As the fall semester quickly approaches, MSC Town Hall and Texas A&M Athletics have teamed up to bring the 12th Jam music festival to campus on Aug. 28.
The event is a collaboration between students and staff of A&M and will host a variety of talent, according to its website.
“For our third annual music festival, we are so excited to have a multitude of amazing artists such as CAM, Morgan Evans and Dayglow perform as headliners in the heart of College Station. Along with the several other talented bands to be playing throughout the day from Luna Luna, Montclair, 13th Hour, Joe Major and Ben Goldsmith to keep you entertained,” the website reads.
Additionally, the grounds will host food, games and other outdoor activities for all attendees, and tickets can be purchased through Reed Arena.
As a co-executive of 12th Jam, psychology senior Heather Haratsis said she is beyond excited to share her hard work with her fellow students.
“12th Jam is one of my biggest passion projects,” Haratsis said. “It’s going to be amazing, and we’re super excited to make this event happen. It’s going to be at the end of Howdy Week, get everyone back to school [and] everyone back on campus.”
Though this is the first large-scale festival on campus, the idea for 12th Jam has been in development for years, Haratsis said she hopes this grand kick-off will lead to an opportunity for 12th Jam to return annually.
“The idea of 12th Jam has been around for a long time,” Haratsis said. “We’ve had two smaller ones so far, but I know way back in Town Hall history, the idea of 12th Jam came from an older alumni. It’s really crazy because she thought about that so long ago, and wanted to have a big music festival here. Now we’re actually at that bigger scale, and it’s our hope that it’s really successful so we can keep making it bigger.”
Though a large festival is a significant time investment, 12th Jam has been driven by students both on- and off-stage. MSC Town Hall program advisor Kendall Walker said Aggie involvement is key for audiences and staff behind the event.
“One of the great notes about 12th Jam is the student involvement,” Walker said. “That’s in student bands, students at Texas A&M are in some of the support bands we’re hosting, as well as students like Heather get experience in the music industry and have their voice heard. The student component is definitely at the forefront of the event, in the talent and the promotion and execution of it.”
Walker said the festival greatly boosted its growth by collaborating with Texas A&M Athletics.
“It’s a 50/50 partnership between MSC Town Hall and Texas A&M Athletics,” Walker said. “We’re working in tandem on the event, which has been a really great success getting it off the ground in a really big way.”
In addition to providing great music, Haratsis said she believes 12th Jam could become a new tradition if it attracts a large enough audience.
“If it’s a success this year, it’ll be a success next year, it’ll keep getting bigger and bigger,” Haratsis said. “More students will be excited, like [they] can’t wait for 12th Jam next year, and it’ll become a new Aggie tradition. That’s what I really want to happen with 12th Jam, and I can totally see it happening. I want all students to be as pumped about it as I am.”
With the excitement and hard work ahead for MSC Town Hall and its partners, Haratsis said she greatly encourages interested students to apply to join the team.
“I do think that 12th Jam is going to be super cool, and I hope more people want to join the 12th Jam subcommittee,” Haratsis said. “I’d love to get to know them and hear their ideas about what artists they want to come next year, and what they want it to look like.”
