Last Thursday, the UTM Music Club hosted their weekly jam session. During these weekly sessions, students collaborate with fellow musicians on campus.
“Jam sessions are the main way the club gets to interact with students on campus,” said Asheesh Moosapeta, the club’s co-president and a fourth-year CCIT and DEM student. “We really want people, even if they don’t know how to play an instrument, or they don’t feel like they are very good, to come out if they like to play music and are enthusiastic about it.”
The jam sessions provide a laid-back environment for musicians of all skill levels to participate and learn from one another. A wide range of instruments are present during these sessions, such as electric, bass, and acoustic guitars, drum kits, and synthesizers. Synthesizers are provided by the club to allow participants to try experiment with different musical styles. Students can also bring their own instruments to jam sessions.
“It’s a place to calm down after all the stress of school,” said Daisy Edeaghe, the club’s vice-president and a fourth-year psychology and biology student. “It’s an open space for you to come and express yourself. […] Some people don’t have instruments, but they like to play, so they can come and play ours.”
These drop-in sessions are aimed at connecting the musical community at UTM.
“I would say the music community [at UTM] is very scattered,” said Moosapeta. “Everyone that plays music does it as a hobby, and we have really been trying to get more people to come and expand the number of people who know about music club.”
During last week’s jam sessions, a group of students jammed out to songs by Weezer and Nirvana. These sessions provide a space for students to learn from each other and become a part of a larger musical community. Collaboration comes in the form of discussing what each musician can play and experimenting with different genres and freestyle techniques. Even if a student does not have any musical experience, Moosapeta stated that they are still welcome to listen and try an instrument.
Though rock music is a popular genre to play during the jam sessions, all styles are encouraged.
“Most people gravitate towards rock because we have a lot of guitars, […] but we are definitely open to a lot of genres because everyone here listens to many different genres,” said Moosapeta.
The attendance of the jam sessions varies depending on the time of the semester and each student’s weekly workload.
The music club hopes to organize bigger events in the future so that the musical talents of the UTM community is recognized.
“We definitely have some events planned before the end of the year. […] Hopefully we will have a bigger event at the pub where we can showcase the talent that we have in the student body and in the local community,” said Moosapeta.
In the past, UMC has had open mic nights before where anyone can feature their talents and perform for their student community.
UMC hosts jam sessions every week. The next session will be on November 15 and every student, whether they are life-long musicians or beginners, can participate.
