Bucks hidden gem is the Bucks Music Society made up of highly skilled and collaborative student musicians.
Vicky Roba, a student at Bucks, has taken on the position of Society President. She’s worked to create an environment where both musical inspiration and individuality truly prosper.
Roba recounted the group’s initial collective vision: “We wanted to create a fun and collaborative space for students to play more modern songs or songs in different styles. Not just Classical and Jazz like we study in our courses.”
Most members of the society are vocal or instrumental music majors. Though their academic courses offer valuable and necessary skills and information, The Music Society has become a strong component of their experience at Bucks, as it offers a unique space for artistic communication and interconnectedness.
In February, The Music Society held its own showcase, which Roba described as “a way to really show everyone what we’re all about… since the music department is very small and not many students outside of it know much about music at Bucks.”
Following the showcase, Roba continued, “Our horizons extended to include more aspects of creating music, such as songwriting workshops and events with other clubs.”
The group is now preparing for the Bucks’ Spring Fling event that’ll take place on April 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Quad. “The Theme is generally spring and summer,” Roba said, but student performers are given pretty wide creative reign.
In addition to the Spring Fling, The Music Society will be working alongside the school’s Tyler Literature Society in hosting a few events this semester, including a “Bad Poetry” reading with a live band that’ll take place April 3 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the dining area. The two groups are also planning songwriting workshops for the semester- dates to be determined.
Group meetings for the Music Society are diverse and dependent on what is musically upcoming at the school. They usually focus on five or six songs per week. Each group or individual will run through their song(s), and then the others will converse with them- offering suggestions and asking questions.
During the Society’s meeting on March 12, an open mic was held where Society members were encouraged to perform and display their particular musical styles, interests, and visions.
The atmosphere of this open mic is casual, and collaboration is a natural element. Students tend to inspire one another musically and experiment with new sounds together. The music and sonic collaboration which emerges from these open mics is genuinely inspiring and proves the group to be a talented collection of strong artists.
“In music, collaboration is crucial, and it varies in form,” Roba asserts. “I believe the Music Society is a wonderful outlet for collaboration between music majors and other musicians. This can look like people writing songs together, several musicians jamming, and collaborating with other clubs to create and participate in cool events.”
The Society is not exclusive to just music majors, and the group is aware that all different kinds of people possess musical talent that should be shared. If you’re musically inclined and are interested in working with other students in a creative environment, the Music Society is an excellent social and artistic opportunity at Bucks.
“The Music Society is best fit for musicians looking to collaborate with others for various performances and other music-related events and workshops,” says Roba. “Students interested in getting involved can contact me via email at [email protected] for more information on meetings and events.