Annual SOTW meet & greet

[tjontheroad]

Ok, so here's a crazy idea...

Would you be willing to travel for weekend vacation to an annual SOTW meet & greet? A couple of other forums I visit do this. They book a small resort and take over. It's the chance to jam with your fellow saxaholics and tell stories that you wouldn't type here. We could do a gear and CD swap. Maybe even a few clinics by esteemed contributors. Of course, there would have to be a monster jam session. A recording or DVD could be made and sold for the benefit of SOTW.

Is this a good idea or should I just drink the rest of my bourbon?

[brassnaked]

Excellent idea...could be REALLY fun and informational. Sounds like a whole lot of work though for the event organizer...count me in if it's semi-local to southeast Pennsylvania.

[Grumps]

I've suggested before that any such event could be planned around the Saxophone Symposium they hold at George Mason University in Northern Virginia (just outside of DC) every January. The Symposium events go on Friday through Saturday, and SOTW'ers could meet up then and hold our own event on Sunday. Folks could make a real nice trip out of it, what with DC right next door.

[tjontheroad]

I've suggested before that any such event could be planned around the Saxophone Symposium they hold at George Mason University in Northern Virginia (just outside of DC) every January. The Symposium events go on Friday through Saturday, and SOTW'ers could meet up then and hold our own event on Sunday. Folks could make a real nice trip out of it, what with DC right next door.

That'll work for starters. Although the DC area is pricey when it comes to hotel stays. It maybe better to find a non-metro location. Like a mountain resort.

[Merlin]

I've suggested before that any such event could be planned around the Saxophone Symposium they hold at George Mason University in Northern Virginia (just outside of DC) every January. The Symposium events go on Friday through Saturday, and SOTW'ers could meet up then and hold our own event on Sunday. Folks could make a real nice trip out of it, what with DC right next door.

Several of us done just that thing on a couple of occasions. I've hung out with Paul Lindemeyer, Keith Bradbury (Mojo), Curt Altarac (MusicMedic) and several other SOTW folks there.

[saxmanglen]

Perhaps something on a regional level may work in the USA. An East Coast, West Coast and a MId West locale. I'll get back and drink my coffe now.....

[Chris S]

I've also thought about this idea. I think it would be a bit more practical to have regional meetings to start. Maybe, a west coast (San Fran or Vegas?), a MidWest (Chicago?), Rocky Mountain (Denver), Southwest (Dallas/Ft Worth or maybe somewhere in NM), Southeast (Florida), Northeast (New York or maybe Philly?)...

I think in order for something like that to happen, there'd have to be a regional chairperson for each meeting... someone to organize each regional meeting, and an overall chairperson, someone to answer questions, etc. It would be a big undertaking for sure. It would also be expensive. In order to get a hotel with confrence rooms etc, we'd have to contact hotels, see what kind of a deal they'd cut us, get the payments in advance, book the hotel, set up presenters, maybe a good local tech, and possibly book some gigs in the community that we were in for the presenters. Something along the lines of what they do at the UNC Jazz Festival. They have all the clinics etc during the day, and there's a hotel nearby where they have a jam session with the clinicians at night.

Not a bad idea, but there'd have to be a VERY strong interest from the SOTW community, and a handful of VERY organized people to be the regional chairpeople.

If there's a large interest, Harri and the admin team will talk about it and see what we can do.

Best,
Chris S

[tjontheroad]

I've also thought about this idea. I think it would be a bit more practical to have regional meetings to start. Maybe, a west coast (San Fran or Vegas?), a MidWest (Chicago?), Rocky Mountain (Denver), Southwest (Dallas/Ft Worth or maybe somewhere in NM), Southeast (Florida), Northeast (New York or maybe Philly?)...

I think in order for something like that to happen, there'd have to be a regional chairperson for each meeting... someone to organize each regional meeting, and an overall chairperson, someone to answer questions, etc. It would be a big undertaking for sure. It would also be expensive. In order to get a hotel with confrence rooms etc, we'd have to contact hotels, see what kind of a deal they'd cut us, get the payments in advance, book the hotel, set up presenters, maybe a good local tech, and possibly book some gigs in the community that we were in for the presenters. Something along the lines of what they do at the UNC Jazz Festival. They have all the clinics etc during the day, and there's a hotel nearby where they have a jam session with the clinicians at night.

Not a bad idea, but there'd have to be a VERY strong interest from the SOTW community, and a handful of VERY organized people to be the regional chairpeople.

If there's a large interest, Harri and the admin team will talk about it and see what we can do.

Best,
Chris S

Staying regional is cool. Don't forget our over the pond saxmaniacs. I think a simple east/west for the USA would work for a start. Interest would have to given to get an estimated total of attendees. Then a location could be voted on. Each year could be in a new place. Hotel deals would have a cutoff date for down payment securing reservations.

Of course the most important question would be... What's the tune for the jam?

[G-dawg]

And in what key? :D

[Pete]

Staying regional is cool. Don't forget our over the pond saxmaniacs. I think a simple east/west for the USA would work for a start. Interest would have to given to get an estimated total of attendees. Then a location could be voted on. Each year could be in a new place. Hotel deals would have a cutoff date for down payment securing reservations.

Of course the most important question would be... What's the tune for the jam?
Just FYI: in the distant past, Dijaldi, a former Mod on this Forum, had high hopes for putting together a "large" regional SOTWF Convention-type thing. While I don't want to throw water on the idea, things didn't work out very well, especially at the point where he started trying to get hotel bookings and "featured guests" and such.

(Chris, you can e-mail Harri for more details. I was never really involved in the get-together.)

I've met with a couple gentlemen from the Phoenix area. I would like to attend a larger gathering, but I'd hate to do the logistics.

[tjontheroad]

I had thought there would only be a group of say 10-15 who could make it. If that happened, then it could grow from there in future events. I wouldn't mind doing some of the legwork if it was that size group.

Still, there has to be more interest than has been expressed here so far.

[Master.America]

It's not that we're not interested, it's that we're musicians. We don't have money with which to travel.

[saxmanglen]

I had thought there would only be a group of say 10-15 who could make it. If that happened, then it could grow from there in future events. I wouldn't mind doing some of the legwork if it was that size group.

Still, there has to be more interest than has been expressed here so far.

Tim,

I think there's interest, but it's difficult to get us all focused at the same time.

I know there are some great players here in CA and I'd love to have a get together just for those members in our State. Even if your within a few hours of travel to the event it's tough to get everyone on the same page at the same time.

I live in a centrally located spot on the Coast (great vacation spot) and would love to see a "get together" done with a jam session. I play with a couple of big bands and could arrange a rhythm section and probably get use of a high school band room for a jam session. It WOULD be cool!

[tjontheroad]

Think cheap. Think road trip :) Think 3 star not 5 star resort with a pool. I have some friends who work for a hotel in Valley Forge, PA (that's Outer Space to you guys). I could get a package deal easy for 1-2 night stay. Nothing in it for me.

[martysax]

Wouldn't it be amazing if one day, all over the world, the Saxophonists took the day off. What would happen? Who would sub for us if we're all at a convention?

Long term sax-outs could result in a lower birth rate in some areas.

Would Trombonists suddenly become in-demand?

[tjontheroad]

Wouldn't it be amazing if one day, all over the world, the Saxophonists took the day off. What would happen? Who would sub for us if we're all at a convention?

Long term sax-outs could result in a lower birth rate in some areas.

Would Trombonists suddenly become in-demand?

We could call a general sax strike! No trombone player would cross that line.