AU Songwriters' Hub: Where Student Musicians Become Recording Artists
Graduating AU Songwriters’ Hub students with Professor Matthew Brown.
The AU Songwriters' Hub transforms experimentation and collaboration into published music. Part of the Department of Performing Arts’ Music Program, this course provides an outlet for students to explore popular genres, find their sound, and grow alongside fellow musicians. This May, the first cohort of Songwriters’ Hub students—those who have taken the course since its creation—will graduate.
“It’s enormously gratifying to see these students’ hard work paying off in the form of such awesome recordings, as well as tons of live performances both on- and off-campus,” says Matthew Brown, Songwriters’ Hub founder and director. “Our students continue to mature as artists and it’s a pleasure to be able to support them with what the program offers.”
The Songwriters' Hub was launched in fall 2022 as a course offering and has been immensely popular ever since. As a music ensemble, students in the class can access rehearsal space, audio equipment, and instruments for their craft while fulfilling degree requirements. “It caters to a new profile of students who are not necessarily classically trained but do have an interest in commercial or popular music. The students play the guitar, piano, drums, and/or sing, and many write their own songs,” Brown says. Students have released music through collaboration with the Audio Technology Program, where student engineers help them create professional-quality recordings in the Kreeger Building’s studio.
The Music Program also launched a new BA in Popular Music Performance and Enterprise in fall 2025, designed for students like those in the Hub with a strong interest in commercial and popular music. The degree is rooted in music performance while drawing on the strengths of the Department of Performing Arts’ Audio Technology Program and the Kogod School of Business. Students develop skills in live performance, recording and production, music marketing and promotion, and project leadership—preparing them to not only to shine on stage, but to navigate the complex business and creative aspects of today’s popular music industry.
Learn more about our talented students and listen to our Songwriters’ Hub Spotify playlist!
Listen to the playlist
Alizeh
Alizeh Jawaid (CAS Popular Music Performance and Enterprise and Psychology ‘27)
Listen to Alizeh on Spotify
Instagram: @noalizeh
Alizeh writes music that makes people feel. With a unique, pop-influenced sound, her songs are irresistibly catchy and leave you wanting more. She began releasing music at age 15 with several tracks on Spotify, and expanded into live performance and collaboration at American University, playing frequently both on- and off-campus. Through involvement in Songwriters' Hub, she found a collaborative community that helped her grow as an artist, refine her sound, and build a strong presence on stage.
Birdcage
Ariel Frisch (CAS, Popular Music Performance and Enterprise ‘28), Jack Nerney (CAS, Audio Technology and SOC, Film and Media Arts ‘27), Owen Schafer (CAS, Audio Production ‘28), and Noah Schneider (CAS, Audio Technology ‘28)
Listen to the single “Wisdom Teeth” on Spotify
Instagram: @thebandbirdcage
Birdcage is a DC indie rock band that formed at American University. With inspirations like Paramore, Pixies, and The Backseat Lovers, Birdcage writes their own original music and records and releases it all on their own. Birdcage just came out with their first single, “Wisdom Teeth,” on March 27, and a full-length album titled Avian Flu is soon to come.
fly fish fly
Corie O’Connell (CAS, Audio Production and Environmental Science ‘28)
Listen to fly fish fly on Spotify
Instagram: @flyfishfly_
TikTok: @flyfishfly_
fly fish fly is an indie-pop musician who blends reverb-soaked guitars, high energy instrumental, and a silly ol’ fun time. Influenced by bedroom pop, funk, and indie-rock, fly fish fly crafts a bold toy box full of sound. Raised in Queens, New York, she eventually turned to home production, which has led to the release of her debut EP, before you even said it, and, most recently, the single “Not Your Boyfriend.”
kid named rhi
Rhiannon Rueda (CAS, Popular Music Performance and Enterprise and minor, Business and Entertainment, '27)
Listen to kid named rhi on Spotify
Instagram: @kid.named.rhi
kid named rhi is an indie pop singer-songwriter based in Washington, DC. Her band blends indie pop, alternative, and jazz influences, similar to Alice Phoebe Lou, Crumb, Kate Bollinger, and Remi Wolf. She’s played at local venues like Ernie's Place, Union Stage, and DC9, alongside on-campus events at American University.
Michael Mazey
Michael Mazey (CAS, Music and Political Science ‘26)
Listen to Michael Mazey on Spotify
Instagram: @michaelmazey
TikTok: @michael.mazey
Michael Mazey is a vocalist and songwriter from Texas whose music is heavily inspired by the jazz tradition. He is particularly inspired by the works of George and Ira Gershwin, Miles Davis, and Cole Porter.