ABCD Workshop in Sarasota!

Posted on December 17, 2012 by April

I’m just now coming off the buzz of an incredible workshop I had the pleasure of co-hosting together with ABCD Institute Faculty member Dan Duncan and Mary Butler, a local ABCD Neighborhood Organizer and my good friend.

Here is the .pdf summary of the material that was shared, including a first-ever compilation* of photos I took on visits to one of my favorite hubs of social-political-economic-spiritual innovation and neighborhood connecting, Broadway United Methodist Church:

DOWNLOAD / VIEW WORKSHOP MATERIALS

*To see my presentation on Broadway United Methodist Church in its original visual format (which I recommend!), click here.  Here are some of my favorites:

 

 

People loved learning about the power of citizens, building connection in neighborhoods, and focusing on gifts instead of needs.  A couple of quotes from participants that make me very happy:


“Thank you so much for an awe inspiring workshop last week. I am more committed than ever to work harder at what I do and to continue to assist our residents in finding those assets in the community. They are the catalyst in making changes in their community.”
~ Janine Harris, Communities for a Lifetime, Department of Elder Affairs
Tallahassee, FL

“I had a great time, met wonderful people and learned a lot. I can’t wait to get more involved in my community and apply what I learned. ♥”
~ Roxy Azuaje, Photographer, Student
Miami

 

 

I feel so fortunate to do the work I do. Thank you to all the partners, friends and families who helped make this event and my journey thus far possible!!!

Posted in Building Community, Local Events, Neighborhoods, People Who Inspire Me | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Neighbors Build Community in the Village of the Arts

Posted on November 30, 2012 by April

[originally published on the neighbor-created site, villageconnectors.com)

Last week, a small group of neighbors in the Village of the Arts invited the wider community to join their conversation about how to improve their community.  Here is the story of that gathering.

This was the invitation.

 

 

Abundance!  Neighbors brought home-made sweets and snacks as well as food purchased from local stores and restaurants.  Amara prepared her backyard beautifully, with lights strung around a central patio and chairs set up in a circle underneath.

After mingling, we began the meeting.  Amara welcomed everyone and introduced those present who have been involved in this project up until now–Anna D’Aste, herself, Valerie Rose, Hector Ferran, and April Doner.*

ANNA’S  STORY  &  THE VILLAGE CONNECTORS PROJECT

Anna D’Aste, a talented neighbor who makes and teaches ceramic art on 12th St, opened with her story.

Anna was part of the original group of artists who moved into the neighborhood 13 years ago to start the “Village of the Arts.” When she moved in, she dreamed of living in a real community–where people know and care about each other and do things together.  She hoped to have strong relationships not just with other Village Artists but with other neighbors as well.

Since then, Anna had seen a lot of great connection and activities happen among the artists in the Village, but not as much as she’d hoped between artists and the rest of the neighborhood.  She was almost ready to give up on her dream for the Village when April came by her home a few months ago and told her about an effort to connect the community in just the way she had always envisioned.  Anna began meeting with a group of other neighbors who shared her dream for the Village and, in their own way, had all been making efforts as “Connectors” in the neighborhood.

April told the group about a way of seeing and acting in community called Asset-Based Community Development, (ABCD for short).  Instead of focusing on problems in neighborhoods and people in them,  ABCD asks, “What are the gifts?”  It focuses on connecting people in community around their talents, what they care about, and what they are doing or want to do to make their neighborhood better.

Anna and the group have been brainstorming and experimenting with ways to “grow what we already have.” Their first step has been to start finding out about and celebrating the gifts of their neighbors, especially neighbors who they don’t already know and who might not think of themselves as even part of the “Village of the Arts.”

Anna was also inspired by a trip she took with April and Amara in October to Indianapolis to visit groups who are building community in creative ways.

 

 

One thing that stood out for Anna was seeing the “Fishes and Loaves Room” at Broadway United Methodist Church.  Named for the story of Jesus making a big feast out of very few fish and loaves of bread, the room has paper on the walls showing sticky-notes that list neighbors’ talents, passions, dreams and projects. It has people grouped around those gifts–like “Sports,” “Gardening,” or “Education.” The room is one way that they have found to connect and celebrate neighbors’ gifts and talents in ways that build community and economy.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

When she came back, Anna shared this with the group and created a “The Village Community Resource Board.” She hopes to keep working with neighbors to grow this board, so the Village can grow more connected around what people love to do and care about doing.  She invites everyone present to get involved in this “connecting” effort by going to talk with their neighbors and contributing to the Resource Board.

