Repertoire
Song selection in a JamShop is limited to the 100 Core Songs. We’ve found this to be essential for success. Having a shared repertoire does away with much uncertainty and chaos, and makes it easy for everyone to participate, and most importantly, enjoy!
A few words about style
The musical style we’ve based the ToneWay Project on (“mountain music”) is loosely defined by intent. Mountain music is not bluegrass, old-time, folk, country, or even strictly American, per se. It encompasses all of these things, yet is restricted to none of them.
Yes, a moderately standardized musical aesthetic must be maintained in order to make jamming enjoyable. However, the desired aesthetic is not one of style, but of discipline: pitch, rhythm, volume, and so on. The limited selection of instruments (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, Dobro, bass) and common body of pre–electricity-age songs further define the “genre” and help maintain group cohesion.
The key here is flexibility. The jam coach should avoid imposing their personal musical aesthetic preferences on the jammers. In fact, we must take care not to belabor references to any particular musical style—even bluegrass. Keeping definitions fuzzy lowers the pressure and helps to avoid elitism: the death knell for common participation.
The forces of the commercial market also serve to constantly narrow the focus regarding what is “good,” “better,” and “best.” This can be very discouraging for anyone of average talent wanting to participate.
The ToneWay Project is all about modeling a broad-based music aesthetic that appeals to the largest range of people—this is “big tent” people music!
Community
An essential part of any jamming community is maintaining group cohesion. More cohesion means more fun and more learning. In general, group cohesion is strengthened by a tradition the group shares in common. In the JamShop, group cohesion is reinforced by a common tradition in approach, etiquette, style, and repertoire. The introduction of other styles, repertoires, techniques, and so on, weakens cohesion.
This weakening can happen even with seemingly harmless, spontaneous comments from a jam coach. Saying that, “this band/lick/style is the greatest” can be more divisive than you think. One can soften these kinds of comments by making them personal: “I like listening to so-and-so a lot.”
People music can function almost as a “religion without spiritual dogma,” in the way that it brings people together. Success lies in being alive to what strengthens and weakens group cohesion. Just as dogma makes a religion cohesive, a common musical repertoire, method, etiquette, and style makes our people music cohesive.
