About a year ago, I discovered that there are gatherings of 100+ (sometimes 1000+) musicians that happen in hotels or festival grounds and play music together all day and night, for the whole weekend. You don’t have to know anyone, and you don’t have to be invited. You just need to be able to keep up, and with the multiple jams going on everywhere at once, it was no problem finding where I wanted to be. It was such a thrill playing music with strangers who quickly became friends.

Once I found out that communities like that existed, I started searching for them and going more often, and farther away to as many gatherings as I could. It became the favorite thing in my life, and I was a member of several communities who liked me!

It was a joy like I’ve never had before.

Then – POOF – gone! I’m playing my instrument alone. My fiddle is missing its friends.