Well, I not only survived, but I had a wonderful time. It was so much fun!

The jam was held at a quaint old restaurant out in the country. Like any typical jam, everyone sat in a circle. There were 15-20 people in attendance. The majority were guitar players, but there were several banjo players, four mandolin players (including me) and two fiddle players (including me), and a bass player.

That doesn't include the moderator who played all of those instruments (except bass), and very well. He was entertaining and talked a lot about jamming and playing bluegrass, so it was almost like a class.

I played mandolin (chords/rhythm) on all the songs/tunes except one because I didn't know the music. It was pretty easy to figure out the chord progressions by watching a guitar player. It was sooo cool to be able to play along with a group, and on tunes that I had never heard before.

Toward the end, the moderator went around the circle, asking each person to call a tune. I called the Tennessee Waltz and played it on the fiddle. I was VERY nervous and definitely didn't play my best on it. Everyone was very supportive, though, and complimented me at the end. I know they were being kind. I am determined to do better next time.

I found out that RIBA also hosts a regular jam on the first Sunday of every month in the same location, and that attendees at those jams usually break out into smaller groups based on skill level. So, I will try to attend some of those jams, too.

Schaick said
@KindaScratchy AWESOME!!!!  Yes the jams are a bit like lessons - for free!!  I had never heard of a slow jam, slow Sessions but never slow jam, very cool!!  That is probably what I have needed!!  Some of our people are wicked fast!!

So... the moderator lead/called all the tunes until he went around the circle inviting others to lead/call a tune?  

Did they/you pass the tune off to another to lead and then take it back and finish the tune?  This for me is hard - I almost always mess up big time the second time I have to play a tune and my mind goes blank.  How blank?  I can't even hum the tune.  If you asked my name I wouldn't be able to tell you

Last Tues's jam I was able to lead every time it came around to me.  Before that I had to pass a bunch of times.   I was able to finish a couple of the tunes, it was messy but I finished them!!

I believe playing the fiddle has taken first position away from my love of gardening!

Hi Patty. Just realized that I hadn't answered your questions. There was more talking and less playing than I had expected, which is why I said it was more like a class. But that was fine; I hung on every word.

After the moderator (that's what they called him), did his talking, he had us play some songs (someone did vocals, so they were songs, not tunes) that he suggested. Then he went around the circle and asked folks to call a song/tune. Some people passed, and maybe I should have, too, but I called the only bluegrassy song I knew that I thought I could play reasonably well, which was the Tennessee Waltz. I decided to play it on fiddle, not mando, because A. I knew that if I picked it on mando, no one would be able to hear it, B. I brought my fiddle so I figured I should play it at least once, and C. I didn't want to sing it.

This being my first jam, I found it a little disconcerting to be the only one playing melody at first, with guitars and mandos backing me up. I didn't know whether I should be setting the tempo or following their lead. Then, the leader passed it off to a mando player, then to the other fiddler, then finally back to me.

I know what you're saying about a blank mind. I've played the Tennessee Waltz many, many times at home alone and have been working on it with my teacher, so I thought I was comfortable playing it. Nonetheless, you would have thought it was my first time the way I played it on Sunday.

It was a great experience, nonetheless, and I plan to do it again...that's the only way I'll ever get comfortable playing in front of other people.