Sixteen years of Javaroma Jams
'I hope more people pitch in'
Robin Grant
Northern News Services
Friday, November 25, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
For 16 years, Saturday night jam sessions at Javaroma have been helping aspiring musicians pursue their dreams.
Actor Adam Beach, left, and Shiri MacPherson performing at Javaroma in November 2012. - photo courtesy of Facebook |
The venue has provided a training ground for newbie musicians who have gone on to make a name for themselves in the Northern music industry. Some of those names - folk and blues singer Greyson Gritt and singer-songwriter Jesse Gon or Digawolf - have become well-known fixtures in Yellowknife.
Singer-songwriter Jonathan Churcher has been hosting java jams for years. He said the weekend event provides a much needed stage for aspiring artists to learn skills and manage nerves.
"The more inexperienced the person is, the less opportunity they have to perform in front of not necessarily an appreciative audience, but a sympathetic one," he said.
Churcher described open-mic venues in general as "embryonic zones" where artists can begin to improve their skills.
"I call them 'no-attitude' venues. The audience understands that some performers are going to be new and not particularly skilled, and, at the same time, you get people who have been performing all their lives," he said.
Javaroma Jam was founded in 1999 by Marino Casebeer out of what he called an intense love for music. He recruits hosts and Javaroma pays a $50 honorarium for hosting the night. Interested musicians sign up to perform.
In his youth, Casebeer said he developed an appreciation for how having music in his life has enhanced his "personhood."
"Part of my purpose with this tenacious dedication to this jam is to provide a venue for people to have some musical expression outside the confines of their shower or bedroom or living room," he said.
In the beginning years, he said many local professional musicians came out and performed regularly, so there was "sort of a counter-balance between youth and emerging musicians and more seasoned veterans to sort of mentor and mix," he said.
But popularity for the event has begun to wane in recent years. In early October, Casebeer invited Northern-based singer-songwriter Indio Saravanja to host a jam session in an effort to attract more people. That night, Javaroma was packed with an eager audience.
"These kinds of open mics are so important for young people who are interested in playing music publicly and maybe pursuing a career," Saravanja said. "There was a time in my young life when I would go to them - one to three times a week in cities like Toronto, Montreal and New York. I made lifelong connections and learned how to perform under pressure ... Competition was fierce."
He said it is "cool" the scene still exists today as a transition between amateur and professional.
"I was very impressed with some of the young people there ... I hope more people pitch in to make it even stronger."
Javaroma co-owner Fadil Memedi said the weekly event contributes to keeping local talent alive in the city and attracts guests looking for an alternative to drinking in bars.
"It's a place for artists to come and express themselves," he said. "Also it's giving everybody a place to come in and enjoy the night who might not necessarily want to be in a loud bar or for people who don't drink."
Sixteen-year-old Shiri MacPherson has been attending Java Jam for years and now takes on the task of hosting the event on occasion.
"One of the biggest things I noticed is how shy first-time performers are and now I see them all those years later and they're like famous around town and playing at the all the events," she said. "So that is one of the big things I learned - that everyone starts somewhere."
