After starting at the end of last fall semester, the Guitar Club has now officially set up residence in Kaplan Hall 204 every Thursday night. Logan Mason, a junior criminal justice major and president and founder of the Guitar Club, talks about the purpose of the club. “There is no real place for musicians to meet and jam, especially for those who are not music majors,” said Mason. “There are other ensembles and concert bands, but those require a lot more commitment than being able to chill and jam with others.”
“I was shocked to hear that there had not been a club made like this,” he said.
Paul Dickens, a junior music and sound recording major and vice president of the guitar club also said, “It is difficult for non-music majors who like playing to accomplish anything musically around campus,” said Dickens, “unless you are part of a regular organization, and that is only situational, depending on your current skill level.”
When asked about the future for the club, Mason said, “We would like to collaborate with some of the other clubs on campus […] not just slapping our name with theirs and calling it an accomplishment, but creating an actual program, perhaps a clinic for guitarists and those who would like to play guitar, and bring a professional guitarist to help teach.”
The club also hosts monthly events open to all instruments, which they call Jam Nights. These are set to take place in the German Club. This offers a chance for all those who would like to play in front of their first audience. “I want to give [up and coming musicians] that freedom of choosing whether to perform in front of a safe audience or not,” Mason says.
The club invites all musicians to join them at the German Club on Thursday, Nov. 2 for their next Jam Night.
As well as doing community events such as Jam Nights, the club is also attentive to those in their community who are beginners or want to try different techniques,“We do not like to just talk about advanced stuff, we decide whether or not we are going to do something more advanced or easy, such as chords for an easy lesson, or a harder subject such as jazz,” said Ava Robertson, a junior music and sound recording major and executive assistant of the Guitar Club. The club recommends and encourages anyone with any skill level to participate in any and all lessons. “Even if you already know the technique, you can always help others who are struggling, it is great for making friends and connections,” said Robertson.
The Guitar Club is not just strictly a guitar club, it is a social environment that encourages those who are new to the music industry to begin in a safe environment while encouraging veteran musicians to come together and teach others the art of music-making.
For more information on their meetings and Jam Night sessions, as well as keep up with future events, be sure to follow them at unewhavenguitarclub on Instagram.