Many acoustic instrument musicians play at least some bluegrass, country, or old timey tunes. If you are even slightly interested in ‘traditional’ or ‘folkways’ styles of music then we suggest you not miss the monthly musician jams on the last Friday of each month at the Round Hill Arts Center in Virgina. You may also find out the details of this monthly musicians jam on the DC Bluegrass Union website under the section on DCBU Area Open Jams, a resource we highly recommend for acoustic musicians.

Usually, there are dozens of acoustic musicians in attendance and there are multiple rooms on two floors where sub-groupings of styles and instruments can be played without interfering with other sub-groups. In warmer weather, intrepid groups of musicians spill out into the back parking lot and the front porch. We have seen more than a dozen ad hoc musicians jam groups performing simultaneously, most of the time without noticeable interference among the performers. This venue is also terrific for listeners and fans with many opportunities to hear a wide range of music and the musicians appreciate the size of the audiences this jam draws.

In keeping with music jam session etiquette, most of the jam ‘leaders’ encourage new musicians to grow and improve their ensemble and improvisational performance techniques in a non-threatening and relaxed environment. Professional, semi-pro, and amateur musicians can all co-exist quite nicely in this situation. We look forward each month to this jam.