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News
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Hallelujah: Work on the much-needed Studio 4 commenced over the weekend. As with our other rooms, the acoustic isolation (a/k/a soundproofing) is being done by our friends at Salvatto Sound (website imminent). And also as usual, we are diving headlong into this project without knowing exactly how we will pay for it all (soundproofing, amps, PA gear, and drums will add up to around $15,000, even at a healthy discount from our sponsors). Here's where you come in: If you consider yourself a member of our community, please think about taking a prominent role in what amounts to a musical barn-raising. Joining the ranks of our investors (now 29 strong) requires a little dough ($2,500) and a big belief it what the Jam is and can become. And even if you can't be an investor, please consider donating unused equipment or instruments. It takes a village.
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| Education |
 Our first Times Square Vocal Workshop happens this Saturday, October 20, from 1:00 to 2:15 pm at The Jam. By special arrangement with Liz Caplan Vocal Studios we are making this workshop available for just $15 for Jam Members, and $20 for everyone else. If you've ever taken private voice lessons, you know that you can easily spend $85-$175 for a 45 minute session. So whether you're a newbie or you've been singing since the doctor slapped your tush, take advantage of a very rare opportunity to work with Liz (and her associates Matt Herrick and Natalie Wheeler). Email ASAP to reserve your spot. |
Traffic
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We're hella busy this week, but there's still some room to wiggle:
Wednesday (10/17): Studio 3: 6:00-8:00 pm.
Friday (10/19): Studio 3: all night.
...and maybe more. If you're looking for time, call or email us.
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| Community |
 This past Sunday's Queens Walk to Cure Diabetes was a huge success, with thousands walking to raise $600,000+ for a great cause. Good deeds are their own reward, but picture-perfect weather and a nonstop two hour concert from No Mersey were a very nice bonus. If you have a worthy cause that needs a musical hand, give us a call. We don't have the big bucks, but we've got big hearts, some gear, technical savvy, and a bunch of willing bands. |
Advice
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What do you think of when someone mentions musical dynamics? Newbies, if they think of dynamics at all, tend toward relatively dramatic shifts in volume, as in a quiet verse followed by a loud chorus. There's nothing wrong with that per se - it's an ancient technique that's still effective. But it can get overused, and it's really just the tip of the dynamics iceberg. You wouldn't tell a story in a monotone (or a whisper, or yell all the way through), and you shouldn't sing or play an instrument that way either. Think about it: How many times during a set (or a jam session) do you intentionally change volume? Are you usually getting louder? Pros are constantly using dynamics, in both directions, individually and collectively: "Pulling back" while someone is singing, popping a bass note or two to puntuate a phrase, using drum accents to add color and shift attention. Want to really draw the audience in? Bring things down to a whisper.
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Weather
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Monday (10/15): Columbus Day Newbie Jam w/ Patty Murray from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at The Jam.
Check out our jam geared toward newcomers - and
anyone who likes to play with good listeners. $10 for members,
$15 for non-members.
Friday (10/19): Open Blues & Rock Jam from 6 to 10 pm at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W). $15 for Jam members, $25 for everyone else.
Saturday (10/20): Vocal Workshop with Liz Caplan & Friends, 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm. $15 for Jam members, $20 for everyone else. RSVP by email to register.
Saturday (10/20): Open Rock Jam with your host Kenny Ashby, from 4 to 8 pm at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W). $15 for Jam members, $25 for everyone else.
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| Postscript |
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"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." -Maya Angelou
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