Fall Band Concert to Explore Intersection of Science and Sound

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Science demonstrations and musical selections will come together for a mystifying evening during National Chemistry Week at the Fall Band Concert at 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 23, 2026, in John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center at the University of Dubuque.

Presented by UD's Division of Fine and Performing Arts, the concert will include a variety of genres and time periods as well as timeless jazz standards performed by the UD Concert Band and UD Jazz Band. Selections will include "Burn" by Roland Barrett, "Entropy" by Wayne Lu, "Easy to Love" by Cole Porter, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by Duke Ellington, and more.

The Fall Band Concert will be under the direction of Nolan Hauta, DMA, director of concert bands and associate professor of instrumental music at UD, and Evan Glickman, DMA, director of jazz and athletic bands and assistant professor of music at UD.

During the concert band portion of the evening, chemistry demonstrations conducted by faculty in UD's Division of Natural Sciences will be paired with musical selections with titles and themes connected to scientific concepts. Although the lineup is subject to change, the pairings currently include a methane bubbles demonstration with "Burn," a whoosh bottles demonstration with "Entropy," and more.  The UD Wind Ensemble will perform "Frequency" by Minoo Dixon while a demonstration of the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating reaction occurs.

The idea to combine science and sound came to Hauta in May while he was looking for science projects he and his boys could test out over the summer.

"I inevitably learned of other great science demonstrations of the 'don't try this at home' variety. All of these amazing things made me search for music with science-related names. Lo and behold, there are a lot of choices out there. I was realizing I have never been part of a concert like this or even attended one like this. I tried to find examples of concerts like this and there aren't many out there. It will be a really fun night! I hope the audience experiences some wonder and curiosity," Hauta said.

Science demonstrations will be performed on stage by Tony Breitbach, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at UD, and Cole Fisher, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry at UD.

Breitbach said he hopes audience members leave having enjoyed a great performance while also feeling a sense of curiosity about the science behind what they've seen and heard.

"One of the things I enjoy most as a chemistry educator is helping people experience the wonder of science firsthand. This concert provides a unique opportunity to connect music and chemistry in a way that is both entertaining and educational," he said.

The Fall Band Concert is free and open to the public. No ticket is required.