What we’re about
UPDATE: Community Jams has moved a new location and starting new jams! Our new studio is at 2365 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Portland, OR. To stay updated, please subscribe to our emails at www.communityjams.org
This is the original founding Meetup site used by Community Jams (www.communityjams.org), the nonprofit organization that evolved out of Portland Casual Jams. With the same vision and inclusivity, Community Jams is place where everyone of all abilities and backgrounds can connect by creating music together. We foster a relaxed, comfortable, and supportive environment where everybody gets a chance to participate and develop their own musical path. Build confidence, develop skills, and enjoy musically collaborating!
We offer open jam sessions almost every day in a customized jam studio in Portland. Each jam is led by an experienced musician. Our sing and play-along jams are easy with the innovative open-source jam web app, bsteele Music App, and our 2000+ song library. (www.bsteele.com/bsteeleMusicApp/)
Check out our calendar of events and rsvp to start connecting through the joy of music!
Upcoming events
49
Thursday Theme Jam - Beatles Jam to kick off the New Year!
The Clubhouse, 2365 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Portland, OR 97225, Beaverton, OR, USThursday's setlists will always feature songs from a known theme.
To kick off the New Year, we'll be doing a Beatles Jam!
The Studio is a digital sound stage where we plug directly into the stage itself! Amps aren't required, but if you wish to bring tone control of your own, feel free! Please do not adjust the sensitive equipment yourself, but instead simply ask for a sound-person to mute the appropriate channels and then assist you.
Musicians with electric instruments, please arrive 15-30 minutes ahead of the event start time for setup. All jams start promptly on the hour, with a break at 10 minutes before each hour for adjustments. There is a $20 suggested donation via PayPal.10 attendees
CJ Newcomers and Explorers Jam
The Clubhouse, 2365 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Portland, OR 97225, Beaverton, OR, USFor first-timers, even if you're an experienced player, these are the jams where you get comfortable with our system, our library, and our jam sessions.
Musicians with electric instruments, please arrive 15-30 minutes ahead of the event start time for setup.
Expect lots of question and answers, and lots of opportunities to try things that might be a bit new to you!
The Studio is a digital sound stage where we plug directly into the stage itself! Amps aren't required, but if you wish to bring tone control of your own, feel free! Please do not adjust the sensitive equipment yourself, but instead simply ask for a sound-person to mute the appropriate channels and then assist you.
All jams start promptly on the hour, with a break at 10 minutes before each hour for adjustments. There is a $20 suggested donation via PayPal.4 attendees
ALL-ACOUSTIC Saturday Blues, Roots and Americana Jam
The Clubhouse, 2365 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Portland, OR 97225, Beaverton, OR, USCome kick off the new year with an All-Acoustic version of the Saturday Blues+ Jam. For this session, only acoustic instruments are allowed.
Singers and instrumentalists may choose acoustic-friendly songs from the CJ song database or may choose to lead the group through songs with simple structures without a chart.
As a group we will focus on:
- Active listening: finding the rhythm of the song and sharing space with other musicians
- Dynamics: making sure that singers and soloists are supported and heard
- Communication: syncing up with other musicians through non-verbal communication
- Supporting; encouraging constructive feedback to improve our ability to play better together and offer techniques/tips to help players of all abilities improve their skills
- This session is intended for musicians who have previous experience participating in group jam sessions.
Sessions are limited to 12 participants.
There is a $20 suggested donation for those who can afford it. Please visit http://www.communityjams.org for more details on how to stay connected through music, and sign up to get our event updates.10 attendees
EZ-Lead Slow Jam (Blues, Folk, Americana)
The Clubhouse, 2365 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Portland, OR 97225, Beaverton, OR, USWant to start playing lead with others, but you aren't yet comfortable with more complex songs or keys?
Still getting comfortable with amplification and leads, and need songs that are predictable and comfortable?
These sessions aim to be more akin to 'campfire sessions', easy to follow along, and simple to join in.
Musicians with electric instruments, please arrive 15-30 minutes ahead of the event start time for setup.
These sessions specifically allow our friends to play leads and have fun exploring their instrument, with songs that are iconically easy to jam along with.
Simple blues songs, blues-rock, slower country and folk songs, and campfire songs would all be appropriate. Cowboy chords, sticking to one sharp or flat, and repetitive, simple patterns are the order of the day.
We'll be selecting from a VERY-limited list of simpler songs (instead of our normal library of over 2k options), to help us focus on having more fun nailing down the instrumental sections. Most Beatles songs won't make the cut, but some Tom Petty songs will!
There is a $20 suggested donation via PayPal.2 attendees
Past events
3865
