LJS 204: How to Prepare for Jam Sessions and Group Playing (feat. Diego Maldonado and Wallace Stelzer)

Welcome to episode 204 of the LJS Podcast where today I have professional jazz musicians Diego Maldonado and Wallace Stelzer on the show to talk all about preparing to play live with other people. One of the top musical goals I hear among the LJS Community is to be able to play with other musicians, whether that be at the local jazz jam or with some friends. In this episode we discuss what you need to do to prepare, and how to know when you are ready.
Listen to episode 204




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Those who are enrolled in some of my online jazz courses know that I like to ask, "What is your ultimate goal? What are you really trying to accomplish?"
And a lot of people say, "I want to be able to play at my local jam session or even just start playing with other people in general". That is a big goal for a lot of people.
And I also get a lot of questions from Learn Jazz Standards community members asking me, "How do I know when I am prepared to go to a jam session? How do I get in the door?"
Maybe you feel a little unconfident with your skill level or where you need to be in your jazz playing before you can go out and start playing live, or just start getting together with a buddy and playing with others.
Well, in today's episode, I have special guest Diego Maldonado and Wallace Stelzer, some incredible professional jazz musicians who were in the show just recently back in December.
Got them coming back on to help us answer these questions, to talk all about playing out live, some skills you need to have in place, and how you can get started right away.







In this episode:
1. What are some of the basics you need down to play live?
2. Watching jam sessions and taking notes
3. Using playing with others to practice vs. perform
4. How to know when you are ready to start going to jam sessions







Thanks for listening to this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast. If you aren't already, make sure you are subscribed on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
I look forward to having you join me in the next episode!
Important Links
Wallace Stelzer's website
Wallace Stelzer's Instagram
Diego Maldonado's website
Diego Maldonado's Instagram