With more than 50 active members and a bounty of training and practicing opportunities, an Iowa State club is bringing student musicians together.

Gathering Everyone Nearby to Raucously Entertain, also known as GENRE club, banded together in fall 2011. Originally formed as a way for Iowa State musicians to meet each other and talk about common interests, the group now works as a means for musicians to practice, meet friends, land gigs and more.

Meeting on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Room 1115 of Pearson Hall, the group boasts a thriving membership and offers various workshops and bonding activities. The agenda for GENRE’s weekly meetings varies from week to week, with past gatherings involving playing “Rock Band,” ordering pizza and trivia nights. The band is open to musicians of any skill level and of any interest. Workshops that have previously happened have included introductions into how to setup gear and how to play certain instruments. 

According to GENRE’s website: “Any instrument or type of music is accepted into our community of musicians so if you play banjo, trumpet, electronic house music, upright jazz bass, 8 string guitar, or even ‘Creed-style’ vocals; GENRE has a place for you.”

In GENRE club, students are able to find potential bandmates through a variety of bonding exercises and networking opportunities. Students were previously grouped together based on musical preference and the forming of bands followed suit. However, it soon became apparent that just because someone preferred a certain genre didn’t mean they wanted to play it.

In response, the group loosened the reigns on grouping students together and instead allowed them to mingle as a collective. The move spawned the formation of over ten bands. The decision also gave members more freedom to explore, rather than being stuck in one group.

Unique to the club is its retention of members even after they graduate. Alumni who form bands while in college are still able to attend practices and meetings. Letting alumni return for practices grants bands the opportunity to stay together and allows GENRE club to retain a large membership.

“One of the great things about GENRE and the bands forming in general is some of them, like ours, we had people that graduate but still stick with the band,” said Caleb Weatherby, the club’s president and member of two years. “There’s only two of us left in my band that still go to ISU still but we still practice and play gigs and stuff.”

Along with offering tools for improving musical abilities, the club also helps students land performances. Bands are allowed to practice in a gig environment through practice sessions at Zeke’s, located in West Ames. In addition, venues often seek out GENRE club bands to play shows.

Although venues want bands from GENRE club, many of them require an hour-long set of original material, which many bands don’t have. GENRE covers its members here as well.

“In the past we usually try to put on four shows a semester, or five,” said Julia Studer, former club president. “That includes the beginning of a semester, a mid-semester showcase and then an end-of-semester showcase in addition to an acoustic show.”

The opportunity to form a band isn’t taken lightly by student musicians. Without GENRE club, students would be left to having to find each other by less convenient means and wouldn’t be afforded free training, practice spaces or gig-finding tools.

“Nothing about my band would have even existed had it not been for GENRE,” Samantha Kragel said. Kragel is the frontwoman of Escaping Reality and won 2018’s Cyclone Voice. “GENRE gives us practice space and equipment, helps find shows for us and promotes the shows. It was a stepping stone for us to go beyond the club into the world of music.”