The Osan Blues House, which opened in October, is a place where bands and individual musicians can practice, perform and record. No alcoholic beverages are permitted at the House, which is open to servicemembers of all branches, civilians and dependents. (Franklin Fisher / S&S)
The Osan Blues House, which opened in October, is a place where bands and individual musicians can practice, perform and record. No alcoholic beverages are permitted at the House, which is open to servicemembers of all branches, civilians and dependents. (Franklin Fisher / S&S)
With one practice room already outfitted at Osan Blues House, Osan Air Base officials will soon set up a second room with equipment and instruments to be bought with proceeds from a recent benefit golf tournament. (Franklin Fisher / S&S)
Cathy Hellesto is the volunteer manager at the Osan Blues House, Osan Air Base, South Korea. (Franklin Fisher / S&S)
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — The Osan Blues House that opened last fall as a place for musicians to practice or hold jam sessions is about to add lots of new equipment.
Osan officials opened the two-story Blues House in October as a place where servicemembers, civilians and dependents can gather to practice, play and record music, and relax in the company of other musicians and music-lovers. It’s Building 404.
“It is open to anybody,” including servicemembers of any branch, as well as military family members and civilian employees, said Blues House volunteer manager Cathy Hellesto. “If you want to play, come. If you want to practice, come on.”
An on-base benefit golf tournament April 26 raised more than $6,000. That’ll buy enough equipment to outfit an entire room for music. The Blues House already has one room equipped for music; plans call for two more practice rooms and a third to be used as a recording studio, Hellesto said.
“It’s mainly for musicians to come and practice and then, there’s a whole new cool area upstairs with like a wooden bar and chairs and sofas and space,” she said.
No alcohol is permitted on the premises.
With the money raised by the golf tournament, the Blues House will buy a mixer, various amps, mike and guitar stands, a hammer-action keyboard and a drum set, among other items, she said.
The equipment should be in place by late May or early June, she said.
Lockers for stowing instruments and other gear can be rented for $2 a month, or $5 a month for three lockers.
The Blues House is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
“If nobody’s there, my phone number’s on the door and if you just call me, I come down,” Hellesto said.
“We’re going to organize Friday night as a jam night, and people can just come and play,” she said.
A “teen day” is in the works for dependents who want to play instruments but can’t do so at home because their parents “don’t want them to be really loud in the house.”
More information:
Call the Osan Blues House at DSN 784-6310 or Hellesto at 010-8511-4816.
