Did you hear the familiar sound of The Go-Go's in October and wonder, “What’s going on in the Katzen Rotunda?” If you’re interested in more midday concerts in Katzen, check out this post for more information about Katzen Soundbites! (And that was the lovely cast of “Head Over Heels” who performed Tuesday the 17th.)

Welcome to Katzen Soundbites, a lunchtime performance series that highlights the talent and creative work of students and faculty members in the Department of Performing Arts. Founded in the fall of 2016, it is a collaborative project between the AU Music Library and the Department of Performing Arts (DPA) – Music, Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Dance Programs. These performances are hosted in the Katzen Rotunda and take place during the 12:35-12:55 class break.

Performances range from show tunes to foot percussion, featuring works by award-winning composers and artists that showcase various instruments and styles of performers. Student performers are typically enrolled in music lessons or participate in music ensembles and are invited to perform with an instructor's endorsement. Soundbites happens throughout the semester, and it is the perfect opportunity for students to showcase their progress and work in front of a wide and changing audience.

“[Soundbites] is best at creating an atmosphere in Katzen that is a great opportunity for performers to perform in a space with distractions and interact with an audience that may not be traditional for classical music,” said AU Music Library Coordinator Amanda Steadman. Steadman has worked in the Music Library for over 8 years assisting faculty members and students at AU and coordinating Soundbites. “Soundbites is a chance [for the audience] to be exposed to music that they otherwise might not listen to. Our audience encompasses a wide variety of people – students in the arts, music, and even those who visit the admissions office – who enjoy what the DPA has to offer.”

Like the Applied Performance Music Lab (AMPL), Soundbites is an informal way to gain performance experience in a low-stakes environment. It brings back a lot of the joy in performing and is a great collaborative space for students and faculty across the DPA.

Ready for the next Soundbites season? We have performances during the 12:35-12:55 class break every Tuesday and Thursday from October 17th to December 7th. Additionally, we have two open dates this semester, Tuesday, November 14th and Thursday, November 16th! If you’re a DPA student or faculty member and are interested in performing on one of these dates, send an email to Music_Library@american.edu and we’d be happy to help schedule you! For more information, you can follow @AUMusicLibrary on Instagram. Want to get a taste of what Soundbites may be like this month? You can also check out the recorded sessions from the COVID-19 lockdown where people performed in Soundbites from Home. You can also contact the Music Library for inquiries.

Performances this fall semester include: