Updated November 8, 2022: The Gabe Donnay Recording Studio opened at a special dedication ceremony during Homecoming Weekend.
Memorialized with Music
An alumni group is fundraising for an on-campus music recording studio to honor the memory of their classmate Gabriel Donnay, C’12
Published: April 22, 2022
Music has an innate power to connect people, and no one knew this better than Gabriel Donnay, C’12.
During his first year at Penn, Donnay discovered and embraced the music community that would forever impact his life. He met many lifelong friends through the local band scene, including Myles Karp, C’12, with whom he formed the band Fat Panther, and Aaron Kirkbride, W’13, who eventually became his roommate in Los Angeles. Donnay went on to make music as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with several bands, including Satchmode. At the time of his tragic death in L.A. in 2021, Donnay was directing data science for a digital marketing company by day and making music by night.
“There’s nothing you can do to reverse a tragedy,” says Karp. “But doing something will help us—Gabe’s loved ones—feel less helpless. A recording studio on campus will simultaneously keep Gabe’s memory alive and give Penn students the chance to create music and lasting friendships like we did.”
To that end, a group of Penn alumni are raising funds to create the Gabriel Donnay Memorial Music Studio. A $25,000 seed gift has provided momentum for a campaign to raise $125,000 for the studio. The University has committed to matching funds and identified potential studio space in the Annenberg Center. If fundraising continues apace, construction is slated to begin this summer. “With this project, we’re hoping to support the Penn music scene that brought Gabe so much joy,” says Kirkbride.
The Gabriel Donnay Memorial Music Studio will be open to all Penn students and will be modeled on a well-equipped home recording studio. The space will be large enough for a band, and current plans call for a user-friendly setup that is outfitted with the latest audio technology and a variety of instruments. Novices and experienced student musicians alike will be able to navigate the studio equipment. Students whose musical pursuits aren’t formally associated with a Penn-sponsored club or program will be warmly welcomed to use the studio as well.
Student musicians and groups (such as the Penn Glee Club Band, pictured here) will have access to advanced recording equipment in the Gabriel Donnay Memorial Music Studio.
“Having a central space for all Penn students to unlock their creative potential will make the music community even stronger, facilitate friendships, and encourage collaboration,” says Karp. “Sometimes music falls by the wayside as we advance in our careers and start families. But Gabe continued to make music at such a high level—he made that difficult balance seem easy.”
From groups like Fuerza, Penn’s first and only student-run Latinx music group and The Inspiration—an a cappella group that celebrates the legacy of the African Diaspora, to a variety of bands, several ensembles, and even an orchestra, there will be no shortage of students clamoring to reserve time in this state-of-the-art facility.