 

April shared useful tool for getting started, an “Asset Inventory” with questions that she uses when talking with people in the Village. You can view or download it here.

Neighbors shared their ideas, questions and concerns:

  • Dona Gould shared that she had always wanted to know the skills of her neighbors too, so she could go to someone in her neighborhood for services like Mechanic, Notary or Seamstress.
  • How does this impact crime in the area?  The more we connect across gaps with our neighbors, look out for each other, and even learn more about and find positive ways to include people who might seem to be part of the problem, the safer our community will become. “Strength in numbers”!
  • How do we cross over language barriers? How do we connect with the Spanish-speaking neighbors?  Tara offered a solution from her block: many Latino people live in her part of the Village.  She’s discovered that one of her neighbors speaks both English and Spanish, and now goes to Naida for translation to find out what’s going on or to communicate with her neighbors who speak only Spanish.
  • How does this relate to the Artist’s Guild?  This effort is focusing on the rest of the community as well as the artistic/business side of the Village. Our hope is to complement and support what the Guild is doing as part of the community.

 

 

VILLAGE VISIONING WORKSHOP

Next, Hector Ferran introduced a series of workshops that will begin in January designed to put residents and Village businesses in the center of deciding what the future of the Village looks like.  The Connector’s group has been planning it together with Dr. David Brain and April Doner.

The first workshop will be held on Monday, January 14, from 6:30-9:30 at the Salvation Army.  This is an opportunity for many different neighbors to come together and find a common vision, for finding creative ways to implement goals through partnerships both inside and outside the Village, and to take the vision from ideas to actual changes.

This will be a series of workshops supported by USF’s Architecture School.  Both April’s work and the Visioning Workshop are being supported through Realize Bradenton and local partners such as the Downtown Development Agency and the 13th St. CRA.  The City, DDA and other organizations who want to support the Village’s success are interested in working with a neighbors who represent the diversity of the whole neighborhood.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.

Here are ways you can support:

#1.  Attend.  Your ideas and assets are important.

 

#2.  Bring your neighbors!  The more diverse viewpoints and skills in the room, the better the vision and our chances of making it real. You can use this as an opportunity to go meet neighbors and learn about their gifts!

 

#3.  Help out at the Workshop with….

  • Set-up and Registration
  • Facilitating small group conversations  (No experience necessary!  Come to the Facilitators Training on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 6:30-8:30 pm at Southern Commerce Bank)
  • Serving Food
  • Translation
  • Volunteer Coordination
  • Clean-up

 

Reply to this post below if you want to help!

 

Workshop Flyer

 

LET’S TRY IT:   LEARNING CONVERSATION

Finally, we did a “Learning Conversation” exercise.  Everyone chose a partner and interviewed them for 5 minutes and asked 3 questions:

What are your gifts?  (talent, skills) 

What do you care about deeply?

What are you doing in the community? What do you want to do?

We wrote what we learned on a sticky-note and, after sharing with the group what we learned about our partner, added it to the Resource Board.

 

Some discoveries:

Carl: Communicator, Botanist, Foodie

  • I had the pleasure of interviewing Carl.  Carl is a talented communicator, skilled in PR, who runs the Arts Council in the Village.  He cares deeply about education.  Many people at the gathering already knew all of this about Carl.  However, nobody knew about his secret skill:  Botany!  Carl has two degrees in Botany and has taught many Yankees “how we do it down here,” since many Northerners don’t know how or what to grow in their yards when they move down here. He’s also a foodie and loves to travel the world.
  • Celeste reported that Tara is a great baker who runs Sweets Bakehouse on 12th St. She’s also a great listener (which Tara didn’t tell her, but Celeste observed on her own)
  • Tara told us that Celeste is a gifted RN who cares about helping people and is currently looking for work helping someone in their home. Celeste is also a long-time resident who has seen the neighborhood go through many changes. Her mother actually lived in the Village!
  • Marina is an artist who cares deeply about youth.  She is interested in getting students involved in neighborhood improvement projects. She speaks both English and Spanish, and is willing to translate the Visioning Workshop flyer into Spanish!
  • Joan is also bilingual in French and Spanish

 

TELEPHONE-POLE ART PROJECT

Finally, Valerie shared that she is doing a fun project with kids in the Village. She teaches art at Ballard Elementary and has been wrapping telephone poles with weavings and pictures.  She wants to celebrate members of the community and beautify the neighborhood with this project, and invites neighbors to take part in two ways:  

  1. Come wrap posts with them  
  2. Drop off colored plastic bags at her home:  1119 12th St. 

JoEllen shares Joan’s gifts

Anna shares Slade’s gifts

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?  

