Music Resource Center: Just Go and Write, Play, Record, etc!

[Hamerhack]

Kinda related to my "How Would You Form a Jam Group?" thread...

Here in Charlottesville, VA we have a Music Resource Center (Funded largely by Dave Matthews). It's really cool, and teenagers can be members just by paying 10 Bucks a year! They can go there and play, record, sing, etc. Instruments and amps available at the place. It would be perfect, except it's only available for kids 18 and under.

Anybody have something similar for kids or adults? Kind of a "School of Rock."

I always thought it would be cool to have some place where amps, drums, etc. are set up and ready to go. All you have to do is show up and play! Bring a guitar or borrow one! Like a health club, you'd pay monthly or annual dues, and go and jam when you want. No lugging amps or PA's around. You could record or film, and get us bedroom hacks up to speed to perform in front of actual live people! There could be practice times set aside, and weekly performance nights.

Maybe as suggested in the other thread, an open mic place would serve the same purpose, but I'd be pretty nervous about that.

[currypowder]

Nothing like that here. But one of the local music shops has a "School of Rock" type program for older folks called Weekend Warriors (I think it's a nationally syndicated program). You sign up, give some info on yourself (experience, skill level, tastes, etc.) and they try to match you up with other members. They provide the practice space with all of the equipment. I signed up in late 2006. It was a 6 week program, we worked up 6 songs and played them at a local bar for the end of the session with all of the other bands. It was the first time I had played with others since 1987. I think I smiled for a month after that. The other guitar player and I kept playing together, both bringing a friend, and now we have a 4 piece band with about 30 songs (mainly classic rock with some more modern tunes thrown in). We practice once a week, have played a few gigs and are looking to get out about once a month. Without the weekend warriors program, there's no way I'd be playing with anyone else right now.

[FunkyE9th]

The store that I teach at used to have the Weekend Warriors program.

Old Town School in Chicago has some really nice programs. They have all kinds of classes and then on every 1st Friday of the month the students perform. They also have open mics on 1st Fridays.

-FunkyE9th