“Mary Watkins is a musician in the highest sense of the word. Pianist, composer, arranger, performer, and cultural thinker.
Mary trained in classical music at Howard University, but of course, it is what we do with training that defines the artist. Ms. Watkins can sit at the piano while waiting for a sound check to begin, play a two-minute improvised piano solo that takes one’s breath away and then look up and quietly ask for a little more of the mix in her monitor. She has all the notes but it is knowing which ones to call on that makes her work so inspiring. She has written for symphony orchestras, chamber and jazz ensembles, film, theater, dance, choral groups, and folk singers.”
To learn more about Mary Watkins at Because of a Song, go to: https://becauseofasong.com/mary/
Because of a Song is an online archive, curated by singer/songwriter and activist Holly Near, documenting the extraordinary feminist and lesbian music that burst forth from the heart of Oakland, CA. The archive features over 30 hours of filmed conversations, 4 short films, a curated resource room, a listening room of over 600 songs in 6 playlists, a captioned photo gallery of nearly 200 images, and much more.
Because of a Song
Published on April 6, 2023
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