On Wednesday, the College Music Committee’s Lunchtime Talent Musical Showcase will feature the folky voice of sophomore Kat Birkenbeuel.
Birkenbeuel can be seen all over campus, serving on Dance Marathon steering committee and participating as an active member of Alpha Chi Omega. Despite all of her involvement, Birkenbeuel still finds time for her music.
“As most of my sisters can attest, I can often be found in our stairwell until the early hours of the morning, just playing my guitar,” Birkenbeuel says.
Fans of Birkenbeuel can be found in full force within her sorority.
“Kat is very whimsical with her style of music, and she has a higher range than most singers are blessed with,” says Hannah Boxerman, a friend and sister who performed with Birkenbeuel at GAMMA Jam. “It ends up with her producing music that is very wispy and really touches the heart.”
The ability to touch people through song is what got Birkenbeuel to stick with music all these years. It’s easy to see how passionate she is about music and helping others as she talks about her inspiration.
Birkenbeuel says she draws her inspiration from the way that music expresses emotions and thoughts in a way that writing and talking cannot. She finds a therapeutic benefit from music, as it allows her to relieve stress and express herself.
Birkenbeuel started playing piano when she was eight years old, and has been picking up more instruments since. In fact, she even taught herself how to play guitar when she was 15. Since learning to play so many instruments, Birkenbeuel has also taken to writing original music and recording it on her own time.
She says that she has always loved to sing and has been involved in choirs since a very young age, so it made sense to put all of her musical talents together.
When asked about her favorite song she’s ever written, Birkenbeuel says that it was actually inspired by an English class assignment her senior year of high school.
“It’s about how humans have the conflicting desires to be free and independent, and to be loved and accepted,” Birkenbeuel says. “I guess you could say it’s the most thoughtful song I’ve written because I had to draw from literary examples for the project.”
Students can expect to hear a mix of singer-songwriter acoustic, acoustic rock, folk and country at Birkenbeuel’s Lunchtime Talent performance, which makes for an interesting and intriguing combination.
“She has a really unique singer-songwriter quality about her, and has the ability to make every song her own,” sorority sister and sophomore Audrey Wilcox says.
Birkenbeuel looks forward to her future with music, but says she doesn’t think she’ll pursue it as a career. Instead, she would prefer to keep it as a hobby.
“I honestly just love playing music and don’t necessarily want to compete in any capacity,” Birkenbeuel says.