The Biddies

Few musicians have ever been applauded by a roomful of dolls. But when Saskia Lane and The Biddies, a female pop quartet of which she is a member, played a concert at American Girl Place, that’s precisely what happened. “We played our first tune and looked out, and instead of all the girls clapping, their dolls were,” Lane says.

Though comfortable in clubs and concert venues, the women of The Biddies also make time to share their unique blend of jazz, pop, and cabaret with younger audiences. “We recognize that a young audience is the saving grace for what we do, which is performing live. We want to get kids out of the home, away from the television, and get their imagination going.”

One perfect venue for sharing music with the younger set is the Theater at American Girl Place, where The Biddies first received doll applause. When the group performs there on June 3, it will be promoting music education in more ways than one. Not only does the concert promise to be a treat for everyone there (dolls included), but American Girl Place will also donate a portion of the proceeds from this event to The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall to support the Institute’s many music-education programs.

Since American Girl Place opened in New York, on Fifth Avenue at 49th Street, in the fall of 2003, a meaningful partnership with Carnegie Hall has developed based on a shared commitment to promoting music education in the community. This is also a goal that The Biddies have pursued by participating in The Weill Music Institute’s Neighborhood Concert Series, which presents free concerts throughout the city at such venues as libraries, shelters, and community centers.

Saskia Lane

“In Chinatown we performed for 80 women over the age of 70. And one man in the back,” Lane recalls. “Language was a real barrier, but music transcended that, and it was a great show.” The goal of reaching diverse audiences in various boroughs also brought the quartet to a shelter in Brooklyn. “We saw these people struggling, with no home. They were all men, and they were absolutely grooving with us.”

The Biddies’ talent for connecting with audiences of all different stripes will now help support The Weill Music Institute’s own broad range of programs that bring music and music education to a variety of audiences—at Carnegie Hall, in schools, in local communities, and throughout the world.