Urgent Support For A Jam Called Saturday Artist Community

Hey everyone, Zaven here.

As many of you know, I’ve been running A Jam Called Saturday, a free, open jam session & workshop which has offered creative cultivation and mentorship for New York’s artist community for over 7 years now. It’s been a beautiful place where I and so many countless others have expressed themselves, learned, grown and bonded in a little pizza shop in Bushwick. What most don’t know or fully understand is there are many expenses to keep the jam going, the vast majority being personally financed by me. The jam is in danger of scaling down or shutting down if we don’t receive the financial support for it to continue.

Last week during the jam, the keyboard stand (which was hanging on by a thread) collapsed TWICE during the event, almost breaking or damaging my laptop, looper, and synthesizer. Meanwhile, the bass amp has been cutting out more and more, making it difficult to perform with. Throughout the year, we’ve had to replace cables (which are more expensive than you’d think), and percussion instruments have broken or been stolen. This is all to say we operate as low cost as possible, but we need an emergency influx of funds to function and this past jam really highlighted that.

This fundraiser is designed to give the jam not only the things it needs to continue, like equipment maintenance and band costs, but also the things that will take it to the next level, like better recording gear and lighting for the space. We originally had a wishlist, but in solidarity with the Amazon strike, we won't post it there and will stick with this GoFundMe instead.

I have been blessed with the support of amazing volunteers, who believe in the mission of this session. Together we have created something so magical and I not only want it to be able to continue, but reach greater heights and make an even greater impact in our city (and the world!).

Recently, we had 13k people tune into the livestream, and that’s just the beginning! With proper infrastructure, I know the jam can become an even bigger shining light on all of the unsung talent in New York City and bring success to so many deserving artists in our community! This coming year we’ve focused on expanding our digital strategy and creating even more value for everyone involved.

Please contribute whatever you can to this fundraiser if you believe in and have been positively affected by this jam community. Every dollar we raise towards our goal will make a significant impact on the future of this event, this brand, and all the wonderful people who make it possible! Thank you all!