We recently began rehearsing remotely using open-source software that allows bands to play music online in real time with low-latency sound. For years I'd read that latency was too big an obstacle for productive online rehearsing, but when I learned that Jamulus had succeeded by eliminating video and other extras, I had to try it (my bandmates and I live several hundred miles apart).

After ensuring each of us had the required gear and high-speed wired connections, we began rehearsing on public servers, meaning that anyone who wanted to could listen or join in. Playing together online takes a little getting used to, and our first attempts were heard by various musicians who connected to the servers. We were fortunate to meet some very cool folks who were happy to share their Jamulus knowledge with us.

Next we set out to create a private online space for The Jerrys. I set up a home server, but when bandmates had trouble connecting, I ditched the idea and opted for a cloud server. Our rehearsal two nights ago was the first on the new server, and things went well enough to say we'll be rehearsing a lot more now. Jamulus has made productive online rehearsals a reality—at least for this band.