Jam Session

Last Saturday was the jam session! This was the third one that my dad and I have led a group which is always fun :) They switched things around this year so it was a little chaotic in the beginning, but everything did end up working out. Since my dad was gone all day helping set things up and my mom was running around town with my grandma, I had to drive the truck to the jam session. I always feel so awesome when I drive the truck. It's so high off the ground and so big and I feel pretty legit. Just not when I need to turn, switch lanes, park, find the windshield wipers, and so on. Haha! But if I'm going in a straight line, it's awesome!

Everyone who plays rock and roll never shows up on time to play rock and roll, so there was a lot of sitting around waiting. I felt so on edge and uncomfortable during that time. I was just itching to get started! Luckily, the bestby lives across the street from the church we were at so he came over and hung out with me. I loved showing him what a jam session is, and even convinced him that he's going to sing in one. Next year. He was so cute, being all shy :)

Usually I have to teach some six year old how to play something drum related, but the guy in my group actually already knew how to play the drums, so I just told him where the few changes were and he was good to go. I was impressed. My dad didn't have as easy of a time though. A lot more people showed up than expected so every group was jam packed with players. My dad somehow made sense of all the chaos and taught them the two songs. At one point he needed me to go get an amp, and the car clicker remote wasn't working so I had to set off the car alarm. It was louder than I remembered and I ended up hitting my knee pretty hard. Oh well!

You can't see it very well, but the drummer Kenny is setting up. He is like my drumming hero. He's amazing! I've got to play with him three times and he is the best teacher ever. Watching him play the drums, he makes it look so easy. He can listen to just a little bit of a song and bam, he's got it. He taught me how to end songs epicly. I love to watch him play, that's pretty much the only person I watch during jam sessions. My very first jam session, I got thrown off and he was standing on the stage and came out and started playing the cowbell to get us all back on beat. Playing with him is pretty intimidating but I'm so grateful for that opportunity!

My dad's drummer friends!

We didn't have a singer in our group so I had to sing as well. Do you know how hard it is to learn a song when you have no vocals? Pretty hard! Another girl sang with me and we had a difference in height so that didn't work so well when we actually performed. There was only one mic, the amps were over powering everything and you had to stick your face right next to the mic to get any sound. Eh, oh well. It all ended up being ok in the end. 

The bestby was having fun looking at the mixing board and pretending that he was Cascade. He's so cute :)

We're weirdoes :)

Bad picture. But look how packed the stage is.

Our group. Kenny was drumming with every group so I didn't get to drum but that was alright. Got to let other people have a chance ya know? Our second song, the ending goes on forever and ever so I just looked back at my dad and David and David was like you done and I nodded and he was like Kenny, stop! So then they ended the song. It was awesome. They had my back so I didn't stand there looking stupid.

My little brother loves the bestby. :)

My least favorite part of jam sessions is tearing down the equipment afterwards. It's late, we're all tired, and none of us want to do it. My dad had a lot of friends come watch and my relatives were there, so it was the quickest tear down time in the history of tear down times. It was awesome. I understand why bands have roadies.

Our empty living room before we put everything back in.

Ta Dah!

I still have to set my drum set back up. I'll get to it eventually. By the time I do set it back up, we'll probably have to go play again. 

I love Jam Sessions though :)