The CBA “Great 48” Mega Jam is just around the corner; January 7-10, 2016, in Buck Owens’ and Merle Haggard’s city of Bakersfield. Yes, that’s right, four days of bluegrass jamming. But what’s the big deal? What’s the medium deal? What’s the little deal?
Well for one thing, you can get it back. I should say you can get some of it back. That “it” is the rush. Yes, the adrenaline rush. The “feelin’ good” rush, the feeling of accomplishment. When you think about it, we’re all on a continuum. It doesn’t matter what the subject is. It might be intelligence, sports, motivation, making money, or whatever. It starts when we are conceived, born, and thrown head-first (hopefully) into this old world. But the thing is, if you are past high school, university, or the prime of life, you’ve probably left a lot of it behind. Left what behind?
Accomplishment. That’s what I’m talking about. If you are in your fifties, sixties, and upward, you can look back and most likely admit, “All The Good Times Are Past and Gone.” Maybe you were the captain of the high school football team, MVP in college football, or even a player in the NFL. Maybe you maxed you SAT tests, and were a 4.3 grade average student. Maybe you could pole vault 14 feet or higher. Maybe you were a partner in a Wall Street firm. International chicken-plucker champion? State hog calling winner? There are a plethora of other examples that only you can relate to. But in any case you have left them behind in the dust of your youth. If you are now still in high school, college, or the apex of your career, don’t worry. It will be over before you realize it. So what’s left?
Bluegrass jamming, that’s what. It provides the structure to start learning something, to keep learning something, and potentially to get really good at something. You start by having an interest, making a commitment, wading in, and then jumping in head first.
Go to a bluegrass jam and start observing. You will see folks with various bluegrass musical instruments, playing them at different skill levels, and singing bluegrass songs, both melody and harmony. But why do people do it? What are they getting out of it? And why is it better right now, in the moment, than being the captain of the football team, breaking the 4 minute mile, or being a CEO on Wall Street?
The answer is, because you are doing it right now, and you can keep doing it all your life! Age will have an effect, but it will not stop you (usually). Yes, you can be in this “game” all of your life.
You get a bluegrass musical instrument, you learn to play it, you keep getting better on it, you plant yourself into one bluegrass jam, then another, and another, and you keep going. No limits! And your brain will thank you for it. Why?
Because when you play and sing music your brain will begin releasing those wonderful, natural, free drugs known as endorphins. Yes, endorphins. You don’t have to know their names, or from which part of the brain they come. All you have to connect with is the honest to goodness fact that if-you-jam-they will come. They will come and give you that feeling-good-feeling, due to the release of natural chemicals from your brain that are, well, naturally good for you.
And then there are the physical benefits. The working of the arms, hands, wrists, and fingers when you play a musical instrument. Built-in exercises that your physical therapist has told you to do, that you are right now not doing because you are reading this Welcome Column.
I could go on and on, but the bottom line is this; get yourself into a bluegrass jam, as often as you can. If you haven’t been in one before start now by taking a class or workshop in bluegrass jamming, get a DVD on jamming, talk to someone you know who is a jammer, or simply start by going to a bluegrass jam and just observe. If you are an experienced jammer, keep jamming, don’t give up, and keep getting out there. You can think of a hundred reasons not to, but you only need one reason to do it.
Bluegrass jams are everywhere. Not every day, but on many days they do happen. You just have to look for them, and make a commitment. A good resource is the CBA “Bluegrass Breakdown” monthly newspaper that list the who, what, where, when, how, and why of bluegrass jams all over California. There are beginner jams, intermediate jams, advanced player jams, and home-made jams that are all delicious.
You can do it. You can rediscover the thrills that you had back in high school, college, your former days of invincibility, and your highest achievements of days gone by (if only we had a time machine). You may not get the “high” of your yester-years, but you will feel that something better is happening to you than if you are not jamming. If you find these days that you have silver in your hair, gold in your teeth, and lead in your be-hind, this jamming thing may apply especially to you (and me).
Do I really believe all this? You’re jammed right I do.
