Got questions? Let’s see if we have answers.
Air conditioning in the dorms. (As in, is there any?)
Audio and Video Taping of Classes
Can I study with any teacher I want to at Django Camp?
Concert Tickets: are they included in tuition?
Concert Tickets: are they general admission or reserved seating?
$150 deposit for keys and swipe cards at Smith
DiJ on Facebook and other Social Media
Find Dorm Rooms and Meeting Spaces
How far is the Northampton bus station from the dorms?
Is there some way I can get help choosing my levels for classes?
Music Stands. (As in, should I bring one?)
Partial Attendance. (Like, can I come for a day or two?)
Ride Boards & Transportation From Bradley
Security (i.e. Will my instrument be safe?)
Should I buy a Gypsy jazz guitar before coming?
What airport should I fly into?
What does Smith provide in the rooms?
Is there air conditioning in the dorms?
No, there is not. Smith does provide us with fans, however. Let us bow our heads in earnest prayer for friendly weather.
According to the letter of the law at Smith College, we are not allowed to drink on campus at Smith (except under circumstances that do not apply.) Smith has, so far, graciously allowed us to skirt that policy and the only—very rare—times it has been an issue were when people drank irresponsibly. So please don’t or you will be asked to leave.
No, you don’t need an amp. We encourage people to bring acoustic guitars. Way simpler. That said, folks do occasionally show up with electric instruments and small amps and it’s no problem.
As a matter of policy, we summer campers do not have access to Smith’s indoor athletic facilities. (Though no one will stop you from going for a run on the track or playing a game of tennis.) As a matter of fact, however, we do usually get a small number of gym passes we can make available for $20 for the entire time you are at Django Camp. Most campers really have no time to get to the gym, but if it’s important to you feel free to inquire and we’ll probably be able to get you access.
In general, especially for your own use, this is a good idea. That said, please check in with teachers before you record their classes. Some may have had bad experiences with people posting things online without permission, so as a matter of courtesy, offer them the opportunity to set the terms. For our part, we have no problem with you recording classes. We only ask that you if you make any of that material public that you credit Django in June as the venue.
Sure, but you still have to pay Camp tuition. Django in June’s great jam scene would not exist without the many musicians on our staff or the Smith College facilities, all of which costs a lot of money. So everyone who wants to get in on the fun needs to help us cover those expenses. Having done so you can use your time here any way you’d like: jam, study, sleep…as you wish!
We do welcome visiting jammers after 5:00 on Saturday night. Come jam before and after our closing concert that night. The rest of the time, access to both our formal and informal activities is restricted to registered participants. Thanks for your cooperation in that regard.
Can I study with any teacher I want to at Django Camp?
That depends on exactly what you mean by “study.” Most teachers are assigned to a single level of classes for all of Django Camp, and you can choose to participate actively in any class at a level appropriate for you. If you want access to a teacher offering classes at a level that is not appropriate for you, you are welcome to attend as an observer if the physical space allows. To observe a class please do not bring your instrument (or at least, leave it in its case.) That leaves more room for others and cuts down on the inevitable, and distracting, noodling. As we get closer to the event we’ll have more details available regarding the daily schedule, including who’s teaching at each level, etc.
There are no scheduled activities on the last Sunday of Django Camp. Breakfast is served (for those who opted for the meal plan) but no other meals. Smith asks that you be out of your dorm room by 10 AM, but you don’t need to be off campus by then. So if you want to hang around for some leisurely jamming or you need to wait on your airport shuttle you are welcome to do so in the common areas or outside.We do not have access to the dorms on Sunday night.
When you leave your room, please:
Non-guitar classes are organized as the teachers see fit and we’ll leave it to them to describe how they will organize their classes. Since there are so many guitarists on hand, however, we provide more structure for that instructional program. One way we do that is by organizing both the rhythm and lead guitar classes into 4 different levels. Have a look at this Level Guide to see how we describe them: Downloadable Level Guide
Concert Tickets: Are they included in tuition?
No concert tickets are NOT included in the cost of tuition. We do it this way so that the Academy of Music can offer you reserved seating through their ticketing service, which we could not.
Concert tickets: Are they general admission or reserved seating?
Seating for Django in June’s concerts at The Academy of Music is reserved. (See above for more on that.) So go enjoy a meal before the show; no need to wait in line to get a good seat.
The rooms are not set up for cooking of anything more complicated than an electric hot water pot (your own.) Although most dorms do have an accessible kitchen somewhere, most people seem to find it easier to go downtown for a sandwich than to deal with cooking during Django Camp.
$150 deposit for keys and swipe cards at Smith
Find Dorm Rooms and Meeting Spaces
The Smith College website makes campus maps available in a variety of formats. We’ll post floor plans of the buildings we’ll be using on and near the front door of those buildings to help you find the exact room you are looking for. A great deal of confusion can be eliminated by giving yourself some time to find where you are going if it’s the first time you’re going there.
Django in June offers a great opportunity for us to see, hear and play a wide variety of Selmac guitars, some of which will be for sale at the event. If you want to sell one, bring it. If you are looking to buy, come see what others have to sell. Django in June takes no cut of such transactions.
How far is the Northampton bus station from the dorms?
About a 10 minute walk. The address is 1 Roundhouse Plaza, Northampton, MA 01060.
Is there some way I can get help choosing my levels for classes?
Yes, and it’s a good idea to do so. The best way would be to attend our Tuesday offering, “Meet Greet and Play All Day.” That will give you an opportunity to find your level and your peeps before classes get under way.