  1. Help out with the Visioning Workshop!  Reply below with your contact info and how you’d like to help.
  2. Help uncover the gifts in this neighborhood!  Learn your neighbors gifts. You can start now by holding learning conversations with your neighbors. Start with someone you already know. Use this document to get started.  Report back by “Replying” below so you can come add to the Resource Board and let others know about the talents you discovered.
  3. Join us on Facebook at the Village Connector’s Group.

Have other questions or ideas?  Post below or on Facebook and we will respond.

 THANK YOU! 

* Other neighbors involved in this effort:  Kim Hoffman, Donna Slawsky, Courtney Henderson, Karen Kloski, Bonnie Oakey Ferran

~ Notes by April Doner

Posted in Building Community, Neighborhoods, People Who Inspire Me | Leave a comment

Naming Gifts: An Underrated Power

Posted on October 1, 2012 by April

Today I was winding down after an intense weekend when I had the random notion to check my “Other” Facebook messages.

To my surprise, there was a message there from a name I didn’t recognize but it was addressed to me.  The message speaks volumes to me of how those little ways in which one person can create change around them through seemingly insignificant acts of celebrating the gifts in others and in community around them.  Here is the message:

*  *  *

Hi April


Hope all is well, I will be extremely surprised if you remember who I am. 
Well I am C_____. We met briefly fo about a day in FL (about 3 years ago). 
You, I and R___ walked around in Orlando looking and admiring the black swan’s.

Anyway, just getting in touch and saying Hi, I am in Boston, MA.
I am writing to you for your compliment on your facebook page about me,
(you wrote, “great conversationalist”). It was my best compliment i ever got.
I have secretly desired for someone to say (for all my adult life) and you said it. 
Many have called me dogmatic, and many more have called me Mr.Theory.
Few have said I am manipulative.

It only you that have noticed, that, I just want to have a conversation and nothing more. 
Thanks a million again.

Truly
C______

*  *  *

I do remember that day walking around with C____.  And I recognize how easy it would be for friends of C____ to never tell him that his great drive to hold dialogue was a gift. They may not have seen it as such, or they may appreciate it in some way, but aren’t accustomed to saying things about him or their other friends through the lens of “a gift.”

This touches me. First, because C___ thought to reach out to me after 3 years.  Second, he was telling me the power my words had to affect his life, yet what I said about C___–ie., naming his gift of conversation–was not anything particularly original on my part… I didn’t impart wisdom or sage advice from on high.  Rather, I just named what I saw.

But, it was something that I know is different from how we usually interact in community.  I know that me taking a moment to name C___’s strength as such came from a way of seeing and speaking about people that I have learned through my involvement in the world of asset-based community building.

This is a method of community building–and an overall view of society–that advocates viewing people and communities first for their gifts–that is, what they’re good at… what makes them special? I inherited a sharply critical ability from my mom and grandmother, and learning this method has helped me learn to interact with others in an infinitely more satisfying and productive way–not just professionally but constantly throughout my daily life.

Some people may say this is Pollyanna thinking–just focusing on the “good” can get us in trouble, right?  In the ABCD world we talk about half-full, half-empty glass. What is it–half full or half empty?

The answer: BOTH… but, you can only do something with the full half!!

In communities that are healthy and working toward their desired future, people know that it’s not useful to focus on “needs” and “deficiencies.”

Of course, it doesn’t mean you don’t exercise wisdom in how you interact with people just because you’re focusing on the full half.  You’re just opening your eyes to something valuable and worth liking and celebrating rather than getting caught up in critical dismissal of someone and losing out on whatever gift/skill/talent they might enrich your life with. That’s not Pollyanna–that’s practical!

When you shift your focus to gifts, you find things that not only are useful in community–who couldn’t use a great conversationalist?–but ways for people to feel cared for, valued, needed and good in community.  And, when you name or celebrate what’s good in someone, that thing tends to grow stronger.  As my friend Deamon always says, “When you celebrate people, they do it more.”

No matter how many times it happens, I am always surprised by the power of seeing and naming gifts. I’m grateful to C____ for writing me after all this time to let me know about the impact my words had on his life.

