Gathering in Little Hall on Thursday night with guitars, amps and good vibes, members of the University of Maine Guitar Club prepared for a night full of music.
“The Guitar Club here at UMaine is just a chill and fun way to get to know other people who love music and playing guitar as much as you,” first-year student Kathryn Klebon said. She serves as the secretary of the club. “Because college is so hectic, and oftentimes as a musician I don’t get to practice and play as often as I’d like to, it’s nice to have a set time blocked out in your schedule where you know you can just relax and play.”
Second-year student and president Liam Kent formed the group a little over one year ago. His goal was to create a fun, stress-free environment where music was the center of attention.
“I’ve always wanted to join a guitar club, and I saw that our school had an acoustic club on campus,” Kent said. “I searched online and on Facebook for the information and meeting times, but all the participants had graduated. I got a few people together who wanted to form a club, and last year we were recognized by the Student Government as an official group.”
The club meets once a week on Thursdays at 7 p.m. in Little Hall. At each meeting, students gather in small groups to play and perform for each other. They also work on building music-making skills and refining technique, as well as helping beginners get a feel for the instrument, teaching them chords and steps. The group plays various genres of music, and welcomes people from all different skill and levels.
“This club is so great because the more you play with others, and connect with other musicians, the better you get as a guitar player,” fifth-year student and vice president Kyle Schumacher said. “We have a relaxed, open-door policy in the club, we always welcome new people to join no matter if they have previous guitar playing experience or not.”
Planning and brainstorming for future events and performances, members of the club hope to see it grow and expand as they take on different projects and host events. The club continues to hold meetings every week and do what they love, and the guitarists put time and energy into making sure it is a relaxing and uplifting environment.
“We want to help people on campus network together with other musicians, and get better as a community,” Kent said. “We want to spread good vibes, and one of the ways we are trying to reach out to more people is by planning events like a Battle of The Bands or giving lessons to other students. We have a lot of opportunities to make a difference and bring the music scene more alive here at the school.”
For more information please visit the University of Maine Guitar Club on Facebook, or contact Liam.Kent@maine.edu
