THE Goulburn Valley town of Girgarre was hit hard by the millenium floods that ravaged south-eastern Australia – but a plucky group of local musicians is revitalising its sense of community spirit through music.
Every month, players of various levels of ability and experience meet atGirgarreTown Hall to take part in jam sessions they call Jigarre Jammin.
Anything from 40-70 people head to the hall for up to five hours of playing, singing, sharing skills and socialising.
The event has continued to grow since the inaugural session in 2010, with musicians coming in fromBendigo, Echuca, Cobram, Shepparton, Yarrawonga and many other towns to participate.
Shepparton resident and music lover Di Burgmann had been a keen guitarist in her youth, but stopped playing when she gave up teaching, married and had a family.
In later years she reconnected with her instrument and in 2009 decided to attend the Girgarre Moosic Muster, an annual communal jam.
“I came home and I felt almost ripped off that I had to wait another year to play with people again,” she said.
Di contacted Girgarre mayor Jan Smith about her desire to create a more regular jam session for local music lovers and the pair began holding weekly get-togethers in Jan’s living room.
By 2010 the event was so popular it was decided to move it to the town hall and invite the general public.
Di said the millenium droughts had badly affected the community and forced people to withdraw into themselves.
“People isolate themselves and don’t like to share their personal grief over what’s going on,” she said.
“A lot of people were going under and there were a lot of suicides – a lot of things no one wants to see.
“We just thought, there has got to be something to make people happy.”
Di said the group attracted everyone from beginners to people who played in their youth but stopped in adulthood, to those who started playing later in life and experts happy to share tips to help improve others’ skills.
“My husband had never played music, but had always wished to as a kid, and he started playing ukulele and we ended up forming a small band,” Di said.
The group covers music across a range of different genres – pop, country, folk, ’60s hits and more.
While the jam sessions also feature workshops and open mic brackets, Di said the group jams presented a comfortable environment for even beginners.
“We’re playing in a group, so if you stuff it up, it doesn’t matter!”
The group meets on the fourth Saturday of each month and the cost is $2 per session.
- Details from Irene Labbett on 0429-149-246.