We’ve been granted entry to a delightful and enchanting community where folks wander around singing songs and playing music, all while being deliciously supportive and easy-going, and with offspring who define the word awesome.
That, my friends, is Jam Camp.
We first heard about it from a fellow homeschooling family who live down the street from us. They’ve gone for several years, and raved about it. Until now it’s taken place near Mabel Lake in the Kooteney’s, but this year the Jam Camp Society brought their particular kind of musical magic to the coast. The Sunshine Coast, in fact.
Jack stayed home, but we brought Grandma with us, picking her up at her house in Gibsons on our way. We set up our tent on the edge of the woods in Roberts Creek, along with several other families, and settled in. We met countless Lovely People, and while Hawk kept me from some of the more intensive music sessions, Grandma dug right in and emerged with some new fierce ukelele skills and a couple of choice contributions to the end performance.
Esmé stumbled out of the tent in the morning and only came back to base for food and water. She spent most of her days running around in the forest with an ever-changing and lovely gaggle of (mostly homeschooled) children who played beautifully together, across ages and interests. She drank up the music like soul-juice, staying up late to watch the evening performances and dancing hard whenever a drum beat caught her interest. She had Big Ideas about her violin, but to be honest, she was too busy making friends and careening around to focus on it. ”Next year, Mama!” She’s also talking about joining the Musical Theatre group next year, which wildly impressed her with their final performance in the woods. The fiery poi demonstration one starry dark night caught her interest in a very special way, and she’s been talking about ‘fire dancing’ ever since.
Hawk wandered around from dawn until late night, reveling in the Great Outside. He danced his sillies out to the music, and stayed up way past his bedtime listening to songs and performances of all sorts. I think his favourite parts were following the bigger kids, and the djembe drums that were everywhere for him to bang on to his heart’s content. I don’t think he put on shoes for nearly a week straight.
Along with meeting many new friends, I was introduced to the mandolin, and have now rented one to see if it’s something that my arthritic-ish writerly hands will agree too. My neighbour (the one who introduced us to Jam Camp) is working on a Gillian Welch song (By the Mark), and I have hopes of mastering enough of the mandolin to play along with her at the open mic night next year. I’m working on the chords and have the callouses to prove it!
Jack came up on Thursday, which was our diaper-washing & grocery-fetching day, and once again we wondered how we could make a life on the Coast. The restaurant we’ve had our eye on acquiring is still for lease … three summer seasons later. We have big dreams about a place like that, but now isn’t the time. Or, it doesn’t seem like it anyway.
For now, the kids and I had a lovely week up there. And even if it’s not on the Coast again next year (we hope it is!), we’ll do the drive to wherever it is. We wouldn’t miss it! Until then, Jam Campers!
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Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.