The official HCAG Jam thread

[kwakatak]

OK, the topic has been breached in another thread and I think it bears serious weight: should we all get together next year for a jam, and if so where?

 

I've given it some passing thought during the course of the day and have had some ideas as well as some inspiration from how LittleBrother handles his own annual jam.

 

Location, location, location

By this I mean the general geographical location. For example, should it be someplace in the midwest near the Great Lakes? Or how about someplace closer to the I-95 corridor? That would leave the west coast folks feeling a bit slighted so what about someplace out there, like maybe Vegas?

 

Regardless, it should be someplace that has a lot of choices regarding air travel and hotel/lodging as well as dining, potential extracurricular activities, etc.

 

Facilities

What type of place would this best be held at? Should we rent a hall or similar venue or would somebody be comfortable letting a bunch of strangers into their home?

 

Accessibility

Folks have been kicking around the idea that it should be someplace rural, which has merit since it could get loud and last late into the evening(s). That being said, it shouldn't be someplace too far from the airport or hotel or any sort of civilization.

 

Time Frame

How soon would this happen? Like how much time would it take to save up for or make arrangements for vacation and reservations?

 

Date

What time of year should it be? Do normal vacation routines need to be taken into account? For example, will it interfere with an annual family vacation or other event, particularly around a holiday?

 

Duration

How many days? One night or an extended weekend (to accommodate for travel?)

 

Format

I think we all need to define what we expect to do at such a jam? Will it be informal, with just a bunch of folks sitting around in several circles jamming unplugged or will it be like an open mike with individuals/groups going up on stage while the rest of us? Or will it be a combination thereof?

 

Registration Process

Like I said earlier, this is basically a bunch of folks who know each other only through postings on an Internet message board. I'm not saying that I've gotten the feeling that anyone here has misrepresented themselves here but OTOH if the sign-up process was as open as the normal board operations are here, there's the potential for such an act from an unknown party. For this reason, I couldn't see someone feeling comfortable hosting this at their home unless it were handled via more private methods like e-mail, PM, private web form, etc.

 

Attendee Background Information

Stemming from the previous bullet point, I think we need to provide some general information about ourselves like full name, monicker, address, e-mail address, phone numbers, etc. It would also be nice to get a basic idea of each persons musical proficiency (as in techniques used and number of years playing) and preferences (such as what genres of music you play.)

 

That's all I can think of for now. Like knockwood said in the Queequeg just left my house.... thread, this should be a ways off in order to get this organized properly and for everyone to adequately prepare their affairs so that they can attend. Does anybody else have any ideas?

 

BTW - I tried my best to leave my own personal preferences color my suggestions. I do have some though and will add them in another post in this thread.

[guitarist21]

Like knockwood said in the Queequeg just left my house.... thread, this should be a ways off in order to get this organized properly and for everyone to adequately prepare their affairs so that they can attend. Does anybody else have any ideas? BTW - I tried my best to leave my own personal preferences color my suggestions. I do have some though and will add them in another post in this thread.

You did a great job leaving out your personal preferences. Now allow me to add mine.

I personally think this should be a random summer weekend thing. I think I would enjoy going to Vegas or something, but would have a hard time coming up with funds to get out there. Other than that, I don't much care about other variables. I'm up for whatever.

In "Queequeg just left my house", I said I wished we could all just meet somewhere and jam. I was not expecting everyone to run with it! If we can get this organized, it would be a lot of fun.

Ellen

[kwakatak]

As promised, here's my $.02 worth:

Location, location, location
I'd be up for Ann Arbor, MI. It's sufficiently close to Detroit, which is only a 45 minute flight from Pittsburgh. I also have a friend in nearby Canton who is originally from my old neighborhood and I haven't seen him in years. Sadly, he's not a guitar player though he did try to solicit me for lessons before he met his future wife. I declined because he was just looking for a pick-up tool for unsuspecting girls.

Facilities
Queequeg mentioned some sort of venue that hosts musical acts, but my impression is that it's sort of like a hall. If it's a multiroom affair like a Shriner's lodge then I'd be all for it, though I expect that there would be an additional fee for what would basically be a mini-convention.

Accessibility
I went to a nearby rural area once to attend the wedding of one of my wife's childhood friends. It was sufficiently close enough to the city that it only took about 30-45 minutes to get there. I can only expect that since Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan that there'd be some hotels around there. My days of sleeping on the floor in a coed dorm are over.

BTW - it might be hard for me to get a good deal on lodging since I'm a card-carrying Penn State alumni.

Time Frame
I'd have to give this some time for personal and financial reasons. I'd prefer it to be next summer or fall. I'm already committed to the LB jam this year (and will probably go next year if they have me) and I'm pushing my wife to consider a mini-vacation next summer since we haven't taken one this year.

Date
July is out because our extended family has 3 birthdays (mine, my wife's and 2 of our nieces) that fall within that month. Ideally, I'd say late August/early September. I'll be too stuffed full of cake for my fingers to work properly and the credit card will be reeling from all the expenses on gifts.

