By Chris Nauman I love being part of the open mic scene for several reasons. One, is the opportunity to work on new material before a live audience. As a singer/songwriter, I am always interested in how my new song connects with an audience, my listeners. Also I am interested in how the song feels…
By Mark Sandman My wife doesn’t get it! She understands my love of music and the pleasure I get playing guitar, writing songs, and interpreting the music of others. But, what perplexes her is why I like to perform in front of an audience. To her, it’s like volunteering to be put in front of…
by Mark Sandman Yes, I admit it. I’ve been performing since Moby Dick was a minnow and I still get stage fright sometimes. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. I never know when or why it happens. The best solution I’ve found for stage fright, as well as for any anxiety-inducing situation (except driving) is…
By Mark Sandman This might be one of the more controversial blogs I’ve written regarding open mic performing. It addresses the question when is a new song ready to be performed? My comments apply, in particular, to solo performers. In my opinion, if you don’t know a song well enough to sing it without having…
By Mark Sandman I’ve been playing guitar for almost forty years! When I had been playing guitar for all of one year, I thought I was a boulder among rocks. I could play Barr chords, do a little Travis picking, even play a little lead guitar. Forty years later I feel there is more to…
By Kenny Selcer This months guest blogger, Kenny Selcer, shares some great advice for open mic performers. He talks from experience. In addition to being a talented singer, songwriter, and musician, he hosts an open mic on the first and third Sunday of each month at the Colonial Inn in Concord. He has released several…
By Mark Sandman Singing into a microphone sounds like a no brainer, but learning how to use a microphone correctly can be one of the most challenging things for a new open mic performer to master. This blog discusses basic live performance microphone techniques. Almost all mics, used at live performance venues, are what are…
By Mark Sandman Busking, or street performing, is a centuries-old tradition of entertainers performing for tips in public areas. A friend of mine, was one of the first street singers to perform on the streets of Boston and Cambridge way back in the 70’s. He shared with me that when he first started performing, it…
By Mark Sandman This month I thought I would share with you three online websites that Jam’n Java Open Mic guitar players might find both fun and useful. What are your favorite online guitar gizmos or resources. Share them with us! Find That Chord or Scale The first, GuitarCodex helps you to find chords and…
By Mark Sandman There are almost as many approaches to songwriting as there are songwriters. Some of us begin with lyrics, while others begin with a melody or chord progression. Some consider songwriting a very personal form of expression while others enjoy the creative inspiration that comes from teaming up with others. Some of us…
By Ellen Schmidt It’s hard to think of anyone who has done more to nurture the greater Boston open mic community and folk music scene than Ellen Schmidt. In addition to being a gifted songwriter and performer, she has been hosting open mics in the greater Boston area for over 20 years. So, I couldn’t…
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