Learning advantages of online old-time jams

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants in the old-time community of practice employed readily available streaming and teleconferencing platforms to jam online. Old-time musicians use acoustic instruments – primarily fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass – to play traditional fiddle tunes from the United States, and jams are important sites for both learning and community building. Old-time jams were primarily facilitated using Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube Live – platforms that allow a leader or small group to broadcast from a single location while other participants play on mute. While these platforms cannot successfully replicate in-person jams, for some players they provided a superior learning experience. This study draws on quantitative, qualitative and participant–observer data to categorize and describe the ways in which online jamming helped old-time players to sustain musical growth during the pandemic. While the inaudibility of individual participants might seem to be a major drawback of these platforms, it in fact benefited developing players in multiple ways. Participants also valued the opportunity to learn from recorded sessions, see and hear more clearly, maintain autonomy over their learning processes, access online resources and meet new challenges. For these reasons, online jams continue to serve as a valuable learning tool even as players return to in-person activities.