The whole need to be heard and to interact with other musicians is a fundamentally important step to take if you really ever expect to be “heard”, or to make further professional strides in your career. Over that last decade and a half, the “jam night”, or “open mic” night idea has really caught on as a whole new approach to getting your feet wet, but there are many hazards to look out for if you want to play this game!
I have seen friends and students who are INCREDIBLY talented end up feeling totally humiliated by these experiences, often because of running into other folks there who think they are running the show, or who love to use this format as a way to bolster their totally weak ego. It can really be a battlefield, as people are all fighting for attention, to be louder, to impress, but basically it’s really all lost on the “audience”, but can end up in some pretty nasty situations.
I can remember one time, when me and my band were booked for what we thought was a legitimate gig, only to find out that after we performed, the stage was besieged by tons of singers, harmonica players (oh no!) and guitarists who all somehow expected that my band was now going to be THEIR backup band, and that they were all going to jam with me! So, the next thing I know, there’s a female cop onstage, singing what else?……….”Mustang Sally”, of course, and way too many harmonica players for anybody’s good, plus a bunch of screeching guitars, all trying to play over each other. It can get to be like a bad verbal argument, and really no fun at all.
In fact, this can all be a real “turn off” that can have the uninitiated running for cover! But all is not lost…there can be some very great moments as well, and you must go to a lot of these “jams” sometimes, before one really “clicks” for you.
I know that when I was a kid in Woodstock, it was always better for me to jump onstage with a group of true professionals, all of whom were able to recognize my talent, and not feel in direct competition with me. So, look to find the right jams, and the right people, and just remember to never give up hope!