Duration
Three days, two nights like LB has done with his jam sounds about right to me. Any longer and I'm afraid I'll come home to find my stuff thrown on the front lawn and ravaged by raccoons.

Format
Day 1 would be a sort of informal mixer where everybody meets up in a sort of get-ta-know-ya session. Day 2 would be the main event and Day 3 would be the wrap-up day where folks either hang around or pack up and go. Since the venue probably require monetary compensation though I'd say that we only use it for one afternoon/evening and either find some other less formal setting to just hang out at, and not just at a hotel or a restaurant.

Registration Process
For now, email might be the best way to go. A lot of us who have participated in the IKFC already have each others' emails. I'm not sure what would be the best way to introduce new blood other than by PMing whoever will be MC'ing this event.

Attendee Background Information
Age would be nice to know though you can be a little ambiguous. Hopefully nobody will say that they're a 14 year old girl and then show up as a 40-something year old man with a badge.

As for the rest, I'd love to know what types of music and styles everybody plays just to see who I'd click best with in a jam session. I don't think I'd be too much of a guitar snob, but I do have my moments of weakness with regards to Ovations, Taylors and guitars made in China or Singapore.

[riffmeister]

How about in Nazareth, PA? This will keep all the Taylor-o-philes away.





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[kwakatak]

How about in Nazareth, PA? This will keep all the Taylor-o-philes away. .

I considered it but discounted it because other than the Martin factory, there's not a whole lot up there and it's actually a bit off the beaten path.

I also considered Phoenixville or Lansdale/Souderton because they're better-accessible via SEPTA but in the end I discounted it because Philly Int'l has a bad reputation for baggage handling. I know this because my wife and I used to live in Valley Forge, though that was a long time ago.

[Queequeg]

How about in Nazareth, PA? This will keep all the Taylor-o-philes away. .

Nazareth has an annual event (similar to LB Jam and this kernal of an event idea that we are now kicking around). 100s of CFM lovers attend every summer.

[Cripes]

Location: Centralized to folks within a 400 mile radius - An 8-10 hour road trip on averages should be a maximum travel consideration. If possible, the place should be near an historical site or other points of interest.

Month: A warm one. Don't want anyone subjecting themselves to winter road conditions.

Facility: Anything capable of housing 100 people and within a short distance of overnight accomodations/restaurants and major to/from roadways.

Duration: 3 days max.

Transportation: Car-pooling might be a consideration for members living a half-day's drive from each other to save on transport expenses. Renting an RV may be something to consider.

Registration: Jam officials (AKA: volunteers) will obtain the necessary financials and establish fees when known. Any overages go to the IKFC fund. Maps illustrating the jam location from the nearest major roadway should be produced. LB produced such a map for his jam highlighting access roads and nearby accomodations.

Recordskeeping: A roster of attendees should be kept for historical purposes along with photos and possibly recordings of the various sessions.

[Hudman]

There are a lot of great ideas in this thread.

 

The Detroit / Ann Arbor area continues to be brought up. Here's my take on it:

 

There are tons of hotels between Ann Arbor and Detroit. They are far less expensive than the hotels in Chicago and New York. You also won't be forced to pay a king's ransom for parking (parking is free - unlike Chicago and New York). In addition, Metro Detroit Airport is near by. That should make flying an option for our people that live far away. With the high price of gas it could prove to be less expensive than driving.

 

Unfortunately, we don't have a mass transit system (taxis and subways) like they do in most large cities. I would be happy to pick people up at the airport if they decide to fly in. I have a 7 passenger vehicle. I can fit 4 people (5 counting me), their bags and guitars with plenty of room. I also would have no problem driving people around during their stay. I can't speak for Queeq, but I'm pretty sure he would be willing to pick up people also.

 

Shipping your guitar ahead of time is another option if you decide to fly. You could ship it to any of us Michiganders and avoid the risk of taking it on a plane.

 

Queeq's plan sounds solid. Warning: It does get hot and humid in Michigan during the summer. We will be fine as long as we have a pavillion or a large tent to protect us from the sun and possibly rain. We are tough, acoustic guitar folks.

 

I am 100% open to any plan that works. I am not married to holding it in the Ann Arbor / Detroit area. In fact, I am sure someone may come up with a better option. My goal was to present the pros and cons of using the Detroit area.

 

Let's keep it going.....

[guitarist21]

As promised, here's my $.02 worth:

 

 

I agree 100% with all of your cents.

 

Ellen

[Broadus]

What about having regional jams? Perhaps pick out maybe 3 or 4 locations so that folks within driving distance could be able to attend.

 

Or, try to have a national one every 2 or 3 years and rotate the location.

 

Bill

[Hudman]

What about having regional jams? Perhaps pick out maybe 3 or 4 locations so that folks within driving distance could be able to attend. Or, try to have a national one every 2 or 3 years and rotate the location. Bill

 

That may be the way to go later down the road.