What about you…  What have you experienced like this?  Have you ever tried “naming gifts” in others and seeing what happened?

 

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HoodRoving News: I am not alone!

Posted on September 30, 2012 by April

Excerpt from latest article on my adventures in neighborhood connecting (aka HoodRoving). Full article is linked below. Enjoy and share your thoughts please!!!

~ April

 

HoodRoving News: I am not alone!

I value citizenship—the ability we each have to make a difference through our actions around something we care about, in the company of others.

Yet, from over at least a decade of witnessing people trying to make the world a better place in one form or another, I find the thing that seems to plague most “do-ers” is that ugly phenomenon called “burnout”: A person who’s passionate about something takes on more and more responsibility, becoming isolated in and consumed by that responsibility. Eventually, they give up, heartbroken and alone in a new form—mourning the quit venture. I also know people who have witnessed burn-out in others and choose not to pursue an inspiration for the sake of their own protection or sanity.

 

“Burned Out” by Derek Hess.

Perhaps the best inoculation against burn-out is to find good friends who share your passion and will walk with you down the path of action. This is a story of how I found friends to walk beside along a path of “reweaving” the fabric of our neighborhood, Gillespie Park. It’s also the story of how great ideas can incubate for what seems like ages, only to spring into action when the conditions are right. Finally, it’s a story about connection and neighbors discovering abundance in the place where they live.

 

 

R-L: Chris, me, Andrea, Steve, Leo and Nicole.

 

*  *  *

It all began with an email from Allison Pinto of the local civic engagement organization SCOPE. Allison coordinates SCOPE’s Neighborhoods Initiative, which has produced some exciting innovations in the last several years. In her email, Allison invited me to host a table representing Gillespie Park at their upcoming “Neighborhood Expo” on September 13.

 

READ FULL ARTICLE 

on

This Week in Sarasota.com – Sarasota's Community Events Calendar – Today Sarasota, Florida

Posted in Building Community, Kids & Youth, Neighborhoods, Public Space, Published Articles | Leave a comment

EVENT: Creative Conversation on Radical Inclusion

Posted on September 27, 2012 by April
JOIN ME for this “Creative Conversation”~ I’m grateful to have been invited to this wonderful local hub of artistic skill and community spirit to share about my favorite subject!Radical Inclusion: The Art of CommunityRADICAL INCLUSION: THE ART of COMMUNITYAs part of the Creative Conversations series at Clothesline, “Roving Illustrator” April Doner will share why she’s in love with Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)

ABCD is a method for social and economic change that focuses on the strengths already present in communities and how they can be mobilized for change through relationships, citizen leadership, and radical inclusion.

At this “mini-workshop,” April will share:* Stories of community transformations led by ordinary people* Why this approach is a promising departure from the norm* Resources & Tools for tapping into the assets around you to realize changes you want to see.* How this method can help citizens, groups and organizations increase their impact and tap into new resources

Friday, Sept 28
7-8:30 PM
Sarasota, FL
About April:
Proud Florida Native, New College grad, and Gillespie Park neighbor, April uses her experiences and knack for connecting with people to teach, practice, and tell stories of community empowerment. A Fellow with the Asset-Based Community Development Institute, her writing and photography can be found on www.ThisWeekinSarasota.com and www.TheAbundantCommunity.com. Her art can be found on www.aprildoner.com.

 
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“A hushed room: open mic at Pastry Art”

Posted on September 17, 2012 by April

Here’s my latest article on This Week in Sarasota. Hope you enjoy it.

Let me know what you think and if you’d like to join me on my next Open Mic excursion.

~=A=~

 

This week gave me the chance to make the fourth stop on my local tour of the Open Mic scene abuzz in our fair town.

This journey began four months ago as a personal exploration of the questions:

  • What kind of function do open mics play in our local community for its economy, musicians and music-lovers?  
  • What is the unique flavor of each open mic happening across Sarasota?

So far, I’ve checked out the scenes brewing on the North Trail on Tuesdays at Growler’s Pub; out east at the old-Florida, impressively intergenerational open mics on Mondays atJ.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe (the longest-running in Sarasota). I also forayed outside of the “open mic” category to experience the Bee Ridge Park Jam.

So far, themes are emerging. Open mics are an important space of interaction where novice musicians gain experience and confidence, where experienced musicians try out new material and where all levels find connections that help them move forward with their music. People also find friends, release and relaxation, and a sense of community.

