Penn State Jam Club is hosting its first ever gear swap Saturday in the Keller Building on the University Park campus.
Jam Club is a space for student musicians of any level to get together and play improvised music. The club hosts concerts at Webster's Bookstore Cafe and other State College venues.
Jam Club outreach chair Kaitlyn Zajkowski is looking forward to Gear Fest. She said it will be a new experience for everyone.
“We're gonna just have an open house for people to come bring gear that they're maybe trying to trade or sell or donate and things like that," Zajkowski said. “We're gonna have some live music."
Nicholas Pestano is the secretary of Jam Club. He said there can be financial barriers to getting into music but he hopes Gear Fest will help make it more affordable.
“If you want to get into music, it can seem really scary. I think there's a lot of fear mongering around buying equipment that's not the peak of quality," Pestano said. “But there's really not that much that goes into just getting something that you can play.
Jam Club Vice-President Jonathan Price said being a part of this club has been a great experience for him and he hopes Gear Fest will help new and experienced musicians connect with the community.
“It has helped me immensely as a musician, to just come over and come to jam sessions and learn from what other people are playing,” Price said. “It elevates your playing to come over and play with other people.”
Price said Gear Fest is open to everyone.
“We're hoping to see anyone in the State College Area come out who is interested in offloading or picking up some new gear,” Price said.
Gear Fest will be held in the Keller Building on the Penn State University Park campus on March 29 from noon-4p.m.