Professional, seasoned and experienced musicians will gather and play for visitors on Friday during the first ever Jam Session held at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center (TCAC).

The public event is free to spectators. Ever since Kathy Rimm and Jack Kulp began holding the free Open Stage events at the TCAC, talent showed up from all over to perform music, recite poetry, dance and more.Jack Kulp, a Tamaqua musician and TCAC volunteer, said, "I have been besieged with requests from seasoned, professional performing musicians to have a jam session where they can all just get together and do what they like to do best - play for the sole pleasure of making music, impromptu, and without the constraints implied by a typical gig."Kulp added, "Like at all our free events, participants, not visitors, are encouraged to give a donation." He stressed that spectators can watch at no charge.Light refreshments (bottled water, chips, pretzels, etc.) will be sold to benefit the TCAC, which is located at 125 Pine St. in Tamaqua. There will be a trap set (drums) provided by Ed Mihalik of Shenandoah for all to use, a bass amp by George Parr of Coaldale, and a guitar amp by John Frye, also of Coaldale. Other than the drums, musicians are asked to bring their own instruments, mikes, stands and cords.Volunteers said the doors will open at 5 p.m. for the musicians to carry in their equipment and set up, and the public will be admitted at 5:30 p.m., with the Jam Session scheduled running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.The Tamaqua Community Arts Center operates under the auspices of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.For more information, visit the event on Facebook, visit

www.TACP.org or contact volunteers Jack Kulp or Kathy Rimm via Facebook.