It’s hard to image Middlebury’s arts scene without the Gamut Room. Nestled in Gifford Hall at the foot of a small outdoor amphitheater, the Gamut Room has developed into both a beloved Middlebury entertainment venue and a quirky study zone. With its painted walls and cozy décor, the Gamut Room is open to all students who seek a creative space, a hangout spot to chat with friends or simply a quiet place to work. Equipped with a brand-new sound system, the Gamut Room is ready to host another creative, alternative, exciting year of music, art and self-expression at Middlebury.
Sam Safran ’12, the General Manager of the Gamut Room, noticed that there was a great deal of interest in Gamut Room activities this year — especially coming from the underclassmen.
“A lot of first-years signed up at our table at the activity fair,” Safran said. “They expressed a lot of interest in helping out with events.”
- Brooklyn-based bands Beach Fossil (pictured above) and Whale Belly will kick off the Gamut Room’s fall semester events on September 24th.
The first major Gamut Room event this semester will be its grand opening celebration on Friday, Sept. 24th. Two Brooklyn-based bands, Whale Belly and Beach Fossils, will perform in Gifford Hall’s outdoor amphitheater around dinnertime so that students can enjoy the concert as they dine on Proctor Terrace. Safran noted that this performance is a particularly special one.
“Middlebury has the honor of hosting Beach Fossil’s last U.S. show before they begin their tour of Europe,” he said.
In addition to its music series, two other favorite Gamut Room features will be returning this year. The student-run café, a staple of the Gamut Room’s relaxed environment, will be open Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight all semester long. The café offers local baked food at a low price. Menu items include Gamut delicacies such as grilled cheese, crepes, cookies, tea and coffee. Another returning Gamut favorite is the Moth, a storytelling event run by Will Bellaimey ’10.5 and Bianca Giaever ’12. Starting Thursday, Sept. 16 at 9:30 p.m., students will take to the stage to tell true, unscripted and oftentimes shocking stories of their lives. The Moth occurs every other Thursday night and is open to all students regardless of acting experience.
Safran emphasized the importance of having a creative space like the Gamut Room on campus.
“The Gamut Room events are all student-run and it’s for the students,” he said. “If anyone wants a place to play, to read some poetry or to paint something, it’s there.”
Other upcoming Gamut Room events include poetry readings, pie-baking contests and a Miracle Fruit night, which involves eating a berry-like food that alters the way taste buds perceive flavors. For music lovers, there will be plenty of both well-known and student bands performing throughout the semester as well. Many of these events will take place on Thursday nights. Students interested in planning Gamut Room events should email gamutroom@middlebury.edu.
