By banning classes of instruments outright, you may indeed be preventing some nuisances, but you are also closing yourself off to some great experiences.

Keyboards are pianos with extra options. Someone who can play honky-tonk style piano, or tune-accompaniment, in appropriate style and volume is a great asset to a country-style jam. It's been said that the most unique feature of Cape Breton fiddling is the piano playing that goes with it, which even in that rule-bound musical culture has been allowed to develop into a stunningly virtuostic style.

Plastic electric sax? Well, did they know the tunes and how not to solo over everyone else? An acquaintance of mine used to play soprano sax at late-night folkfest jams, and I would crawl over broken glass to invite him to any jam I might put on.

I guess if you start the session, you can make the rules, then see which ones can be profitably broken...

W-O