NESI ATTENDEE GUIDE - 2023
Downloadable Attendee Guide
PROPERTY MAP FLOOR PLANS
You’re registered and ready to go . . .
Here’s some information to maximize your fun and minimize horrible surprises.
Arrival
Arrival check-in opens at 3pm. Please don't come sooner. Look for signs that will direct you to the registration room. You'll get a name button and an information packet that includes:
- your room assignment
- detailed floor plans of the Main Building and Farmhouse
- the processional tune
- a workshop planning form
- a general schedule for the weekend
- tickets for the Sunday lunchtime raffle
Remember to wear your name button throughout the weekend. We don't all know each other, and we always have first-timers. If you see someone looking bewildered, please offer help. (If you see someone weeping uncontrollably, it's probably one of the organizers. Be kind.)
Ideally, everyone will be signed in by 5:00 pm. There will be an orientation meeting in the auditorium at 5:30. Please plan to arrive in time to attend. It's important. We'll be announcing any changes or additions to the information you were given, making introductions, welcoming first-timers, and taking questions. Dinner will be served at 6:00.
Accommodations
All of the rooms are heated and well-ventilated. If you signed up for a 2-person or 3-person shared room and did not specify a roommate, one or two will have been assigned.
- Please don't make any room changes without speaking with Lynn Hughes, the person who probably signed you in.
- Pillows, bed linens, washcloths, and towels are provided by Wisdom House.
- If your housing includes using the shared bathrooms on your floor, we suggest that you locate them soon after you arrive.
- Please note that there are NO men's rooms on the 2nd floor, although there are many workshop/jamming spaces on that floor.
There are a few important requirements relating to housing.
(1) There is absolutely no smoking of any kind (including vaping) in any indoor space. If you set off a smoke alarm, we will be charged $200.
(2) You need to turn off lights and any fans, close windows.
(3) Put your towels and washcloth (NOT bedding) into the laundry chute at the end of the hall on your floor when you leave. If you don't do this, we are charged $20 for every transgression. Leave bedding in your room.
What to Bring
- Personal items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, and your favorite stuffy.
- A robe and slippers are recommended if you are in a room with a shared bath down the hall.
- Sunscreen, a hat, and bug repellent -- there are gardens and other areas suitable for w walks and outdoor jamming.
- If you are planning to offer a workshop, please bring your own handouts (if any).
- You may want to bring some kind of recording device for any workshops you attend. Be sure to ask for
permission from the workshop leader before recording, of course. - You may want to bring a music stand. If you are planning to perform in the concert and use printed music, a battery-operated light would be a good idea.
- There are NO pets allowed on site.
The Weekend Schedule
A schedule will be included in your arrival envelope. It's an overview of how the time is blocked out throughout the weekend. It tells you when meals are, when the workshops take place every day, and other things that are linked to a specific time. It does not tell you what the workshops and focused jams are, as they are not scheduled in advance.
Food and Drink
- Wisdom House is committed to serving sustainable food. That means they do not serve shellfish, beef, or pork.
- They accommodate vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free diets in the general meal service.
- There are 2 kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves where guests with serious dietary issues can prepare their own food if necessary.
- Responsible use of alcohol by those over 21 is permitted. Please make sure you clean up after yourself and use good judgment.
- If you are planning to bring wine or beer into the dining room, it must be in an unbreakable cup or glass.
Workshops, Jams, and the Big Board
Workshops are as varied as our participants, and most are unannounced until the weekend starts. Some are created on the spot in response to requests. Try something new. You might get involved in a tango workshop, learn Klezmer or Breton or Irish or Balkan tunes and techniques, or find out how to fix your concertina or accordion from people that make and repair them.
The “Big Board” is where people can post offers of workshops and focused jams as well as requests. Remember that this is a DIY event – it's only as good as we all make it, and it evolves throughout the weekend. Consider offering a workshop if there's something you could teach. Please bring your own handouts, if any. We have a copier, in case you run short. You can also use our website's workshop files section to share your handouts in advance.
Jams are sometimes open-ended and sometimes intentionally limited. You could post a focused jam on the Big Board on such topics as Scandinavian tunes, old-time waltzes, or television theme songs. It's a good idea to check the Big Board frequently so you don't miss something that would have interested you. Things get added throughout the weekend.
First timers: Workshops are open to everyone who wants to attend. You don't need to sign up. Just go to the designated room. If you decide for any reason that a workshop is not for you, just leave quietly. No one will mind.
Here is a Jamming Etiquette guide that will help all of us be welcomed into the seemingly-endless assortment of jams and sessions.
Saturday Night
This is the centerpiece of the weekend. It includes the concert and the contra dance. After dinner, we will have a processional march to our evening concert, with massed squeezers playing a tune together. Please join in, even if you haven't learned the tune. The processional tune/march is a Scandinavian walking tune, the Äppelbo Gånglåt. Gånglåts were traditionally played in Scandinavia for people walking a distance to a barn dance.
