I started the ONE RULE: NO SKILL jam sessions as an investigation into what “skill” in musicmaking and group improvisation could mean. Beyond the traditional understanding of being able to play an instrument well, how do other essential skills come into play, such as the ability to listen and to respond accordingly?

Participants are asked to acknowledge their body as an instrument when entering the room, and that all sound or action made inside the room are part of the jam.

The idea started because I used to love going to open jam sessions in underground Berlin bars such as Petersburg Art Space and Kiki Sol. However, as I could not play any instrument well, I felt a bit left out. However, several friends were in the same situation - we would love to try jamming and improvisation out, but we couldn’t play musical instruments well enough to have confidence to do it in bars. So, that’s how the idea of ONE RULE: NO SKILL came about, as a place for non-musicians to try things out and experiment without fear with traditional or improvised sound instruments.