Dulcimer Online Open Mic

Performance skills, along with all other skills, need to be practiced. Therefore, I will host a monthly online live performance "open mic" over Zoom.  I don't intend this to take the place of opportunities to play in the same room with a live audience, however, I do hope this online open mic opportunity will provide an environment to practice the live performance skills that you will need for those truly live experiences.

Some of those performance skills include:

• Arranging tunes for performance

  • • Adding intros and outros

    • Adding Variations when playing a tune multiple times

    • Adding space for improvisations

• Playing live with an audience 

  • • Playing the whole arrangement in one sitting (avoid stopping and restarting)

    • Covering up "mistakes" (we call those improvisations !)

• Remaining focused and confident "on stage"

  • • Focusing attention on performing 

    • Learning/using self calming techniques in a performance setting

This online open mic opportunity is not a jam session or a teaching session.  It is instead a zoom session offered to help people practice the performance skills they choose to work on. This is also not a competition. Performers will not be judged or criticized, only encouraged to keep playing and keep performing. For these reasons, these sessions will not be recorded.

With 10 minute sets (about 3 songs depending on length), I can accommodate up to 5 performers during each one-hour zoom session. Performers will be given specific instructions on how they may need to change Zoom settings so that both their voices and instruments can be heard. 

Only music played live will be accepted.  (Recording music is a whole other set of skills that deserves it's own space to shine ...)

I also need live audience members. I ask performers to stay on the zoom for all other performances and I can also include other people that want to listen in.