BBU’s JamVal Non-Festival
February 16 – 18, 2024 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel
We are so excited to be returning to the Sheraton in Framingham for the first time in four years! Please join us for JamVal – a weekend-long bluegrass “non-festival” focused on jamming held over President’s Day Weekend (February 16 – 18, 2024) at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel. There will be dozens of workshops and jams hosted by loads of amazing musicians and teachers, and one big difference from usual festivals: no big stage show to distract from the picking!
There have been a number of changes at the Sheraton which you can read about on the JamVal FAQs page. Although we do not expect the rooms to sell out instantly, we do expect them to sell out, and you can only book a room at the Sheraton if you purchase a weekend pass first. To reserve either a PICKING or QUIET room at the Sheraton, you must first purchase a weekend pass on our Wild Apricot page. After you purchase a weekend pass, you will be sent a link to reserve either a PICKING or QUIET room.
NOTE: The JamVal Schedule is now available HERE
JamVal is already shaping up to be an amazing weekend of jams, workshops, and much, much more. Please check out the JamVal FAQs page for various details about the weekend. For instance, we are looking forward to welcoming our very special “Guest Jammers”: Greg Cahill, Greg Blake, Michael Prewitt, and Dan Eubanks – better known by their collective band name, Special Consensus!
Special Consensus will be at JamVal all weekend long to host jams, teach workshops, and even play a show on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. Please check back here for updates about teachers, workshops, jams, etc., and the weekend schedule. And here are the links to the most important info:
- Tickets (Wild Apricot page)
- Rooms (see above and the FAQs page)
- JamVal FAQs page
- Workshop Teachers & Jam Hosts (TBA)
- Schedule
- Weekend Pass prices (Single-Day passes will go on sale in mid-January):
JamVal Non-Festival weekend ticket prices:
Adult member weekend – $60 ($65 after Jan 15)
Adult non-member weekend – $65 ($70 after Jan 15)
Student weekend (high school-to-college with ID) – $20
Youth weekend (12-15) – $15
Under 12 free
Podunk Bluegrass Festival Line-up
Tickets on sale now with NO FEES, and volunteer and vendor applications are now open.
Fiddle Fest – Music camp for kids and teens
An all-day musical immersion for 5th-12th graders
- Jamming (learn 2-3 jam tunes before you come–scroll down for recordings and sheet music)
- Learning by ear
- Playing in small bands grouped by level of playing experience
- Working with guest teachers who are experts in different styles of non-classical string playing.
- Exploring non-classical music styles (not only fiddling!)
- Creating original arrangements
Austin Scelzo – Connecticut Arts Hero speaks on behalf of the Connecticut Bluegrass Association at the capitol
Austin Scelzo spoke on behalf of the Connecticut Bluegrass Association in Hartford in January.
The interview covered a brief history of the music, the value of communal music-making, the improvisatory side of bluegrass, and more.
New Bluegrass Associations and Event Promoter’s Forum
A place to share best practices or ask important questions within the Bluegrass Community
Created at 2023 IBMA Constituency Meeting (Google Group)
Click Here to Join or view the discussion
Past Discussions:
Attracting New Audiences to Bluegrass Music – Leadership Bluegrass 2023 Panel
SPBGMA Promoter’s Meetings at the Sheraton Music City Hotel
Katonah Library Bluegrass old time, and swing jam
The Katonah Library jam is running strong! This all-acoustic jam is designed for musicians who play stringed instruments – i.e. banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, dobro and bass – and who have an interest in playing traditional and recent American fiddle tunes, old-time Appalachian repertoire, bluegrass and bygone country standards. Interested, curious listeners and other non-participants are also welcome to attend/enjoy, including kids (with adult caregiver). No registration is necessary.
New Recording Studio in Rhode Island
“My vision is to record EP’s for local musicians at a affordable price. A bunch of bands I speak with locally would love to have a CD to sell at gigs.
I have Bill Thibodeau and Sal Sauco on board as Producers / Instrumentaists. Ken Thomas
Banjo / Mandolin Player Needed for “Chicago” Pit Orchestra (Stamford CT)
The rehearsal dates are 4/22, 4/23, 4/24, 4/25.
The dates for the show are 4/26, 4/27, 4/28, 5/3, and 5/4.
Contact Shaun at shaunrimkunas@gmail.com
Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Florida Retreat “Fiddle Heaven”
Austin Scelzo hosts a wintertime retreat for fiddlers or fiddle music lovers that will include instruction on bluegrass, country, and roots styles. Instruction will include: How to back up a singer, How to play over chord changes, Grooving on the fiddle, Bluegrass solo transcriptions and more! The weekend will also include jamming with a focus on popular bluegrass, country and old time tunes.
Cheap direct flights out of New Haven Tweed Airport!
March 22-24 , 2024 Pompano Beach, Florida at The Fiddlershop
-Jam with friends
-Improve your Groove
-Learn Classic Bluegrass Licks
-Build your Jam Skills
-Chopping and Shuffling Tips
-Chase the warm weather
-Visit the famous Fiddlershop
-Spend an afternoon on the beach
-And Much More!
Grants and Scholarships for Traditional Musicians – Music Camps, Lessons, and Projects
Are you a parent struggling to balance the support of your child’s music development with the sometimes overwhelming cost of travel and tuition for music camps and lessons? This page is designed to help parents or music industry professionals find funding for their passion.
Connecticut Bluegrass Association 