 

*  *  *

 

When Wednesday night rolled around last week, I made my way by foot through the Gillespie Park neighborhood down to Main Street. As I approached the warm yellow lighting of Pastry Art, I thought about how this place has enchanted me from my first step through its glass doors; I sensed a buzz of welcome, interaction, comfort and familiarity that I came to learn is generated every day by the flow of folks who come regularly. It’s a great “third place” in our community, and I’d been looking forward to visiting the open mic here to sample its specific “flavor.”

 

READ FULL ARTICLE

on

This Week in Sarasota.com – Sarasota's Community Events Calendar – Today Sarasota, Florida

Posted in Building Community, Local Events, Public Space, Published Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A hushed room: open mic at Pastry Art

Posted on September 17, 2012 by April

Originally published in This Week in Sarasota

 

This week gave me the chance to make the fourth stop on my local tour of the Open Mic scene abuzz in our fair town.

This journey began four months ago as a personal exploration of the questions:

  • What kind of function do open mics play in our local community for its economy, musicians and music-lovers?  
  • What is the unique flavor of each open mic happening across Sarasota?

 

So far, I’ve checked out the scenes brewing on the North Trail on Tuesdays at Growler’s Pub; out east at the old-Florida, impressively intergenerational open mics on Mondays at J.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe (the longest-running in Sarasota). I also forayed outside of the “open mic” category to experience the Bee Ridge Park Jam.

So far, themes are emerging. Open mics are an important space of interaction where novice musicians gain experience and confidence, where experienced musicians try out new material and where all levels find connections that help them move forward with their music. People also find friends, release and relaxation, and a sense of community.

 

The mellow, warm glow of Pastry Art’s open mic.

*  *  *

When Wednesday night rolled around last week, I made my way by foot through the Gillespie Park neighborhood down to Main Street. As I approached the warm yellow lighting of Pastry Art, I thought about how this place has enchanted me from my first step through its glass doors; I sensed a buzz of welcome, interaction, comfort and familiarity that I came to learn is generated every day by the flow of folks who come regularly. It’s a great “third place” in our community, and I’d been looking forward to visiting the open mic here to sample its specific “flavor.”

As I entered, a beautiful young woman with short dark hair was singing quite enchantingly with a guitar. But what struck me first was that, more than any other open mic I had entered so far, there was a golden hush within the walls of the place.

 

A rapt audience member.

There was no background chatter. All attention was focused forward from the filled tables toward the performance area near the front entrance. (That being the case, I had the disorienting experience of walking into a thick wall of “attention” which, though it wasn’t aimed at me, jived my senses nonetheless.)

I greeted a couple of people I knew but, unlike other times coming into this coffee-shop, I knew very few people there. Ages ranged from teens to late 60s. But what I couldn’t get over was the respectful hush that cloaked the room and the air.

After she finished playing, I approached the singer and introduced myself. Her name was Angela Menzie, and she happily agreed to oblige me with an interview. We took seats at the metal tables that flank Main Street outside (another thing I love about Pastry Art: awesome people-watching!).  Angela, I learned, is from Indiana originally and moved here earlier this year.

 

Angela Menzie performs in her jazzy folk style.

Angela’s from a very small town — the kind where everyone knows each other and feels part of a tangible community. Here, she missed that cohesion but soon discovered it at Pastry Art’s open mic. She attends nearly every week and has made a large number of her friends here. She especially treasures the opportunity the Open Mic provides to try out new songs — some covers, some originals — in front of a supportive group of musicians and music-lovers. Also, she comes for the music itself. “Music relaxes me,” she says. “It puts me in a better place.”

The conversation actually blossomed past the interview, trailing into our beliefs, life experiences and philosophies on life. Angela added that the open mic has given her a chance to get to know and understand people she may not otherwise meet. I soaked up her fresh, open and vibrant personality and then realized I’d miss the rest of the performances if I didn’t get back inside — but not before we both supported our local art community with a purchase from a friendly palmetto-leaf artisan.

Returning inside, I took in a few more acts. It was all acoustic in varying styles. My friend Ed Midler arrived, one of my personal heroes of the local music scene, who helps drive the all-local, all-original Noise Ordinance music project as well as Sarasota Music Scene, a hub for local music buzz and happenings. I never see him without a laptop, and tonight he used it to show me Sarasota Music Scene’s snazzy new website.

