Marsha Music, writer and poet, is the daughter of legendary pre-Motown record producer Joe Von Battle, and has life-long roots in Highland Park and Detroit. She reflects upon Detroit and its musical legacy in several literary anthologies and on her blog, Marsha Music – A Grown Woman’s Tales of Detroit. She is a veteran activist and former labor leader, now dedicated to affirming accurate Detroit narratives. Ms. Music is a noted speaker, storyteller and a contributor to many oral history projects and films.

A self-described “Detroitist”, Marsha Music has been acclaimed for her one-woman show, “Live From Hastings Street” and her essays, including “The Kidnapped Children of Detroit” and her epic poem, “Just Say Hi (The Gentrification Blues).” She is a 2012 Kresge Literary Arts Fellow, a 2015 Knight Arts Challenge awardee, and 2016 Ideas City Detroit Fellow. In 2015, her poetry was commissioned for the celebrated Symphony in D, which she read in performances with the DSO. Ms. Music is a dynamic presence in the arts community and widely regarded as a Detroit ambassador. She lives in historic Lafayette Park, works in the courts, and is married to artist David Philpot.