Nice, a wall full of ocarina's 
As demonstrated by the responses, a "jam" has many different meanings. For me, it's a time to gather informally with other musicians to play music with no pre-rehearsed arrangement, taking turns suggesting and leading tunes, and feeling free to add harmonies or to use percussion or vocals or whatever else contributes positively to the experience. I would expect some to be slow and some fast and some easy and some difficult. I would expect that some tunes played would be ones I've never heard before, but I would still find ways to participate. I think flexibility is key.
Other people like to gather and play tunes from a particular book or folder of music. While I wouldn't call that a "jam", others do and that's OK--it's a fun activity and can be very helpful in learning and practicing tunes with a group.
Jams can be times when new tunes are shared and taught to a group on the spur of the moment, if the desire to learn it is there. Sometimes, when only one person knows a particular tune, others listen in appreciation to the impromptu solo performance.
However you define a "jam", it's all about sharing music and having fun!
I picked up one at a sale shaped like an Armadillo for my son who plays ocarina. I don't think anyone even knew what it was, because they sold it to me for a quarter. It's definitely unique!
Somewhere I have a small one that kind of looks like a terracotta pig. I'll have to see if I can find it.
Forgive me for being late to the party on this thread. Besides mountain dulcimer, I play ukuleles, guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, tin whistle and harmonica (the last two quite poorly!). If you're interested in seeing me in action, click here: Mound City Slickers @ KDHX Radio, St. Louis, MO . I'm the fellow playing the banjo-uke and singing.
I don't work for Dave, but I consider him a great friend. Here are some of his materials available at Folkcraft: http://www.folkcraft.com/search.html?sep=dave+haas&sed=122
Just ordered a Mountain Ocarina today. Couldn't help myself. G tuned, cost $24.00 plus shipping.
My thinking is that at 69, I'll never be really good at any instrument, because I dabble in too many, and started to late. But it's just too much darn fun to change.
Hopeless and satisfied.
Charles,
Just to clarify, my Seydel is the Orchestra model, Session Steel. It's also solo tuned, which I love. Most harps are Richter-tuned, which give me fits.
Seydel also sells another solo tuned harp, the Seydel Mountain Harp. It's an 80 hole double sided, C & G, tremolo harmonica. Forget playing the blues, its made for stuffing it in your mouth and blowing away. I love it. I had a reed to blow on the C side within 3 weeks of buying it. Contacted Seydel, sent it back, and within two weeks had a brand new harp as a replacement. No problems since.
But what makes the Mountain Harp so special is the solo tuning.
The advantage a harmonica has over a dulcimer is being able to fit in a glove compartment in your car. Even in 150° heat. Always ready when stuck in traffic jams... Robert.
Terry, I really like the Seydel a lot. At first I was a little disappointed it didn't have a hard case, only a soft leather sleeve. But I found it fits in my pocket better.
They might poke their eye out! 
Harmonica's are nice, but I wouldn't let my children play them (if I had any children)!
That's the great thing about a harmonica. It's a play by ear instrument. .
While I love the 10 hole diatonic, and I also own a Sessions Steel, I favor the 64 hole Hering Vencedora tremolo harmonica. Sweet sweet sweet.
However, blow a reed, you're on your own. Made in Brazil, which is the nearest repair facility. One can buy a new harmonica for the price of shipping.
I don't play blues. Maybe one day. My harp career is 1 year old today.
Charles, after messing around with the Sessions Steel for awhile, and have decided it sure has a nice sound. But be careful with the edges, pretty shape. For sheer playing for fun, I prefer my Hohner Special 20s, C & D & G.
Ack! I mispoke. My first dulcimer was made by my father from a Virgil Hughes church dulcimer kit back in the mid-1970s. I forgot it was my First Dulcimer because I rarely played it and it is now a dulcimer shaped piece of wall art. Sorry Dad!
The first dulcimer I bought was just a fretboard with strings. The idea was that you put it on a suitable surface/table to increase the resonance. This was in about 1971 or 2. I bought it at a stall in Cecil Sharp House, the London headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. It cost £4. It had a pleasant sound and was not a bad way to get acquainted with the dulcimer. I put a magnetic pickup on it and played it for a while as an electric dulcimer - it had a very satisfying electric sound. The down side was that it was made of rather soft wood and did not last too well.
The first dulcimer I owned was an original JE Thomas made in 1912. As many of you know, I found it at a flea market. Not recommended as a "first dulcimer".