I then met Chuck Black, a fellow Florida native with a natural big smile who I learned is one of several organizers of the weekly Songwriter Showcase at the Coffee Loft. James Cademan, who I’d met at the Old Packinghouse open mic months before, also greeted me. I plumbed the two for perspective on what makes this particular open mic unique.

 

Chuck Black, (not really the) brother of Jack Black.

James: “It’s a mixture of artists. When you go to Starkeeper’s [open mic], it’s mostly musicians. Here, you get artists too — such as Sue [who often sketches performers], who is here every week. It’s the only place where people perform poetry and comedy … I think it’s because it’s downtown.”

Chuck: “It’s welcoming, encouraging … Joe B welcomes people. It draws people from everywhere since it’s downtown. There’s a very nice, low-key atmosphere.”

Ben Thurmond, guitarist and singer for local band The Send Offs and yet another compelling local talent, added a note to Pastry Art’s flavor bouquet: “Encouraging.”

Regarding the value of open mics, James echoed other open mic attendees I’ve asked so far, especially those who are active as working or serious musicians. He said it’s a useful way “to glean from other peoples’ styles. It’s good to get your feet wet performing in front of people.”

As the night wound to a close and I neared the sweet ending of my decaf cappucino (yes, really — love the flavor, but I getpsycho on caffeine late at night), I caught up with “Joe B,” the open mic coordinator. He was the man who moved in as musicians started and stopped their acts, adjusting the microphone and other technical doohickeys. He did a wonderful job of “holding space” with his smile and quietly welcoming air.

 

“Joe B,” friendly host of Pastry Art’s open mic.

Hailing from Vermont and New York, Joe moved here about three years ago. He teaches English by trade but also works as a rock-n-roll/Americana-style musician. Joe took on the role of open mic coordinator for friend and local musician Carmela Pedicini (of bands Radio-Free Carmela and the Transmitters and Passerine) and has shared the role with Michael Miller (The Heart Machine) over the last several months.

Why does Joe host? It’s been a lot harder for working musicians down here than in New York, and this weekly work opportunity is a good deal as well as something he enjoys doing.

One of the key differences Joe notes between this and another popular open mic (which I have yet to visit … next stop?) is that, while the open mic at the Starkeeper Café is predominantly working musicians — say, 80 percent — Pastry Art tends to draw fewer — probably 30 percent, Joe estimates.

“There’s a lot more raw talent here,” he says. “It gives people a chance to try stuff out.” Joe listed three main reasons he’s noticed as to why working musicians, including himself, come to Open Mics:

1. To try out new material

2. To try to get gigs at a place where you haven’t yet played

3. To promote an upcoming gig, especially if you have a gig someplace that hosts an open mic.

“We get a lot of repeat players — which is a good thing,” Joe says. “People come back because they feel safe. Everybody’s welcome.” He added, “It’s a tight ship, though. Tonight I opened up sign-ups at 6:30, and at ten minutes to 7:00 I filled the last slot.” Performers can sign up for a spot via Facebook, text message or by just showing up.

Joe also enlightened me about the working music scene in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Unlike New York, Joe has found  people less willing to pay musicians reasonable rates. There is less of a perception, he says, of the costs required to perform music, including practice time, travel time, equipment and set-up time. “There’s a lot of overhead,” he says.

I asked Joe how we could help to change a difficult environment for working musicians.

“Venues have to commit to paying people, and people coming to venues have to commit to paying for music. Gone are the days when one dollar is enough of a tip … and change? Please.”

I left Pastry Art rewarded for having come. I learned some new things about local musicians’ experience trying to make a living locally, and how open mics fit into and support their creative livelihood and development. I also heard and felt that “thing” that everyone named in different ways, but seems to hold a common glow and magnetic attraction for all who come: a sense of community, connection and inclusion, and the joy that these things bring.

If you’re looking for a warm, relaxed way to spend your mid-week evening, swing by Pastry Art on a Wednesday night to get a taste of this unique event’s flavor, which Angela described so well:

“It comes with a laid-back, easy, mellow feeling —and still welcomes people with a little bit of crazy.”

That, and the pastries … !

 

*  *  *

Do you attend open mics at Pastry Art or elsewhere? What’s it like? How do you find it valuable?

How can we make Sarasota/Bradenton an even better place for music and musicians to thrive?

 

Nom nom nom nom — pastries as art!

