Rock and Roll.
New Jersey has better pizza.
It cost $50.00 in tolls to get to Brooklyn from Jersey or upstate NY.

I would be down. Brooklyn may be very expensive for people flying in.

You can probably do it a lot cheaper in Jersey.

Long Island would be a little cheaper. Maybe you can have it at Steve's house[emoji846].

still stuck sticking in my still stuck mind

Either way, flying in from Australia is not going to be particularly cheap!

Definitely interested.

Utter beginner (albeit a seasoned bassist) and just barely able to make noises that sort of kind of sound like music if I eat my Wheaties and lie a little bit.

Right now I'm just noodling, trying to wrap my head around the bass tuning and "backwards" orientation, and get a feel for finger fluency.

What goes on at these things?

I would definitely be interested. This sounds awesome!

Kevin

Yes!

Some group lessons, some one-on-one lessons, jamming, discussions about the Stick, performing and, if there is extra time, bowling with Steve!

As a seasoned bassist, you will eventually figure out the Stick, but a Stick seminar can save an enormous amount of time in that endeavour by showing shortcuts and common practices for various musical situations (solo, backing others, etc.).

I'm biased - I learned to play by going to (many) Stick seminars and, eventually, hosting them. Steve and literally all of the folks who teach at these events are so open and sharing with ideas, techniques, and performance tips. Watching how others approach the instrument (whether beginner or Master) is more helpful than you might imagine. Spending a weekend with a group of Stick players covers A LOT of musical territory.

So that means bringing my own instrument and accoutrements?

I was thinking I'd get more out of the experience by devoting my attention and energy to observing and listening, without the distractions of worrying about gear and my own ineptitude getting in the way of learning.

I'm still in the tripping-over-myself stage. By next May I'll undoubtedly have made progress but right now it's all about sorting out the most fundamental of mechanics. Finding the right frets, working out chord shapes/finger positions, tapping cleanly with even output, etc.

As someone who has organized/directed almost as many of these as Jim has, I can say without hesitation that you should absolutely bring an instrument and jump right in. You don't need much. Your Stick, a cable, and a small amp.

These workshops are always made up of skill levels that are all over the map. On more than one occasion, I've loaned an instrument to someone who is literally putting their hands on it for the first time ever.

Not to mention the benefit of having someone looking over your shoulder making tweaks to your hand position, instrument position, how you tap, etc, etc. All of this gets you off on the right foot. It's a full immersion experience and generally you'll find that you get as much from your fellow attendees as you do from the instructors. Most of all, you'll want to play. Please trust me when I say that if you're there without an instrument to play, you'll wish you had one. Probably within the first hour or so.

Thanks. Will need to noodle on this a bit. Inner-city logistics with gear can be challenging....

PS: Memorial Day weekend probably isn't the greatest option.

FYI this is one week before Memorial Day.