JACKSON, Wyo. — Jackson Hole Hootenanny is organizing a live-streamed “hoot” tonight at 6 p.m. on YouTube. This will be their fourth streamed hootenanny since the COVID-19 social distancing has taken place.
“Though the community understood the need to cancel, it was difficult to stomach, as the hoot has become something that many of us look forward to, sharing good music with good people.” Stated Ben Rossetter, one of the Jackson Hole Hootenanny organizers. “We decided that the spirit of the hoot is more important now than ever, and that has been borne out by the many people around the country who have been tuning in to the virtual hoots.”
The last virtual hootenanny, streamed on April 6, featured over 25 musicians and lasted nearly two hours. Overall, the stream had higher than 1,000 viewers.
“The biggest challenge has been adjusting Zoom for musical purposes,” said Rossetter. “It is built as a meeting software, not for music, and it requires some specific and at times challenging audio settings to make it sound good. It’s also ironic that an event based on acoustic music is now dependent on electronic settings to work. That said, the community has been great about rallying behind the spirit of the music, and supporting each other no matter the sound quality.”
If you are interested in tuning in tonight, please go to the Jackson Hole Hootenany’s YouTube channel. You can also find the streaming link, which will be posted ten minutes prior to the event, on their Facebook page.
The Hootenany still has a few open spots for future streams. For those interested in playing, email jhhootenanny@gmail.
