Seven Stars All-Comers Slow Jam
All-comers: All ages, levels and instruments are welcome!
This is a "slow jam" for learning simple traditional dance music at a gentle pace. Emerson Gale helps folks learn new music by ear at a relaxed pace. Usually tunes are played 5 times at a very slow tempo and then a few more time just slightly faster. Various tips, tricks, rhythmic options, simple drone harmonies and melody notes are offered by the facilitator. Egg shakers are also provided and fiddles can be borrowed as well.
This is a safe space to try things out/noodle with the melody and not worry about so-called wrong notes! Families tend to bring fiddles, mandolins, cellos, guitars, ukuleles, banjos, flutes, accordions, harmonicas, recorders, concertinas, voice, and percussion. The tunes include the genres of Scottish, French Canadian, Irish, Cape Breton, Scandinavian, and Americana/Old Timey music. Folks can stop in for as little or as long as they like and dancers/listeners are very welcome as well.
This is also offered as a hybrid event.
During tunes on Zoom, everyone except the facilitator is muted,
so it is a low-pressure space to explore ones instruments!
These slow jams also serve as rehearsals for the Seven Stars Community Fiddle Band
gig preparation, for casual community service performance opportunities
such as The Sprouty and The Baxter Library Plant, Book and Bake Sale.
Come to the slow jams and then join us for the gigs!
Sunday, April 27, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
All ages and levels welcome!
Reach out to Emerson for more info: [email protected]
Cost: Free and by donation to cover the instructor's time
Thank you to Mascoma Bank for covering the cost of renting the hall for these gatherings!
Seven Stars Arts Center
Community Fiddle Band
We are a group of friends, neighbors, slow jam participants and fellow teachers
who gather together to support East Central Vermont social, good community
events with free live music. These gigs include:
The Sharon Academy Family Arts Day - at the Sharon Academy
The Newton School PTA Plant Sale
The Baxter Library Plant, Book and Bake Sale - at the Sharon Library
Good Neighbor Day/ Repair Fair Sharon, VT
The Sprouty
The Strafford Holiday Craftsfair
For more information and to join the band, please email: [email protected]
Below are example videos from a couple of our performances in 2022:
The Seven Stars Arts Center Community Fiddle Band at the Baxter Memorial Library in Sharon, VT - June 2022
The Seven Stars Community Fiddle Band at the Thetford Hill Fair in Thetford, Vermont - July 2022
Thank you to Mascoma Bank for covering the programming costs of these performances so they are free for participants, audiences and partnering organizations!
