Jam Barn

Last weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to Madison and Scottsburg in southern Indiana.  The occasion was to attend the Halfway to Ohio River Valley Folk Festival Extravaganza.  That was a fine event, but what I really loved was getting to jam with musician friends I’d met at the Festival last May.  I stayed at John Sheckler’s house in the Scottsburg area, and jammed Friday night and Saturday afternoon in Don Pennington’s “music barn.”  The interior of this barn is adorned with old posters and ancient musical instruments, and it’s simply a fascinating place to hang out, whether you’re playing or not.  The posters include groups from the Beatles to early Johnny Cash concert announcements, along with photos of many of the local bands and, of course, of Don, John and others that I jammed with that weekend.

One of the jammers Friday night was Don’s 90-year-old mother, who played piano during the jam.  She did a fantastic job–I would be thrilled to have half her skills and enthusiasm when I’m 90, assuming I’ll still be alive!  There were also several other jammers who were in their 70′s or 80′s, demonstrating the power of music to keep you young and vital.  It was a great weekend.  I never cease to be amazed at how I can sit down with absolute strangers and play with them like we’ve been doing it for years.  Music binds, crosses social and generational gaps, inspires and fills us with excitement and a genuine love of life that keeps one young and vital.  That’s why I keep going to local jams and the annual SummerSongs and WinterSongs music camps year after year.