Director of Instrumental Music, Sing for Hope Young at Arts Lab
Katty (a.k.a Kat) Rodriguez is a multi-faceted Grammy-nominated singer, saxophonist, songwriter, clarinetist, flautist, producer, arranger, composer and teacher. In 2006, Beyoncé hand-picked Kat as part of her all-female band. Since then, Kat has recorded Beyoncé Live, The Beyoncé Experience, the I…Am Tour, Live at Roseland, Live at Revel, the Mrs. Carter Tour, and the On The Run Tour. After traveling the world with the superstar, Kat became an ambassador/speaker for the BeyGood foundation, reaching young people through outreach programs in communities across the globe. With Beyoncé, Kat was invited by President Obama to perform at the White House for Michelle Obama’s birthday. Kat has recorded with Destiny’s Child, DJ Mark Ronson, Rap Artist Mobb Deep, Beyoncé, Michelle Williams, Gospel artist Kierra Sheard, Anthony Hamilton and 50 Cent. In 2013, Kat recorded her debut solo album, Mockery, which she co-wrote and co-produced. She is a graduate of the prestigious LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and the Mannes Jazz Program at the New School University in New York City, where she received a full scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Jazz Saxophone and Composition. In 2019, she received a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Lehman College. A passionate arts educator, Kat leads the Sing for Hope Young at Arts Lab instrumental division, taking students on deep-dives into a broad range of music from Jazz to Reggaeton to Bachata and beyond.