On-campus bands, student music performers, and people playing toasters. Gustavus Adolphus College’s Musical B.A.R. organization has all that and more. Made up of students who love music, the organization hosts an open event every month. Students can join the organization and choose to perform or they can simply go to the events and see  what Musical B.A.R. is all about.

Musical B.A.R.’s events are usually held in the Dive on Friday nights, but there are also the occasional get-togethers on Friday afternoons where people can have a jam session. Groups, bands, and solos are welcome. There is a wide variety of musical talent to heard at the Musical B.A.R events. One performer even decided to sing a song about toast while using a fork and spoon to play a toaster like a drum.

Junior Psychology Major, Gabe Gazzola has been a member of Musical B.A.R. since her first-year. She and a friend decided that they would try it out and immediately fell in love with the organization. Since joining, Gazzola has performed at almost every event and plans to continue her involvement next year. For her, it is a fun way to get away from the school and homework aspect of Gustavus. Musical B.A.R. was one of the first places she started singing in front of other people.

“It was kind of my first experience singing in front of people and now I do it all the time. It just got me started with that,” Gazzola said.

Gazzola enjoys performing with her band, Rednecks and Handgrenades, and watching and listening to other musicians. Some members perform almost every month and are experienced while, for some, Musical B.A.R. might be their first time performing. Gazzola thinks that Musical B.A.R. is an encouraging group to play for and a fun way to get started performing. She likes to watch the performers progress as musicians.

“You don’t have to be involved in the organization to show up or even play, you can just do it!” Gazzola said.

Gazzola plays guitar, piano, sings, and does some percussion for her band, which includes herself and three of her friends. Apart from Musical B.A.R. and Rednecks and Handgrenades, Gazzola is involved in playing for her church at home in Woodbury and she also teaches piano.

Junior Music Education Major Daniel Felton has also been involved in Musical B.A.R. since his first year at Gustavus. He heard about the organization from friends when it was started by alumni Jonathan Monk ‘11 and Ricardo Torres ‘11. Musical B.A.R. started as an open mic night for students to share their talent and love for music and has become a network within the school, complete with a Facebook group.

Felton plays approximately 14 musical instruments ranging from the guitar to the piano to the flute. He continues to broaden his musical talent and ability through musical B.A.R. Felton also feels that Musical B.A.R. allows him and his fellow members to meet new people.

“It’s a really great network within the school. It’s really cool to do gigs with students that you may not know and to find out who can do what. At almost every Musical B.A.R. there is somebody new that’s coming up there, maybe somebody that you see around all the time and you never knew that they were just extraordinarily good at an instrument. It’s a venue for people to express what music means to them,” Felton said.

Musical B.A.R. also has its own webpage that can be found through the Gustavus Adolphus College website and simply typing “Musical B.A.R.” in the search bar or by going directly to the site at orgs.gustavus.edu/musicalbar