My first dulcimer was one that I built from a McSpadden kit way back in 1969 or '70. I am far from being handy with tools and the instrument that resulted was pretty terrible. because of my 'craftsmanship' it was virtually unplayable. But I was sweet on a girl (Barb Schlemm... I wonder whatever happened to her) who played dulcimer back then and it seemed like the best idea in the world to be able to play dulcimer with her, so I gave it a shot. Of course, that didn't work out since the strings were so high off the fretboard they could barely be pressed to a fret to make an out-of-tune note.
That little instrument (and I use the term loosely) sat in my closet for 10 years or so and eventually got disposed of in a yard sale.
Fortunately, many years later, I got a good instrument and actually learned to play the thing. And the rest is history.
If you suspect it'll be that small, then I would pick half a dozen songs, find tab, and make 10-12 copies of them. That way you have a base to start from and whoever comes can also pick tunes and help people through them...
I suspect that our meeting that is coming up this Saturday will be very small. I will be very happy if we have 5 people show up, but I want to make sure that it is a good experience so that people will return for future meetings.
There are jams, and then there are jams. If you have just a handful of people -- say less than a dozen -- just go around the circle and get each person to lead a tune, in turn. Ask everyone to bring a tune to lead, and 10 or a dozen photocopies of the public domain tab. Jam groups like this tend to collect a lot of tab.
For bigger groups, the others are right that The Leader (a.k.a. you) should provide a tune list for each get together, and for the next get together so folks can go home and practice after finding tab for the tune.
@Strumelia, I am a fan of yours also! :)
Thanks to everyone for more great advice!! I will report back after we have our meeting this coming Saturday and let you know how it went!
At that time Buck White had a honky tonk band (Buck White and the Countrymen) in Ft Smith, Ark. which played at a nightclub. He was also the star of Little Joe's Country Caravan, a 30 minute country music show sponsored by Norcross Dodge, on KFSA (now KSFM) TV in Ft Smith. I remember that for 2 reasons: I sang on that show a few times and I got a crush on one of his girls who sang on one of the same shows I did.
I also remember that old man dancing at the folk center for over half the show. I wondered how in the world he had the energy to do that. Even tho' my Grandfather was from Timbo, we didn't go to Stone County much. Wish I could go back to that time and learn from some of those folks.
We went to Mt View/Timbo starting in 1966. We made almost every festival until about 2 years after they built the folk center. It was REALLY folksy when they had the festival in the high school gymnasium. The Beers Family happened to be there in 1966 and they sang "Dumbarton's Drums." Thought we were in heaven for sure. When we got to the square on Saturday morning, a family in a van pulled up and started playing. Nothing unusual about that. But these people called themselves the "Down Home Folks." Actually they were the Whites. They are the group who played on the flatbed truck in "O Brother Where Art Thou?"
The photos below show two memorable scenes: 1. Pickin' and dancin' on the square. The man in the center was a tireless step dancer.
2. Jimmie Driftwood giving the audience the cue to start clapping so the performers knew their time was up!
I wanted to convert my 28" scale length FolkRoots to a baritone. I spoke with Richard (the owner of Folkcraft) at Evart and he gave me the nut and bridge material to redo those and told me how to do it (so the slot spacings would accomodate the baritione strings and the intonation would be proper). I ended up not doing it myself, but rather took it to Folkcraft (we've wanted to visit them anyway). Richard did it for me and it sounds/plays great. The intonation is spot on. We didn't discuss a bass dulcimer though. I'd suggest you talk to Richard before you do anything like that. He's the maker of those dulcimers and only he would have the best information for you. Richard is a super guy to talk to and if you ever have the time, visit their shop. It's pretty cool. Real nice folks.
Hi all -
Thank you all for your thoughts on this. I spoke with Richard (I think that was his name) at Folkcraft a couple of weeks ago about setting one of their make-your-own dulcimer kits as a baritone. His only suggestion was to perhaps order a longer fretboard and seemed to think that setting up as a baritone would be fine. The kits come standard with the 27". I did not ask about setting up as a bass at that time. I could call them back and see what they say about changing a shop-made dulcimer.
If you choose KMW, Karen and I will see you there as well! There is a wonderful weekend festival (Homer Ledford Festival) right down the road from Berea (30 minutes or so) in Winchester, KY (Labor Day weekend). Dana McCall hosts it and does a great job.
Thanks John, and Jan. All great information, and very much appreciated! I'm leaning toward KMW, primarily because I could drive there from my sister's in Berea (KY), and maybe treat her to some classes as well. No matter where I go it's a bit of a challenge (air fare, rental car) - but I have such wonderful memories of my time at Dulcimer U (WCU) that I have to make it a priority to get to another festival!
Is KMW primarily dulcimers? From what I can find online it looks as if they cater to dulcimers, but also offer whistle, etc
Jill
p.s. BTW Jan, I'll be in Richmond/Berea about mid November. Hoping to bring my Ginger.