 

I think the first one needs to be nation wide.

 

I want to meet all of these guys.

[kwakatak]

yes, I was referring to The Ark, where I volunteer. Its essentially a theater. But there are so many parks and open spaces on this huge campus where we could enclave in small and/or large groups and then come together for some kind of concert in the evening (perhaps @ The Ark; the stage that has hosted the likes of Doc Watson, Leo Kottke, Libbey Cotton, Tony Rice Odetta, Tommy Emmanuel, David Grisman and everybody else). And lots of motels/hotels/B & Bs, restaurants. I will manage/co-ordinate if it turns out everyone agreed that this location is selected.

 

 

Well, that still sounds like a good option. If Ann Arbor is anything like State College, PA (where I went to school) then there's bound to be a lot to do. Are there any festivals/university events that we need to plan around in case lodging becomes hard to book?

[Cripes]

That may be the way to go later down the road. I think the first one needs to be nation wide. I want to meet all of these guys.

Wouldn't that be a scream? But, then there's reality and regional is pretty much the only option. Locating it at the geographical center of the US, or perhaps a few degrees north latitude from center to accomodate our Canadian members, would be required for a national effort. That makes for some pretty good distances to cover for seaboard members.

This is all very good discussion, though, and the think-tank is starting to fill.

[Hudman]

 

Wouldn't that be a scream? But, then there's reality and regional is pretty much the only option. Locating it at the geographical center of the US, or perhaps a few degrees north latitude from center to accomodate our Canadian members, would be required for a national effort. That makes for some pretty good distances to cover for seaboard members. This is all very good discussion, though, and the think-tank is starting to fill.

 

 

The Little Brother jam draws people from overseas. If he can get all of those guys to visit Georgia, I'm sure we could do something similiar.

 

It will require a great deal of planning, but LB proves it can be done.

[kwakatak]

That's part of the reason why I thought Detroit would be best. It's also right on the border with Canada. Northwest airlines has its hub in Detroit so it's pretty easy to get a direct flight, just like it was for me to get a flight to Atlanta via Delta.

[Stackabones]

This sounds like fun, but all the talk of the east coast and states near Canada would prevent my attendance. Y'all need to do something closer to Mexico.

Or Dallas.

But, hey, I'm flexible and I don't mind compromising ... how about Ft Worth?

[Broadus]

This sounds like fun, but all the talk of the east coast and states near Canada would prevent my attendance. Y'all need to do something closer to Mexico. Or Dallas. But, hey, I'm flexible and I don't mind compromising ... how about Ft Worth?

[denvertrakker]

Here's a completely unbiased suggestion:

http://www.denverchamber.org/visitor/index.asp

[Hudman]

We need to determine a few factors before we even consider planning a HCAG jam:

 

Who is serious about attending?

Many people sound interested, but "interested" and actually following through are two different things. If we can find a time and location that works for you, will you attend? It would suck to work hard getting a time and location settled on only to have several people back out.

 

Where do the people live?

A central location would be best. I agree with Cripes. Travel expense can become a big problem in a hurry. Maybe we will end up doing a small regional event to test it out. If it works out we could schedule more regional events.

 

For the record: I am serious about attending if we hold it late next summer or early fall (gives me time to shoe box some cash).

 

I live in Trenton, MI. (apprx. 20 miles south of Detroit).

[Broadus]

I will admit that I am only interested, not committed, at this juncture. Your point, Hud, is well taken.

 

A list of those with bona fide intentions of attending could give direction to location and time.

 

Whatever interaction I have with this thread, if no one minds, is simply to offer suggestions to think about. Though I've been around only a short time, I, too, would love to meet a lot of you guys and gals in order to put personalities with the threads and to share the love for acoustics and good music.

 

Bill

[Stackabones]

I'd love to meet up, but it probably won't work out for me ... so count me out.

[JasmineTea]

I want a campfire and some beer. 's about all...armless chair to sit and play guitar in.

 

If we rent a hall or a hotel with a banquet room, we'll be talking some serious cash....Knockwood tossed an idea at me in an email: Summer Camp. What do these summer camps do when they're not busy? They have those little cabins, a lake and woods and stuff.

[kwakatak]

Well, if a gathering in Detroit is just a regional thing then I suppose that's not completely a bad thing. The way I see it, the logistics of accommodating 50+ people could be quite complicated.

 

That being said, I think that if anyone from outside the region would like to attend then they should be given some extra considerations with regards to being made to feel welcome, etc.

 

Now, that summer camp thing also bears considering. Has anyone ever heard of the Fur Peace Ranch down in WV?

 

http://www.furpeaceranch.com/

 

EDIT: OK, so it's actually in OH but it's right on the border. There are probably lots of WV license plates there, just as there is here.

[lauren]

BUT moving to Spain next year so would be on for 2009:idea:

[Stackabones]

BUT moving to Spain next year so would be on for 2009:idea:

Spain sounds like a much better meet up place than Michigan!



imo.