Wanted: Violin Player for Regular Jam and Singalong!

Los Angeles CA

Description

Wanted: Violin Player for Regular Jam and Singalong! Classic rock/Americana (Echo Park) We are running a regular classic rock / americana / alt country jam that currently takes place in the Echo Park area. I will copy the full description of the jam below. It's usually a lot of fun, especially if you like this kind of music and are looking for a low-pressure creative outlet. Sam and Paul have been singing and playing together since we were in High school. We are now looking for additional players to add to the mix whenever we have space open. We are usually doing the jams on Sunday nights from 8-11pm, about once per month. (Occasionally we'll schedule for a Friday instead.) July 2nd is our next session. We are looking for a Violin player who likes to play with others, and be part of large singing group. We usually have about 6 of us singing at the jam, 2 guitar players, a fiddle, and maybe one or two other instruments. Please let me know if you have experience singing in groups. Read below for more info. If it looks interesting, just drop me a line, give me a sense of who you are and what your musical background is, and include your contact info. JAM DESCRIPTION: Our names are Paul Engler and Sam Pullen. Paul has alot of experience leading hootenannies, and song/ chants at protest, and training spaces. Paul has some basic rhythm guitar skills, and likes to sing, but far from being a pro. Sam also has experience leading hootenannies, and is experienced rhythm guitar player, and accomplished fiddle player. We have been singing and doing hootenannies together since we were in high school and have built a repertoire of classic rock/americana/ protest chants/songs and pop standards that we play at group singalongs at parties, and events. This Jam is perfect for amateurs who have some solid musical chops, but don’t get a chance to play much in a group context, or for more serious musicians who just want to hang out, and play some tunes in a chill, non professional setting with some beginners. Hopefully the description below will give you a pretty good idea of what the jam/ hootianny is all about. While the jam is relaxed, it is also organized, with a method to the madness that keeps the tunes coming. We come out of a hootenanny performance tradition and our songbook leans toward classic rock: The Band, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead. We also do some country / alt country (like Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, and Lucinda Williams tunes), plus blues and folk (such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Freddie King, and Rise Up Singing standards). We take suggestions for jam tunes ahead of time and give people a chance to learn the songs in advance if they want. At the same time, we always have chord charts and lyrics on hand for everything, so you don't need to know the numbers by heart. We have our first set list below. The jam takes place about once every 3-4 weeks at Paul’s home in Echo Park, usually with 8-10 musicians. It's an acoustic jam in principle that emphasizes the collective singing, but we amp the bass and various lead instrumental parts as necessary. We are going to practice few some chants/protest songs at each event, because we want to cultivate skills at leading songs at protest if needed in the future. It's all about getting together with like-minded people to sing songs, share some riffs, create a few harmonies, and have fun. Bring your own instrument, and amp, and music stand. Every 2-3 months we hope to invite more friends and have a bigger group singalong. We pass the hat at the sessions to pay for jam-related expenses. Contributions are purely voluntary and some people also contribute by bringing beers or a snack for the group. It is bring your own beverage or snack. It's a share and share alike situation. We are looking for a singer who likes to sing with others, has a good ear for harmonies, can project well without needing a microphone, and is comfortable singing either back-up or lead. We usually have about three of us singing at the jam, and we try to figure out how to get the best sound from a song given the register and the potentials for harmonies. Please let me know if you have experience singing in groups. If you have decent chops on an instrument (like fiddle, mandolin, or keyboard) there might also be room for you to play that, but I'm mostly looking for a singer. Again, I have lyrics and chord charts for all the songs, so you don't need to know every number by heart (especially if you're good at picking up the harmonies). Besides musicianship, I'm generally looking for people who are very reliable and who might want to commit to doing something like this at least once a month. I want people who reply promptly to e-mails and show up when they say they will. That's basically the feel of it. If you think you fit the bill, please send me an e-mail. I'm open to many styles. Just let me know a bit about your musical background, what you like to play, and who you are. I'll look forward to hearing from you!