Every Friday or Saturday night for the past three weeks, strains of improvised jazz have floated out of Gibson Hall. Hassan Muhammad '10, a jazz pianist, has started a "weekly jam session" in Gibson 101.
Every week, he bands together "seasoned musicians" from the University of Maine at August, Mount Ararat High School, and Waynflete High School for a free performance open to the public. He sees it as an "opportunity for the Bowdoin community to get out and hear a form of music that they might not be particularly familiar with."
"I bring in different musicians to accompany me from outside the school," said Muhammad. The ensemble performs a few songs together, but then invites members of the audience to participate in their improvised jazz conglomerations.
Muhammad calls the performances "very informal" and only requires that audience members wishing to participate "have played their instruments before."
The concerts provide a way for "musicians, especially Bowdoin jazz musicians, to broaden their horizons," but above all, it's "a group of musicians getting together and having some fun," Muhammad said.
Muhammad hopes that "musicians of this caliber will inspire Bowdoin musicians." He believes that "it's not enough to simply listen to recordings."
"To really become inspired, you have to experience it on a personal level," by either playing the music, or "seeing people play it right in front of you," he said.
Muhammad said that in fourth grade, he almost quit piano until he heard jazz.
"What it took for me to become inspired was a group of musicians who came to my school and performed for my class. From that moment on I didn't want to play anything but jazz," he said.
He continues to be "very serious about music and jazz."
The jazz series will continue through the end of the year and begin again next fall "without a doubt," said Muhammad. He added that "interest is growing every week."
The audience includes professors, students, alumni, and community members?some musicians, others not. He encourages people to bring their instruments. The concerts take place on either Friday or Saturday nights in Gibson 101 at 7:30 p.m. Because the group has to plan its schedule around other events occurring in Gibson, Muhammad said that the best thing to do is check Bowdoin Student Digest, where he will post weekly updates.
A seasoned piano player, Muhammad said that he feels "like every student at Bowdoin has something unique and different to offer." He performs at the Little Dog Café twice a month and also with the Bowdoin jazz band, whose next performance will be during the inaugural weekend for Bowdoin's new concert hall.