When newcomers show up at the old Bruner schoolhouse on a Monday evening, the regulars greet them with smiles and invite them in.
No explanations about why people are there are necessary. Everyone knows that on Monday, a crowd gathers in the 114-year-old building for the Bruner Acoustic Jam.
They may be familiar faces from nearby towns or strangers from far away who heard about the weekly entertainment that pays homage to the past. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they're from. Everyone is welcome to participate in the jam session or sit back and enjoy.
“Sometimes it’ll be a full crowd,” said Ashley West, who attends the Acoustic Jam regularly with her family, who make up the Lost Creek bluegrass band. “Sometimes it’s skimpy.”
As they chat about the weather, share stories and talk about their gardens, the musicians unpack their stringed instruments. Fiddles, guitars, dulcimers, an upright bass and a dobro are placed on chairs, tables and the shiny hardwood floor while folks drop donations into the tip jar to help with building upkeep and expenses.
20-plus years of improvised music playing
The Bruner school sits at the intersection of Highway 14 and Marshfield Road, about 6 miles east of Sparta in eastern Christian County.
While Jim Hale, 86, unpacked his dulcimer, he shared memories of attending school in the old building, back when it didn’t have air conditioning or running water. It’s in beautiful condition thanks to Christian County residents who help raise money for the building that’s occasionally rented out for weddings, reunions and other small events.
Hale, who just got a new pacemaker, said he’s glad the building is still being used, especially for the Acoustic Jam.
“It’s not the music; it’s the people,” Hale said, grinning. “There’s a lot of visiting up here.”
Hale, like many in the room, has attended the jam since it began in 2003. He likes the family friendly atmosphere, keeping in touch with his neighbors and meeting new friends.
Some fill their cups with coffee and admire the box of long purple beans and summer squash a gardener brought in to share. Men in denim bib overalls sit at the tables laughing and talking while they wait for the entertainment to start.
Musicians of all ages play in Bruner
Ashley West’s 20-year-old daughter, Makayla West, practices on her fiddle before the evening begins. She’s been coming to the jam since she was 11 or 12 years old.
Pausing, she explains why she likes attending the jam even though she’s decades younger than most of the people there.
“I just like playing bluegrass music and this is the only place nearby,” Makayla West said. “I hate to see it die off.”
Seated next to her with a guitar on his lap, 86-year-old Gorman Hawkins sits up straighter as, promptly at 5 p.m., the music begins.
Those with talent take turns at the microphone, showcasing their voices or skill on their instruments. Old bluegrass songs, country ditties, gospel tunes and instrumental melodies fill the room as feet tap and heads bob in time to the music.
Aged voices are as pleasant as the younger set who still have strong vocal cords. Rarely do those playing instruments miss a note.
It really doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad; just that they’re there having a good time.
This weekly gathering, after all, isn’t about one-upping each other or showing off. It’s about music, family and friends.
