Listen to Episode 31: iTunes – Spotify – Stitcher – Soundcloud
Mara Penatzer and Cait Simpson are creative partners who co-founded Dwellings Arts, a non- profit dedicated to creating arts events that center work by artists who identify as women, non- binary, LGBTQ+, and/or POC; providing artist resources and paid performance opportunities; safe(r) workplaces in the performing arts; and financially accessible workshops/retreats/ residencies and professional development for artists. They perform together in music/poetry projects The Greys and Dirty Words.
Mara studied jazz piano performance at the University of North Texas and composition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a faculty member in piano and composition at the Community Music School of Springfield, a teaching artist for CMSS’s El Sistema-inspired Sonido Musica program, and a piano accompanist for various ensembles/recitals at the music school. In addition to performing currently with The Greys and Dirty Words and as a solo pianist, she toured and recorded with hip hop theater project Mixed-Race Mixtape. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in clinical social work.
Cait is a performance artist and writer living in Northampton, MA with her partner and small gaggle of pets. She is the vocalist and 1/2 of the writing team of jazz inspired indie rock group The Greys. She also performs with her spoken word/original music group Dirty Words. She has experience in organizing events and fundraisers as well as advocating through creative works. She works a day job but can otherwise be found focusing her energies on her new non-profit Dwellings Arts and writing her first book- also called Dirty Words.
Topics discussed:
- Having another job to support music career
- Connecting social work, gender studies and music
- Experiencing sexism at gigs
- The financial and psychological impact of sexism
- How to be an ally
- The importance of having conversations
- How age plays into power dynamics
- The true potential of diversity
- Starting a non-profit
- Producing a festival with workshops
- How performance anxiety affects your life
- Creating an anthology from the festival
- Building the arts community you want to see
Resources & names mentioned:
- Dirty Words
- AmeriCorps
- El Sistema
- Martin Luther King Museum
- Emily Dickinson
- Wendy Eisenberg
- Rajna Swaminathan
- Clementine Von Radics
- Mishie Serrano
- Ep. 2: A Trumpet Professor Leaves Her Music Career Behind
- Ep. 10: A Vocalist & Educator Buys Her Dream Home With 20% Down
Thanks for listening and keep thriving!