If that’s not an option, or not enough, ask one of our more experienced Django Camp guitar teachers—Jack Soref, Denis Chang, Christine Tassan, Brad Brose, Sami Arefin, Lisa Liu—for their opinion. There are also plenty of campers who’ve been here many times and they would be happy to help you out. Everyone has a vested interest in getting the class level right. I always recommend erring on the low side. It’s so much more fun to promote oneself than to self-demote! Here’s the Level Guide if you haven’t seen it yet: Level Guide
If you are arriving after 10 PM on either Monday or Tuesday, we’ll need to find a way to get you your keys. (We can deal with the rest of registration the next morning.) The best arrangement is to have someone already on site get your keys for you. So if you already know someone else coming to Camp and you know they are arriving before you, have them pick up your keys and then you deal directly with them to get the keys. If you see no other option, let us know you’ll be arriving late and we’ll make other arrangements one way or another. In that case,
Upon arrival at Django in June, chances are pretty good that you will soon stumble upon a jam by players so far beyond your level that you may wonder if you belong here. Trust us: you do! Mere mortals of modest-to-average abilities are in the majority at Django in June. But such folks aren’t always calling a lot of attention to themselves, so they may need a little help finding one another.
That process begins on the Get Ready page of the website. There you’ll find a variety of materials for players at all levels of ability. Choose what works for you—from both this and past years’ Core Repertoire—and do some serious practicing before you get here. That will make it so much easier to get in on a jam that suits you just right.
A great next step would be to attend our Meet, Greet and Play All Day workshops on Tuesday. You’ll have some tunes under your fingers and some fast friends to play slowly with—before Django Camp really gets busy.
Once Camp gets under way the most natural place to meet other players more or less at your level is in the classes you attend. Invite someone to sit a play a few tunes! In the evenings we’ll assign one or two rooms as designated Slow Jam spaces, so it’s easier to find your peeps.
Right here: http://www.smith.edu/about-smith/visiting-smith/campus-maps
Music Stands. (As in, should I bring one?)
Smith does not provide these for us, but very few people bring them. You do what seems best to you.
Although we suggest you arrive much earlier, the first thing you really need to be here for is the orientation on Tuesday evening, at 7:30 pm. The purpose of the orientation is to help you get, uh, oriented: to campus, to the daily schedule, to the class levels, to the teachers, etc. In 2024 the orientation will be held in Weinstein Auditorium, in Wright Hall.
Especially if you are staying in the dorms you do not need a car while at Django in June. So our suggestion would be to park your car for free at the Smith parking garage for the whole event. Even if you are eating downtown, it’s a short walk and will take less time than trying to find parking. The free (to us) parking garage is on West St, right across from Arnold St. Follow this link, then Campus Maps>Visitor Parking>Parking Garage.
If you want to try to maintain access to your vehicle you have two options:
Partial Attendance. (Like, can I come for a day or two?)
In the past we have always been able to accommodate some people who wanted to attend at least half—either the first or final few days—of Django Camp. (At roughly half the cost.) Ultimately, this depends on how many full-time registrants we have. Because we give full-timers priority, we generally don’t start accepting partial registrations until some time in April. If we’ve already reached that point this year and we are now accepting registrations for partial attendance you’ll find info about that option under the Registration tab. If we haven’t started taking half-camp registrations yet and you’d like to be alerted when we do, just send Carolyn an email to that effect and we’ll do just that. (Email address is at the bottom of the page.)
Ride Boards & Transportation From Bradley
For basic of info on flying in for Django in June and links to ride boards: DIRECTIONS
Security (i.e. Will my instrument be safe?)
We have never had an instrument stolen at this event and we’d all love to keep it that way. The dorms have substantial doors and good locks, so if you use them (the door provides the most security in the “closed” position) that is the least of your potential areas of concern. The reality is, however, that there’s no “gate” for this event. We are on a college campus with all sorts of unfamiliar people walking by and checking out what we’re up to. It is entirely possible that someone could be in our midst at any point just looking for an easy opportunity for theft. Please don’t provide them with one. Keep your instrument nearby, in your room, or know who has it.
Should I buy a Gypsy jazz guitar before coming?
If you can get your hands on something fairly cheap and playable, it wouldn’t hurt. But one of the benefits of attending Django in June is the opportunity to check out lots of instruments at various price points. If you are new to this style, wait until after DiJ before you drop a lot of cash on a GJ guitar. You’ll be a lot more familiar with them then.
The Smith meal plan can accommodate most diets—Paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, common allergies—so long as you get that this is not a foodie retreat center. If you are super particular about your diet, downtown Northampton offers you lots of options and maximal control. If you want to give it a go in the dining hall and have special dietary needs, let us know so we can give Smith a heads up.
What airport should I fly into?
For all but trans-Atlantic (or Pacific) flights, Bradley International is best. If flying into Bradley is not an option, Boston is a lot closer than New York, but not necessarily cheaper or easier to travel from. For general info on transportation: For basic of info on flying in for Django in June and links to ride boards, just follow this link: DIRECTIONS.
What does Smith provide in the rooms?
Linens, pillow, blanket, a towel and wash cloth (which is not changed daily) a fan (usually not air conditioning), soap, a cup. So, all you should need are basic toiletries. Please understand that this is a dorm, not a hotel, so bathrooms are shared. Unless otherwise requested, you can assume you have your own room.
Yes, we will all have access to wifi.