavern, Hartington Street, Handbridge, Chester
Friday 9th June Informal Session 8.30 pm
   (Phone [phone])

The Red Lion, Handbridge, Chester
Sunday 18th June Informal Session 2.30 pm
   (Phone [phone])

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Beer
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 12:23 PM

I go to 3 different coffee houses. In each one we are permitted three songs.
Place 1= 5 minutes away.
Place 2= ½ hour traveling time.
Place 3= 1½ hour

Amazing what we do for comradeship.
Beer

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Scoville
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 01:58 PM

The three clubs/jams/etc. I've attended regularly are all between 30 minutes and an hour, monthly or weekly. I consider that to be the MINIMUM I'd expect to travel. Houston is enormous geographically and I live way up on the north side--it's 30 minutes minimum to get anywhere, provided there is no traffic and it's not too far off of the nearest highway. On the other hand, there is very little at all to the north of me so, again, it's a long drive to get anywhere.

I try to limit the multiple-hour drives to a couple of times a year. I don't really love going that far but I don't have much of a choice.

If I get really desperate, I can drive 17 hours to Missouri, but I have to have time to spend a week or so if I do that. (Actually, it's a very nice drive, but you have to think of the actual driving part as an event of its own or you'll go nuts).

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Kenneth Ingham
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 02:39 PM

Paul Weller is thinking of reforming to make a few quid!

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 05:51 PM

I'm twenty mins drive from all the Chester sessions Mr. Happy mentioned, 40 mins from Audlem which is the one I go to if our dance club is on holiday (but we're practising for the Chester ones).

The dance clubs are 30 mins and 1 hour away, both once a week. And if I wanted more I could dance every night of the week by driving just over an hour. The clubs use recorded music, I could go to a Saturday night dance with live music almost every week except in summer by driving less than 2 hours.

Festivals, we got to 3 or 4 a year, up to 160 miles away. There's a choice most summer weekends, though they don't all have the dance element (or maybe just a ceilidh). From Cheshire 200-300 miles would get us to most of England.

Subject: RE: How Far to Session or Jam?
From: open mike
Date: 03 Jun 06 - 02:12 AM

i am 50-55 min from a town where we hold monthly jams.

5 minutes away from the jam that i host annually at a camp ground

and twice a year i travel to the strawberry music festival that is a 5 hour trip (one way)

there are a couple of other festivals that i travel to 2 1/2 hours,
grass valley California world fest and 6 hours, Kate Wolf Memorial.