By Neal Wong

Community Music Hangout, a weekly gathering of musicians and community members, has become a fixture on John F. Kennedy (JFK) Promenade in Golden Gate Park. On April 27, the group celebrated its 100th weekend hangout in the park.

The landmark event featured 45 performers over six hours.

Dan Dectis started the series of events in November 2022 after the vote to make JFK Drive permanently car-free.

“I was coming out to the pianos to practice on long walks, and I would have really nice interactions with people,” Dectis said. “That gave me the idea to come out and see what would happen if I started a regular thing.”

The first gatherings had only a few participants before winter rains temporarily stopped them.

“There were only a couple of players that had just happened by, but it was enough to make me want to do it again,” Dectis said. “And then, it rained eight weeks in a row, and the piano was gone then, and I didn’t know if it was ever going to come back.”

When spring came, a new piano was installed on JFK Promenade at Blue Heron Lake Drive, and the gatherings gained momentum with an Instagram account and website. The weekly events have now become a staple of the park’s weekend atmosphere, drawing both regulars and casual passersby.

Dectis describes his approach as “aggressive inclusivity” by actively inviting passersby to participate.

“If someone happens by and they’re standing nearby, I’ll point to them and say, ‘Hey, do you play or sing?’” Dectis said. “A lot of times people are just waiting to be asked, or there are people who want to say ‘yes,’ but they’re nervous, and I try to make them feel comfortable and then beautiful things happen.”

According to Dectis, as the gatherings have continued, they have evolved from simple jam sessions to more complex collaborations. There are now a few “super regulars” who show up almost every weekend. Some meet up in their free time to rehearse things to perform during a Community Music Hangout.

Brian Davis, a regular attendee, has seen the events evolve.

“I’ve been coming here since the 13th one,” Davis said. “When I first discovered it, I was just riding my bike out to the beach, and once I figured out it was a chance where you can just go to join in, I started joining more and more and singing.”

Davis said the casual nature of the gatherings is part of their appeal.

“All kinds of different people show up every week,” he said. “You don’t know who’s going to be there. Sometimes it’s a full band like we have right now, and sometimes there’s hardly anyone. We just contribute what we can and try to have fun.”

Alex Levin, another regular pianist, said the hangout has improved his musical abilities.

“I’ve been here since probably last year. Before that, I participated in Flower Piano in the Botanical Garden, and I really enjoyed that,” Levin said. “Before this, I didn’t really know how to play with other people or with people singing. I learned how to play other songs, how to play with other instruments and singers. I’m always trying to level up and trying to learn harder and more interesting things to do.”

The connections formed at the hangout extend beyond music.

“I feel way more connected to this City as a result of this event,” Levin said. “I feel like I’ve started to develop a community that I didn’t have before, when it comes to having people that I can do music with.”

Nathaniel Smith, an undergraduate cinema student, became one of the hangouts’ regulars after stumbling on it while walking in the park.

“I sang my favorite Bob Dylan song, ‘I Shall Be Released.’ It was really cool to get an opportunity to sing with talented musicians as a backup band,” Smith said. “I was a little nervous, but it was pretty welcoming. Sometimes it can be tricky to nail all the time changes and stuff, but it’s a cool experience.”

Not all visitors are local. French tourist Laurent Tuaya discovered the hangout during his visit to the park with his wife.

“We just heard the music and came here,” Tuaya said. “I think that’s great. I see that they don’t know each other. They may just meet and make something great and make something beautiful out of it.”

Tuaya said this felt similar to Fête de la Musique, or World Music Day in France.

“We have a very important day, which is June 21, when you can find music everywhere in the streets in every town with little groups,” Tuaya said. “It’s our musical groups like this, professionals or non-professionals.”

Local resident Jiwook Choi, who often stops to watch during her walks through Golden Gate Park, appreciates what the gatherings bring to the park.

“I think it’s amazing. It brings people together. It brings joy and the amazing talent that everybody has to offer,” Choi said. “Whether you’re a spectator or you have a musical gift, I think this is an amazing place to bring talent and people and community together.”

“It’s a party every time,” Dectis said. “Every time I leave here, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe this is a thing that I get to do.’ It’s my favorite happy place of all the happy places for me.”

Dectis emphasized the hangout is open to everyone, regardless of musical ability.

“You don’t have to be a musician. Just stop by, come and hang out, give a smile, say ‘hi.’ It’s a place for anyone to come and feel a little less isolated in the world,” Dectis said.

The Community Music Hangout typically happens every Saturday or Sunday at noon. To learn more about the music hangouts, go to goldengatejams.com or follow @jfkpianos on Instagram.