About the Penn Collective

The Penn Collective was founded in the fall of 2001 by students and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. The Collective set out to build community among Penn performers and to create venues for expression that had previously not existed. What does all that mean? Well, we started with what we knew...there were plenty of people at Penn like us who had a love for music, but no real place to play and no way to find out who else shared similar interests. We wanted to make a regular place to perform and make it easier for musicians to meet each other.

The first child of the Penn Collective was UP ON STAGE, Penn's only true coffee house and open mic event. UP ON STAGE was the first of its kind, offering a chance for students, faculty, and staff to come out and perform in front of their peers. UP ON STAGE is more than just an outlet for performers; it has become part of some people's regular routine...providing each member of the audience with a great atmosphere with free entertainment and free coffee. More information on UP ON STAGE can be found by clicking the link above (appropriately titled "UP ON STAGE").

The Collective's next project came into existance in the fall of 2002: the Penn Music Database (PMDB). The PMDB helps to build the music community by putting musicians within reach of other musicians. Anyone associated with Penn can add themselves and enter what instruments they play, styles of music they like, contact information, and much more so that other musicians with similar interests can find them. An instant success, the PMDB has already fostered the creation of a number of on-campus bands and brought together some great acts that have performed at a number of venues (including UP ON STAGE). Details on the PMDB can be found by clicking the "Music Database" link above.

In 2003, the Penn Collective put together an "unplugged" CD of Penn musicians. This idea -- unparalleled by any other group or university -- was a great success. The CD was released during a special event held in the rooftop lounge of Harrison College house.