 

*  *  *

FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION:

Open Mic @ Pastry Art
every Wednesday, 7 to 9 p.m.*
Pastry Art
* If you want to perform, come by at 6:30 p.m., or hit up Joe B on Facebook.

Sarasota Music Scene

“The Third Place”

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Bee Ridge Park Jam: 15 years of bluegrass, country and gospel

Posted on August 12, 2012 by April

[Originally published in This Week in Sarasota]

 

Last Thursday  gave me an opportunity to do two cool things:

  1.  Fulfill a pledge made two months ago to visit and report on one local open mic per month, then report back on its unique “flavor.”
  2. Answer a question I didn’t even know I had: What’s the difference between an “open mic” and a “jam”?

This opportunity arose via my friend Steve, who mentioned the other day in passing that a jam happens every Thursday in a park by his house near Bee Ridge. Having never heard of this, my interest was piqued. Maybe I could cover this as part of  my open mic exploration?

But wait—would this “count” if it’s a jam? … What is the difference?

Then Steve mentioned that he’d  been meaning to go out there to hear the music and meet his neighbors, and it was all over for me … as an avid promoter of neighbor-knowing and as a nerdy girl who’s curious about the definitions of things, I knew I had to go!

Come Thursday, it took some phone-calling to find my way to Bee Ridge Park (no, I do not own a do-everything-phone), but the location was easy to spot once I got on the right road.

Pleasant residential blocks opened up to a wide green space with hordes of cars spilling from the parking lot and onto the grass. Steve and his housemate greeted me with Steve’s specialty in arm—Chicken-Shrimp Tiki Masala—and we headed to the jam area. The mellow sound of guitars and other acoustic strings grew clearer as we neared a pavilion, filled with folks sitting at concrete picnic tables with more folks lounging and listening in their own portable chairs.

 

“Mellow” pretty well sums up the feel of the jam.  As Steve had advertised to me, the music played was bluegrass, country and gospel. A core of four or five people stayed standing, playing and singing while other folks came up for songs then sat back down, and another row of folks sat strumming banjoes, fiddles and I’m honestly not sure what else on the benches closest to the performance.

Without asking, I began to get the feeling of what might be different between a “jam” and an “open mic.” Unlike open mics I had attended, this musical gathering seemed to be more of a flowing body of performers coming in and out, without any major break or singled-out performance. The effect of this, and perhaps of the music genre, was also “mellow.” As some players shifted in and out, others shifted instruments while the core sound remained steady. I also noticed that the audience listened raptly, unlike some other open mics I have attended.

Steve, his roommates and I hung out in the back, not having brought any sitting contraptions of our own, enjoying Chicken-Shrimp Masala and the wafting, pleasant strains of this easy-going music and its calm crowd in the fading light of the evening. I thought to myself, What a nice way to spend a Thursday evening!

 

 

As dark fell and 9 p.m. rolled around, the players ceased playing and the audience members began emptying out the pavilion.

Stanley, regular attendee and possible future player.

I caught up with an older gentleman whose outfit I loved on first sighting:  bright white overalls over a pink and purple tropical print button-down shirt. His name turned out to be Stanley, and the outfit a combined memorial to his two late wives—one piece given by each. Jovial and accommodating, Stanley informed me that this is a weekly outing for him and a welcome way to get out of the house and enjoy string music. One of these days, he might bring his banjo and join in. Stanley also pointed out the core organizers of the jam—three people who were loading up instruments and equipment into the back of a van.

Don Campbell, co-host.

I approached and had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Holbrook, Ginger King-Holbrook and Don Campbell, the jam’s host team. The longest-running host on the team, Charlie, is a retired tool and die maker originally from Kentucky who grew up around bluegrass, country and gospel music. Ginger, his wife, hails from New Jersey and has always loved music. The two met at the jam when she finally decided to cross the line between observer and participant and picked up her own stringed instrument. Don is a friend of Charlie’s who jumped in to help years ago. The trio works well to keep the duty of coordinating from weighing too heavily on anyone.

 

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April: How did this get started?

Charlie Holbrook: The jam got started over 15 years ago—exactly how long I don’t remember. A few of us used to go down to Venice to a jam down there and there were three of us; another fellow said well, let’s start one here, ’cause it’s close to home. It’s just grown and grown. [At the biggest turn out, Don] quit counting at 250.

Ginger King-Holbrook and Charlie Holbrook.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Holbrook.

 

AD: How does it work?

