Join the music makers at monthly circle

MILLERTON — For anyone who loves music there will soon be a place to go to enjoy the rhythmic sounds and harmonic melodies of voices and instruments melded together in joyous celebration. The location? The North East Community Center (NECC). The activity? The Millerton Folk Jam. The organizer? Nancy Carey Johnson.

 â€œI just love to sing and play. It does my heart good. It’s good for my soul, maybe,â€� she said. “Music literally pours out of me, everywhere I go. What it is for me is a heck of a lot of fun.â€�

Johnson came up with the idea after participating in a similar music circle in the Chatham area, where she formerly resided. Since moving to the Millerton area, however, she’s been searching for a place to sing and play her guitar.

“Manna Dew and Irving Farm are no longer doing their open mic nights,� said the singer-song-writer. “I thought I would really like to play and there’s nowhere to do it, so I contacted the community center and said is there a possibility of doing this. They said, ‘Sure.’ So I’m putting together a folk jam and am quite excited.�

Although the music circle is entitled “folk jam,� Johnson said the music brought into the circle does not have to be strictly folk music. It can be pop music, rock, jazz, etc. And not all participants have to sing or play an instrument. People can attend just to listen. Regardless of why one attends, Johnson said the event will offer a mix of socializing and musicality for those present.

“I think it’s a chance to connect, a chance to sing and play,� she said. “A lot of people love music but have chosen other paths in life and this is the only chance they get [to play and perform].�

Musicians, and that means not only those classically trained but also those without any training at all, are invited to bring any and all types of instruments. Johnson said she looks forward to seeing guitars, stand-up basses, banjos, flutes, harmonicas, fiddles and more.

“Bring what you have and do what  you love,â€� she said. “It’s really about passion.â€�

The Millerton Folk Jam is free to join and open to all. Although children are welcome, Johnson said the circle is truly for adults. She also emphasized that there is no drinking or partying allowed — the circle is for playing music, pure and simple.

The folk jams are scheduled for the second Saturday of the month on a regular basis, from 7 to 11 p.m., at NECC. The community center is located at 51 South Center St. in Millerton. The first music circle is planned for Saturday, Oct. 10. 

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