A Special Note from Martha Richards, Executive Director of WomenArts –

Since I am turning 70 this week, I have been thinking a lot about the values and people that have shaped my life over the past seven decades. A central part of my journey has been the deep connection I feel between my feminism and my love of the arts, and I have realized that I have my mother to thank for that.

As a child growing up in a small farm town in the early twentieth century, my mother entertained herself by learning to play different musical instruments.  In the 4-minute video below I play my mother’s banjo ukulele from the 1920s and talk about the ways that my mother’s strong female role models and early musical experiences helped her develop the qualities that propelled the rest of her life and career.

About the Music in this Video

The opening number is Ain’t She Sweet composed by Milton Ager with lyrics by Jack Yellen (1927).  The songs in the background are: The Happy Farmer by Robert Schumann (1810-1856);  The Piggly Wiggle, a saxophone quartet by Edward C. Barroll (1922); and Rocky Top by Felice Bryant and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant (1967). The final song is “Evelyn Mazurka”  by Henry Clay Briggs (1901).  You can download the sheet music for Evelyn Mazurka by clicking here>>