CH: It’s an open jam, with a few simple rules and regulations. We limit it to acoustic instruments; basically, your bluegrass jam etiquette is expected. Guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins—that’s about it really.

AD: What has made you keep doing it?

CH: All my life it’s been music; in fact, hanging on my wall is my mother’s fiddle she got when she was 11 or 12 years old, and she was born in 1921. My dad was more or less a singer; my brothers had a little gospel group. Just been music in my life ever since I can remember. It comes very natural to me, very natural.

AD: What good things have you seen come out of it?

CH: Well, we put a lot of smiles on people’s faces. They tell us how much they appreciate it. We have brought a lot of use to the park on Thursday nights and that helps them keep it going. One of the guys who came got started there; now he has one of the best bluegrass bands, Highway 41 South.

AD: Compared to other music stuff happening around town, what makes the Bee Ridge Jam special?

CH: Actually, the venue that it’s at. It’s open, has more of a public venue. Other places, it’s usually a hired band that lets other people join in with them.

Ours, for some reason or other, people say it’s special … There’s just something about it.

AD: So what’s kept you doing this all these years?

CH: Well like I said, I love my music. And it’s something we started many years ago with my friend who passed away. He was like a second brother to me, we were just so close. So to keep something going that we started together is just special to me. I love to put a smile on people’s face and make people happy.

AD: Forgive my ignorance, but can you tell me the difference between an open mic and a jam?

CH: Open mic is where they usually have a back-up band and they will come in and get up to the mic and sing or play a song with a back-up band.  One person gets to come up there and does this, that or another. Ours is so open, so we call it a jam. At an open mic, you play a little bit and sit down. At a jam, everybody gets to join in.

AD: Is that something common in bluegrass?

CH: Actually it is. That’s pretty much the way most of it is played. Actually is, and country also.

AD: Do you have a favorite bluegrass band?

CH: Highway 41 South.

AD: Would you say that hosting this jam for so many years has changed you?

CH: Yes it has. It’s given me a great feeling inside, a great feeling of pride that this thing is going, with no more effort than showing up on Thursday night very religiously and playing ourselves. That’s payment to me. I guess I’m an entertainer at heart.

AD: Anything else you want people to know?

CH: There are very few rules, but we do have rules. No washboards and spoons. We say you can’t do that because the person next to you won’t be able to hear anything else that’s going on. There’s no alcohol under the pavilion. And we ask everybody to hold the chatter down [except between sets].

AD: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a jam of their own? 

CH: Make some rules and stick to ’em. It’s not an easy thing. It started out just two or three of us, four or five. Takes time—don’t get impatient. The thing is to get together and play. Just play and have a good time. People hear about it through word of mouth, and it’s amazing how it will grow.

AD: Do you have any particular hopes for the jam in the future? 

CH: That when I get too old for this, somebody else will take over. Floyd, he’s the one started this thing; before he passed, he’d come out and sing. When he got too weak, I took over for him. So I’d like to see someone take it on and keep it going after me.

AD: What’s your favorite thing about it?

Ginger King-Holbrook: I think what [Charlie] feels and myself is the enjoyment and the smiles people show you, and as they come week to week they become like an extended family. They get cards for each other. If people get sick, they’ll go and visit each other and make sure they’re okay.  Also the people who come are very supportive and will go out to other events we suggest.

 

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About Don, Ginger added, “He’s been a great person to be there and adds so much to it. He’s become one of us—he’s Charlie’s best friend.”

The Bee Ridge Jam offers a flavor of music and gathering which I found mirrored in the demeanor of Bee Ridge Jam’s host team: sweet and sincere, rooted in story, place and a love for life. It offers a regular, welcoming space in this town where park benches are now a rarity and people tend to stay inside. Finally, it fosters bonds of caring and creative camaraderie among those who attend. These strike me as an invaluable asset.

 

Do you have stories to add about this or other local jams?

Can you add insight into the difference between a jam and an open mic? Which do you prefer—and why?

Share your responses in the comments section below!

 

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MORE INFO:

 

BEE RIDGE JAM SESSION

“Come One – Come All”

Every Thursday at  7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Bee Ridge Park
(Corner of Wilkinson Road and Lockwood Ridge Road)

 

OPEN MICS PREVIOUSLY VISITED:

Open mics: growing and connecting local talent  (Growler’s Pub, Tuesdays)
A Circle Intact: Old Packinghouse open mic links young and old  (Mondays)

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