Äppelbo Gånglåt: In PDF format In ABC format MP3 sound file, to learn by ear
On Saturday morning, in the registration room, there will be a sign-up sheet to participate in the concert. We encourage folks of all skill levels to sign up. You don't need to be an expert or a professional. You just need to be willing to share what you do with the friendliest and most supportive audience you're likely ever to find. Because of the large number of people who usually participate, performers are limited to one appearance, doing ONE song or one SHORT set of tunes. And you don't need to play a free-reed instrument to perform – we've had fiddles, clogging, a hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and unaccompanied singers, among others. All performances should be no more than about 4 minutes long, including any introductory remarks. Please time it before you go on stage.
Important: When the sign-up sheet is full, there is no more room for performers. The concert will end at 9:30pm whether everyone who signed up has performed or not. We put first-time Squeeze-In performers on stage ahead of others to make sure they get a chance to share their party piece.
You are invited to submit limericks and/or haiku for our annual poetry contest. Winning submissions will be
read during the concert, and prizes of questionable value will be awarded. For more about how to enter, visit the Poetry Page.
Private Sales and the Shop
- We will set up some tables for private sales; the location will be included in the floor plans in your arrival packet.
- You are welcome to sell a few instruments as well as music books, CDs, accessories, and the like.
- Most people set up an honor-system payment box for small things.
- If you're selling an instrument, be sure to post your name, contact information, etc. so that interested people can find you.
- Professional dealers and instrument makers can bring items for sale; plan on having a space that is half of a 4 x 8 table.
Liberty Bellows (Philadelphia) will have a small shop in the Main Building with instruments for sale. If you see
something on their website that interests you, you could find out if they will bring it. They may be able to do small
repairs during the weekend and can take bigger jobs back to their store.
The Sunday Raffle
You will find 6 raffle tickets in your registration envelope. The main prize is a 50% discount for basic accommodation at the 2024 Squeeze-In. The red ticket is for that prize, and everyone has been automatically entered for it. Other prizes have been donated by participants and include a melodica from Liberty Bellows. Keep one half of each yellow ticket. Place the other half in the containers (located in the auditorium) that are for prizes you hope to win. The drawing will be held in the auditorium at 11:30 am on Sunday morning, just before lunch. You must be present in order to win.
Departure
People need to be packed and out of their rooms by NOON on Sunday. Please close any open windows, turn off lights and any fans, and put towels and washcloths (but NOT bed linens) in the laundry chute on your floor. Remember that we are charged if you don't do this. Lunch is served at 12:00. And yes, you can hang around for a while afterward, just not in your room.
Ride Sharing
Looking for a ride? Do you have room for a passenger who could share the cost of gas? Please use Si-Talk to let other attendees know. If you are not already a member, you can find information about that here. By the way, even if you don't need Si-Talk for this reason, consider joining anyway. The more members we have, the better it works for all kinds of squeeze-related purposes.
Dealing with Problems and Questions
Members of the Squeeze-In board will be wearing orange name buttons that say VOLUNTEER (which sounds nicer than “conscript” or “idiot”). If they can't address your issue, they'll find someone who can.
Our Covid Policy
- We strongly recommend (but do not require) that all attendees be vaccinated and have all of the boosters for which they are eligible.
- We strongly recommend that all attendees have a rapid or PCR test for Covid before arriving at the event site, especially if you have not been vaccinated and/or have been a recent participant in a group gathering at which you might have been exposed to Covid.
- We strongly recommend masking whenever possible by anyone who is at higher risk for infection and/or may be in close contact with friends or family members who are immunocompromised.
- We ask that you have an effective mask on hand throughout the weekend. One will be provided in your registration packet.
- If a workshop leader asks participants to mask, please comply or find a different workshop to join.
- We ask that you respect and support other participants' choices when it comes to masking and vaccinations.
- If you test positive for Covid after returning home, please notify us so we can alert the rest of the participants.
- Most important -- we want you to stay home or leave the event if you are sick or showing symptoms of Covid.
We will arrange for a refund on request if you cannot attend or need to leave early. We want to see you and everyone else at the Squeeze-In again next year.
Our Covid policy is subject to change, in which case you will be notified by email. If a change in our requirements makes you ineligible to participate in the event, we will issue a full refund if it is requested no more than 5 days after we publish those changes.
A Final Word
Nothing is required of you, but there are lots of choices. You might jam in a crowd, play with a few others, or seek some quiet time in the inviting outdoor setting. You might join sessions, attend and/or lead workshops, and enjoy the Saturday night concert as audience or performer. You can lift your feet in the contra dance that follows the concert and lift your voice in the pub sing until the wee hours. It's all here in a laid-back, free-spirited weekend. We make it up as we go along, so it's different every year. Thanks for joining in!