Should you go to jam nights?
Jam Nights And Open Mics West Midlands Facebook group
Well, the short answer is… yes, absolutely!
We believe that jam nights or open mic nights - these terms are often used interchangeably - offer incredible opportunities for musicians young or old, beginner or professional, to gain valuable experience, pick up new techniques or skills, and boost their confidence significantly.
And it’s not just us who believes that; we conducted a survey recently to gather opinions on musicians of all levels who have or do attend jam nights. See the survey here.
The Results
89% of respondents said that they felt that they improved as a musician through attending jam nights; we also asked respondents what they feel they have gained through attending jam nights - the results are presented in the chart below.
Confidence was the most commonly chosen answer with 89% of respondents saying that they gained confidence through attending jam nights with 78% of people saying they gained new musical skills and techniques from other musicians and practice while attending jam nights.
Jam nights are about much more than just the music, they are great social spaces to meet new people, hang out with friends and just have a good time enjoying the music and talking to like-minded people. In fact, 89% of people said that their primary reason for attending jam nights was to socialise and enjoy the music with 67% of survey respondents saying they made new friends through jam nights so not only is there much to gain as a musician in terms of skills and technical ability - some attendants have even picked up new instruments altogether - but they can have a great positive influence on your own personal development and social life. Some of the most common reasons as to why people enjoy jam nights mentioned the positive, welcoming atmosphere and the sense of community talking to and playing with musicians at a range of levels of ability and experience.
But like anything jam nights are not without their negatives, and not all jam nights are made equally; some jam nights can feel intimidating, having a core group of regular members who regularly perform and they may not feel as welcoming as some others. Sometimes it can take time to settle in but from our experience there will always be somebody who will make sure you feel welcome as those who run jam nights work hard to make sure they are generally positive spaces. Above anything you are there to enjoy yourself so don’t feel as though you have to get up and perform right away or even at all and bringing along some friends can help you feel more at ease and comfortable.
One of the other downsides of jam nights is how hidden or hard to find they are sometimes with 67% of respondents discovering jam nights through fellow musicians or friends and the remaining 33% through college. Jam nights are not often promoted on social media or targeted towards younger musicians, with many venues using platforms like Facebook - which is generally less popular with young generations - as their primary channel but they are out there, speak to musicians you know, venues, and tutors/teachers who will likely know at least one or two jam nights that they may have been to and can recommend.
Some Of Our Favourite Jam Nights
The Rifle Band Club, Kettering
82 Havelock St, Kettering NN16 9QA
This jam night runs every 1st Sunday of the month and they regularly host live music and other events, with a welcoming atmosphere and even a fully provided set up including PA, full backline, and full drum kit (just bring your instruments) this jam night is easy to recommend.
The Shire Horse, Kettering
This jam night runs every Sunday and they also regularly host live music and other events like karaoke, with full backline also provided. While this venue is geared more towards older musicians, young performers are also welcome.
Jam Knights - Corby Ex-Serviceman’s Club
This jam night runs every Thursday and they regularly host ‘Take Over’ nights where a chosen band will get the spotlight on the night. This venue also provides a full backline, PA, drum kit and even instruments and is also one that has attracted younger audiences with their presence on Instagram, their positive atmosphere and growing influence in the local music scene.
To conclude, we are a big fan of jam nights and believe they are beneficial for artists of any level to gain experience, learn new skills, and meet like-minded people. Above anything, it is a great way to build confidence so give them a try; go along with some friends and enjoy yourself as that’s what they are all about.
Let us know what you think by taking the survey here.
