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Have you ever experienced the sonorous tone of an alphorn? If you happened to hear its rich sound reverberating throughout Katzen Arts Center on February 11, consider checking out what else Katzen Soundbites has to offer!

Katzen Soundbites are back and have a fantastic lineup of performances throughout the spring semester. In the fall of 2016, the Ģ����Ƶ Music Library, in partnership with the Department of Performing Arts (DPA), launched a series of lunchtime concerts showcasing the talents of DPA students and faculty. Taking place between 12:35 and 12:55 PM in the Katzen Rotunda, they offer students, staff, and visitors the opportunity to hear some excellent performances between classes or when passing through the building.

This semester, Soundbites concerts range from the tabla, a percussion instrument with roots in Northern India, to a preview of the Ģ����Ƶ Musical Theatre Department’s production of 9 to 5: The Musical. There will also be a special performance on April 24 for the Music Library’s CADIVO initiative. DPA students and faculty will perform pieces selected from CADIVO, which stands for Collection Amplifying Diverse Voices. No matter which performance you come to watch, you are guaranteed to be impressed by the talents of the DPA.

“[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 Ģ����Ƶ Music Library Coordinator Amanda Steadman. Steadman has worked in the Music Library for over 10 years assisting faculty members and students at Ģ����Ƶ 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.”

Similar to the Applied Music Performance Lab (AMPL), these performances give students the opportunity to showcase their progress in lessons in an informal environment. It can allow them to practice performing in front of an audience as well as learn and collaborate with other musicians.

The Music Library is excited to see you at Soundbites this semester! We have performances during the 12:35-12:55 class break on select Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 25 to April 24. We have a few remaining open dates, 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 and to keep up with the Music Library, please follow on Instagram. For event details, please visit our .

Soundbites Schedule Spring 2025