There's a new club in town for students who are interested in learning more about music.

Sara Vattimo (sophomore-telecommunications) and Tara Boes (sophomore-business management) have created the Association of Music Opportunities (AMO) for students pursuing musical careers or interested in learning more about the industry.

"We wanted to create a club for people who are interested in music," Vattimo, the club's president, said. "There's nothing else like it on campus."

The two began advertising AMO on Facebook.com and currently have 34 members.

"It's a work in progress right now, but eventually it will be good. We hope it gets big," Vattimo said.

Vattimo said AMO plans on meeting twice a month, unless members want to meet more frequently. The meetings will be held for discussing music, showcasing bands, planning talent shows and holding lyric-writing seminars with people who have expertise in the music industry.

"We want to showcase bands and make the meetings worthwhile for them," Boes said.

Economics professor and adviser Mark McLeod played in a band from Blacksburg, Va., called The Kind, for 10 years and, in 2001, he released McLeod Outloud. He said he hopes to work on a second CD next summer.

"I'm very excited about this club," McLeod said. "I have always thought it's a shame that there are not more opportunities for musicians to play. There are a lot of very talented players, but it can be difficult to break into the industry."

AMO hopes to foster a cooperative atmosphere among musicians here at Penn State and create opportunities for people to play, McLeod said. He also said the organization hopes to develop a forum in which musicians can learn about the business side of the industry. The forum would include workshops, led by professionals, on how to get gigs, opportunities to record and how to promote the music.

McLeod said students should also join if they are interested in booking, recording and promotion.

"AMO isn't only a place for performing musicians," Boes said. "It's a creative space for people who are also interested in the business side of it all."

Meeting information can be found by joining the AMO group on Facebook.com. Vattimo said all the information is posted there because they do not have an official Web site yet. The organizational meetings are relaxed and are just a place to hang out, she said.

Boes said AMO was designed for people who enjoy music, not only musicians.

"If you are looking for a creative, relaxed atmosphere to [get] rid of stress and learn a lot about music, AMO is the club for you," Boes said. "It doesn't matter if you do not play an instrument. You just have to be interested."