"What's That? (a Radiohead Project)" is a 6-piece group of Minneapolis-based musicians devoted entirely to the presentation of the music of Radiohead. Embracing the experimental nature of Radiohead’s music, the group utilizes improvisation and unique arrangements of Radiohead's most challenging and popular material, while remaining true to the originality of the compositions.

“What’s That? (a Radiohead Project)” has been generating a buzz around Minneapolis, which has not seen a concert by Radiohead in more than a decade. Musical Director and keyboardist, Marc Z., says he formed the project out of a desire to bring Radiohead’s music to the Twin Cities. “When I saw that Lollapalooza in Chicago was as close as they were coming this year, I wanted to bring something to the fans in the Twin Cities who deserved to hear this music performed locally.”

“What’s That? (a Radiohead Project)” strives to deliver a fresh and spontaneous approach to their interpretation of Radiohead's music. “We try to avoid mimicry and imitation as much as possible,” Marc says, “while at the same time remaining true to what makes the music so original in the first place.” Like their namesake, the group incorporates a fair amount of improvisation into their performances, while also developing unique arrangements of the material. “Our goal is to embrace the experimental nature of Radiohead’s music, while delivering a quality live experience for all the people who’ve connected with this music over the years,” Marc said.

Members of “What’s That? (a Radiohead Project)” were recruited entirely through an ad placed on Craigslist. “Quite a few people responded and asked to audition,” Marc says. “When I pointed them towards the most challenging Radiohead songs and asked, ‘Can you play this?’ a lot of them stopped returning my e-mails. But luckily, the ones who stuck with it are the ones in the group today.”

The group’s current set list includes nearly 30 of Radiohead’s most innovative and popular material, ranging from the multi-platinum album, OK Computer, to its equally successful follow-up, the experimental Kid A, to this year’s name-your-price download, In Rainbows.

Two performances are also scheduled for December. The first will be a free, all ages 1 hour set at The Whole Music Club, Coffman Union, University of MN campus on December 4. Immediately following this will be a full evening’s performance at The Terminal Bar on Friday, December 5, with “EXIT STAGE RIGHT,” a tribute to the Canadian progressive rock group Rush.

More information about the group is available on their homepage, located at www.radioheadproject.com, and also on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/radioheadproject

Ms. Brandt moved to the Long Beach, CA area in late 2000 to study music at California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a degree in music composition. Her interest in composition grew out of a love of the great variety of sounds and textures that bring music into being. While attending CSULB, she also studied piano, voice, and conducting. Beata has performed in the dance piece The Evil Garden by Erin Mitchell. The CSULB Studio Orchestra and University String Quartet have performed her compositions. Percussionist, Dave Gerhart, has performed her timpani solo, Flights of Fancy, a work he commissioned. As a member of the CSULB University Choir, she has sung with the Long Beach Symphony, Long Beach Camerata Singers, Pacific Symphony, and Pasadena Pops Orchestra, and recorded for World of Warcraft III. She has also played the piano in the studio orchestra under the baton of Tim Simonec (Diary of Anne Frank, Lost, Alias, The Incredibles), and recorded for student films. Piano performances include chamber music, piano ensemble, accompanying, and student recitals. Beata has played the piano, harpsichord, or celesta as a member of Collegium Musicum, Studio Orchestra, and New Music Ensemble. She continues to perform contemporary and classical works as a pianist, vocalist, and conductor. Beata has worked as a piano teacher, vocal coach, and church music director and has most recently appeared in the music video "On the Outside" for the band "Kill the Complex".

Beata Brandt began playing the piano and singing in choir at a very early age while growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Already while in high school, Beata played piano for performances of musicals like Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, My Fair Lady and West Side Story. In addition, she played in an award winning high school jazz band that performed with Chris Vadala, woodwind player for Chuck Mangione. Besides studying classical guitar, she performed as an accompanist for many soloists and one of the school choirs. While pursuing a business degree, she continued to study the piano, classical guitar, and composition.

As a composition major, Beata has been awarded the Paul C. Lindsey Memorial Scholarship and the Music Department Talent Scholarship in Music Composition. She has chaired the CSULB College of the Arts (COTA) Student Council and CSULB Composers Guild. As an officer in the Composers Guild, Beata coordinated two concerts of composition students’ works. As chair of the College of the Arts Council, she oversaw the inaugural COTA student and faculty mixer. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, and Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity. Beata speaks Polish and Spanish, and sings in Polish, Spanish, Hebrew, Latin, French, Italian, and German.

Ms. Brandt lives in the greater Los Angeles area.

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