Friday’s Keynote Musician:
Maria Zepeda
We are so excited to share the powerful, soulful, and inspiring music and splendid magic of Maria Zepeda as our Keynote Musician Friday night!
An incredible voice for our world & the depths we are diving in, as humans in this complex and often times heavy world. Maria will fill your heart with songs of hope, fire, determination and brave authenticity.
She lives to express through creation. Whether that is through song, advocacy, community, or connection, she expresses with a loving passion that encourages others to find their loving passion too. Her larger than life presence invites you to take a closer look at the ways we can live in love for ourselves, each other, and our planet.
In January of 2021, Maria Zepeda released her debut album, “Through Seasons of Sorrow” recorded, mixed, and produced by Matt Olson of Attack & Release Sound Studio which featured many local Missoula musicians including: Silas Smith , John Sporman, Joshua Chai, Callie Morris, Milan House, and Marit Olson. This album was the leap of faith Maria had been waiting years for, as she had suffered from the complications that come with depression and anxiety that had pulled her away from wanting to share her songs with the world. This album speaks to the healing that comes from facing one's shadows and committing to the long road of healing that follows.
As a lifelong Montanan, admirer of music and the arts, and emerging artist she’s always desired helping others. Spending 2 years performing across Western MT she was able to see artists weren’t being compensated fairly and opportunities were becoming limited for our local music scene. She took that awareness and brought it into conversations. After many hours and meetings, Maria, accompanied by Anthony Brown & Callie Morris, co-founded the Montana Area Music Association (MAMA) in 2019. She has dedicated the past 3+ years volunteering to create a foundation that supports, connects, advocates, and educates our MT music scene. You can find out more at mama4mt.org.
Her current project, "Cantando" began as a passion project birthed from the creative forces of Elijah Jalil and Maria. Their musical energies combined created a portal of potential, rooted in the desire to live a life led through authenticity and creation. In the course of 5 hours, Elijah and Maria created the magic you will hear through the release of Cantando. Choosing to release a sound that remains raw and true to its original form (meaning there was little done to change the sound in the mixing/mastering process with the exception of balancing levels/frequencies cutting out lip smacks and squeaky chairs) with the intention to give the world something real in a time of deception, fear and chaos. All with the resonance of a faith to inspire others to share their gifts as they are- without the need to alter, manipulate or change the uniqueness of the creation.
Maria’s sound has been compared to the likes of Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Halsey, Jewel and Brandi Carlile. Rich, powerful, smokey, and full of soulful emotion come through her curious being. Her lyrics come through her lived experience and at times, through the channeling of spirit singing through her. She sings because it connects her to the truth of her soul. She sings because singing lets her know she is alive. She sings in hopes that you will let it move you into your own beautiful becoming.
We are so grateful to have her! Thank you for sharing your many gifts with us! Catch her Friday night, and in her “Our Voice is Medicine” workshop on Saturday!
