Accomplished musician and songwriter Martha Redbone visited SUNY Oswego students on March 1, via Zoom. She spoke about her recent work and about challenges faced by minorities and women in theater today. Specifically, Redbone spoke of her experiences, bringing the story of her family to life on stage and why it was important.

Redbone has worked extensively alongside her husband, Aaron Whitby. Initially, the pair found work as songwriters for pop artists in countries such as Australia, France and Canada, while also writing material that Redbone would sing in their band.

“After that experience of working with major labels, as kind of [an] in-house songwriter, I felt as an artist, I wanted to express something that brought me closer to home,” Redbone said. “I just had a different calling.”

As a woman of both Native and African-American descent, “home” for Redbone is especially meaningful.

“My dad got very sick, which gave me the chance to move back home to be closer to him,” Redbone said. “That reconnection to home…really reconnected me with the importance of where your beginnings are.”

After returning home, Redbone and her husband committed to their work as grassroots artists, playing within the local community and to those whose voices were not being properly heard.

“I truly believe that representation matters,” Redbone said. “If you don’t see people that look like you, then you don’t think that anything is possible.”

Redbone also described the unification of Native Americans and African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement and said that she felt the two came together again within the past year as well.

“These are all, for me, calls to home,” Redbone said.

The meaning of home is not just important to Redbone, but for everyone coming from an underrepresented background. Redbone’s desire to return home and connect with her roots led to the creation of “Bone Hill,” a dramatic musical show that covers the history of her family.

“When the public theater invited me to do this theatrical storytelling, I knew right away what I wanted to do,” Redbone said. “I wanted to dig deeper.”

She shared her unique perspective as a woman of indigenous descent in the industry.

Redbone shared a preview of “Bone Hill,” showing students a performance of a song titled “One Drop,” which essentially covers the story of her family.

“This, to me, was a very important story,” Redbone said. “As a musician who’s Afro-Indigenous, I am singing these songs and singing these stories…Artists are supposed to push forward by raising the questions…We want people to leave our shows having discussions.”

While “Bone Hill” is directly focused on the story of Redbone’s family, she emphasized that it means much more.

“‘Bone Hill,’ is not just a story about Appalachia,” Redbone said. “‘Bone Hill’ is an American story, and anyone who has been here, from the original people to anyone who has come to this land.” 

The discussion also focused partly on women in the arts and specifically women in theater.

“In theater, when it comes to not only women in theater, but when you’re doing pieces that are cultural, that’s another obstacle to overcome,” Redbone said. “Even now, [women] still have to fight for any kind of equality, and it still is not equal.”

Photo from Flickr