We deliver music and arts workshops for young people and inter-generational groups in a variety of settings.
Children's Arts Day Thursday July 9th: Melmerby 4.30-5.30
BlueJam are celebrating this by bringing visual arts to the last session of the Music Club at Melmerby Village Hall. The art will be displayed in the Eden Rural Foyer window in Penrith.This lively club has enabled 5 - 10 year olds to try out new instruments in a friendly atomsphere and play them in a group. The parents who set it up hope to carry on next year. To find out more - contact us!
BlueJam Music Machine at Appleby Carnival on July 11th
On the field after the procession we will have the revamped fabulous music machine.
If you are an experienced drummer come and show off, or just come and have a go at making as many sounds as you can.
Funding by Frieda Scott
BlueJam Samba at Appleby Carnival on July 11th
Join in the procession! Rehearsal workshop with Ben Parkinson and Mark Park on 7th June at Centre 67, Appleby. 6.30-8.30pm. All ages welcome. The parade starts at 1 o'clock (not 11am as previously said here.) Ring 07766057315 for details and possible rehearsal beforehand at 12 noon.
Funding by Frieda Scott
BlueJam Making Day on July 4th
Carnival costume and hat-making morning with Dawn Hurton 10 - 1pm Saturday at Great Salkeld Old School. Ring 07766057315 for details.
We will be making a concerted effort to get some good flowers, hats and costumes made. Accompanied young children welcome.
BlueJam at Solfest! August Bank Holiday
Once again we have been invited to play on the Drystone Stage and are really pleased to be doing it.
The Festival Band hasn't been meeting since last year so we are taking the Cafe Jazz band with some new arrangements. Times and news when they come out. Go to solfest website to see what's on!
BlueJam CafeJazz & BigJam at Brewery Malt Room, Kendal June 24th
This Years Community Platform was excellent - big, enthusiastic audience and a wealth and range of talent. Our favourites were the taiko drummers and Young Orbit.
BlueJam ORCH:ID at Keswick's Theatre-by-the Lake on June 21st.
The day went really well - BlueJam performed excellently as usual and we got loads of good feedback. It was different playing acoustically without amplification and maybe there was less impact because of that, but it was a good experience and I hope the group will go on to do more. We weren't allowed to record it but there will be a national SingUp video out soon and you never know - we might be on it!
BlueJam Concert in Alston June 20th - organised by Tom Macmillan
This concert featured Room Full Of Owls, (folk/rock), Sarah Morton & Jesse Reed, (jazz), User Friendly (ska), and Mannequin Music. (duo). Massive thanks to Tom and all the people who helped make this such a successful evening - the bands for playing such great music, people who set up and cleared away and who brought raffle prizes. £270 was made.
BlueJam CafeJazz at Great Strickland Summer Fiesta on Sunday 14 June
Chloe Thwaites puts on these great events to raise money for the Hospice and this year it was sunny, relaxed and people had a great time. We closed the festival and it was wonderful playing in front of such an appreciative audience! Thank you! See video
BlueJam Music Machine & Samba at Great Salkeld Festival on Sat 13 June
Dawn and Jilly got the machine repaired and ready to go - it was a hit especially with the younger children. We have lots of ideas now about how we can use it as part of a mixed media performance/workshop event. Interested in hiring us or in developing the project? - get in touch. (Thanks to Jolly Jon and Tom B, Bryony and Kate for making the original machine last year. See video
BlueJam CafeJazz in Penrith Leisure Centre Cafe on Wed May 27. 7-9pm
Performing were: Ailsa, Alison, Bryony, Jen, Jilly, Josh, Mouse, Ollie and Tom M. Our usual mix of swing, bop, blues, Latin and some originals.
It was a good gig - thanks to the 8 people who turned up to watch!
BlueJam at Dalemain Packs & Tracks event
We took some players from BlueJam's Blue Acoustic with very welcome additions from the Folk group. We are hoping to get funding to keep the folk group going and be able to advertise it to newcomers. If you are new to playing an instrument or a bit rusty we hope to be able to offer support and arrangements of traditional Cumbrian tunes that suit all skills. Wednesdays 7pm Play Station, Penrith.
BlueJam Samba at Penrith May Parade Click here for video 1 | video 2
Thanks to everyone who took part, making costumes, drumming, cycling or carrying. In spite of the rain people were smiling!
Massive thanks to Ben, Gordon and Dawn for organising it all and making it another May Day to remember. Funded by Eden Arts and Neighbourhood Forum.
Boundless Voices - concert at Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth
For more info go to vocalunion.org.uk.
The concert featured performances by Mouthful, The Safires, Boundless Voices, TongueTide and Sarah Wall & Jilly Jarman. Hear an extract from Sarah & Jilly's set:
Jasmine | Leumle (looped live improvisation)
BlueJam at SOLFEST 2008
Once again we really enjoyed the festival, had good weather for our set and a good crowd.We also played in the Soundwave tent with their 3D sound system.
Pictures 
Hear the choir performance
at the Barbican
Cultural Olympiad - Youth Music Voices
BlueJam took some singers aged 14 & 18 years down to London to launch the Cultural Olympiad. They sang at the South Bank, Barbican and Arts Depot. Our best bit was an adhoc performance in the skateboard park, raising the roof in Pizza Express and singing with the buskers by the Thames.
University of Cumbria
Cumbria Institute of the Arts
Edinburgh College of Art
Glasgow University
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Leeds College of Music
Newcastle College
Leeds Metropolitan
Newcastle University
William Howard School, Brampton
College Connections
Do you know someone from Cumbria who has gone to college to do visual or performing arts or music?
If they write us an article we will pay £10! Get in touch....
I didn't appreciate at the time what they were trying to do, which was just expand your experience of looking at things
......Gwen Bainbridge
If you do pop/funk/soul/rock etc there's one piece of advice - do a jazz degree! If you can play jazz you can play anything
......Oli Bentley , Leeds College of Music