Join us to play some traditional American music: old time, songs, fiddle tunes, bluegrass, string band tunes, and other music making. All voices, instruments, and levels are welcome. Fiddle tunes are not just for fiddles!
If you want to keep in touch, send me an email to get on the list or join our chat group on Signal.
We’re off for the summer, but we may end up with a few one-off get togethers. Join the Signal chat (linked above) to find out more. We’ll likely end up with a monthly or bimonthly schedule for the fall either at Arlyn’s Good Beer, on campus, or both. In the meantime, there are jams in the area just about every weekend. Check the “Getting started in the local communities” link below for details.
Arlyn’s Good Beer (Facebook) is at 520 Hankey Ave in Bowling Green (419-349-6000). It’s a few blocks from the main downtown intersection.
Parking is available on campus in many of the lots around the music building (lots 1 and 16) starting at 6 PM. Feel free to be a few minutes late if you want to pull in at or after 6. See the campus map for locations. Note that the first two rows just north of the music building are their own lot (lot C) and you’ll get a ticket for parking in one of those before 7:30 PM!
Here are some links that might be helpful:
Resources for learning fiddle tunes
Getting started in the local communities
The group is open to community and students alike. We have some instruments you can borrow if you want to try something new, but you are welcome to bring whatever you might play! Or don’t bring anything and sing.
Guitars, banjos, fiddles, mandolins, autoharps, dulcimers, and other things with strings are great. Stuff to hit or drag around (washboards, washtubs, bones, other sticks) are welcome too. So are things that you may not think are at home in old time, country, and Americana traditions: we’d love to hear some bluegrass trombone or Western Swing tin whistle if you’re up for it. Acoustic instruments will be easiest, but we’re pretty open.
There’s no expectation of previous knowledge. We will be learning different styles together based on the interests of the folks who join us. Drop in, play some notes. Some weeks we might lean into Carter family singing, or old time fiddle traditions, or some honky tonk. We’ll find out.
Interested students at BGSU (and UT, perhaps?) have the option of participating as part of an independent study with Dr. Chris Witulski or Dr. Katherine Meizel. This would likely be able to count toward our World Music minor.
Cool. Reach out to Chris Witulski at [email protected] with any questions.