About this Artist

Pronouns: she/her

Marsha leads DC-based “kindie rock band,” Marsha and the Positrons, specializing in fun songs about science and how the world works with positive social messages! Marsha is a former cognitive neuroscientist, as well as an award-winning songwriter for her clever original songs mixing science facts with messages about kindness and friendship. Marsha and the Positron’s songs are playful, educational, and entertaining for kids and grown-ups! Marsha’s two full-length albums, Positronic and Gravity Vacation, plus a single called Virtual School (released during the pandemic) are available on Spotify in one playlist called Science & How the World Works (https://spoti.fi/3dmMuDF). Positronic won a Parents’ Choice Foundation Gold Award, as well as a National Parenting Products Award, and songs from both records have won songwriting awards. Marsha is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Co-Coordinator for the Children’s Music Network and part of the Kindiecomm network of artists. She is a member of ASCAP, the Songwriters Association of Washington, and the Indie Collaborative, and is a voting member of the Recording Academy/GRAMMY’s. She partners with TAFFY Presents and Pickleberry Pie to perform for kids in hospitals and their families, and with Music Mends to provide music for patients in rehab hospitals and nursing homes. In addition to being a Teaching Artist with Wolf Trap & Arts for Learning Maryland, Marsha has taught Musikgarten music classes for babies and toddlers, preschool, and elementary students, as well as drama classes for preschool and elementary. She’s written and directed two musicals for young performers. Prior to focusing on music for kids, she used to sing jazz & blues. She has also combined her musical work and neuroscience academic training, giving talks on music and the brain. She recently wrote an article for the journal of The Children’s Music Network, Pass It On, called “Where Does Music Reside in the Brain?”. Marsha always brings positive energy and playfulness to the stage, and loves to inspire curiosity about science through her music!

I believe that music is such a powerful learning tool and love being able to connect the arts with education and to encourage teachers to use the arts in their classrooms. I love inspiring kids to learn about science through my music and using music to boost literacy and math learning. As a former cognitive neuroscientist, I can’t help but think about all the amazing development going on in kids’ brains and how music links together so many different brain areas and skills, laying deep and powerful connections that will last a lifetime.