Broadneck Bluegrass Jam Circle Makes Music Fun For Beginners And Advanced Pickers

At the monthly Broadneck Bluegrass Jam Circle gathering, instrumentalists aren’t afraid to get picky. Guitarists, banjoists and mandolin players can be joined in any session by musicians playing fiddles, bass, harmonica or other instruments.

Co-leaders Jen Reynolds and Nicole Snider celebrated the group’s two-year anniversary at the Broadneck Library in June. They met at another jam group, now known as Cape Vibes, but wanted to form an experience that was focused solely on bluegrass.

Their shared vision was an opportunity accessible to instrumentalists of all skill levels.

“Going to an open jam is pretty intimidating,” Reynolds said. “The idea for this was to have something a little more beginner friendly.”

Bluegrass is a genre of music inspired by 18th century Scottish and Irish folk, intertwined with blues. Bluegrass is often compared to country music, but bluegrass tunes often have a faster tempo.

Group members meet one Wednesday per month at the Broadneck Library for six to eight rehearsed songs followed by an open jam. During the songs, players have the option to sing and perform a break, or solo, by using body language or a head signal to alert the other members.

Reynolds and Snider provide all the necessary meeting materials: a list of songs along with suggested keys, a YouTube playlist, and strum machine practice tracks.

Fifteen or 50 people could show up to any given jam. While some members live in the Broadneck area, others travel from as far as Silver Spring and Rockville.

The July event included songs by Doc Watson, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs, Red Allen and J.D. Crowe, Bill Monroe and other artists.

Snider was drawn to bluegrass around 2000 when the genre was showcased in the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

“Every song had a harmony, and (the music) was easy to sing,” she said, reflecting on her first impressions of bluegrass. “I liked the community of it. I met people who I have picked with now for 20 years.”

Members have nothing to nitpick about when it comes to the group; their experiences are all positive.

As Annapolis resident Jenni Biondi started delving into various genres of music, she was looking for an opportunity to play.

“For someone who knows rock and roll and mainstream music, where do you start?” she said. “I picked up the mandolin. Where do you find people who play bluegrass?”

She found a community within the Broadneck group, as did banjo player Keith Pavlischek, who lives a few miles away from the library. He praised Reynolds and Snider for making the group beginner friendly.

“If you can change three or four chords and if you’re willing to work at it, they make it easy for you,” Pavlischek said.

Want to participate? The next jam is scheduled for August 28 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. With the library’s hours changing, the subsequent jams are planned for 5:30pm-7:30pm on September 26 and October 7.

To preserve a traditional bluegrass sound, please bring only acoustic stringed instruments. For more information or to receive details on monthly song selections, email broadneckbluegrassjamcircle@gmail.com.