Today we’d like to introduce you to RaShonda Reeves.
Hi RaShonda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hey!!! I’m a music director, composer, pianist, and multidisciplinary artist whose journey began in Saginaw, Michigan, grounded in a deep love for music, piano playing and storytelling. I pursued my passion academically, earning my Bachelor of Music from Howard University in Washington, D.C., followed by a Master of Arts from New York University—experiences that helped shape both my technical foundation and artistic voice.
My professional path began to take form with the release of her debut EP, Girl Born on a Monday in 2018. From there, I quickly became an active presence in New York City’s live music and performance scene, appearing at iconic venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, Joe’s Pub, and Park Avenue Armory. During this time, I also began expanding into interdisciplinary performance, serving over a decade as the music director of independent operas by the multi-talented artist, Richard Kennedy.
My work as a composer continued to grow with “A Day with Mae”, a piece inspired by the words of astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison. Commissioned by Trio Triumphatrix, the composition was featured as part of the Voices of Ascension’s inaugural concert series in New York City during the 2021–2022 season, marking a significant moment in my journey and development as a storyteller through music. I performed as a keyboardist for the art collective “My Barbarian” during residencies at both the Whitney Museum of Art in New York and REDCAT in Los Angeles, further solidifying my place within experimental and collaborative performance spaces.
Most recently, I was honored to be named a 2025 artist-in-residence at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, where I developed new compositional work honoring the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 24th Infantry Regiment, particularly those involved in the 1917 mutiny—blending history, memory, and sound into a powerful narrative. This same year, I also introduced Scorpio Maroon, a bold and psychedelic alter ego that represents an evolution of my artistic voice. Under this name, I released Scorpio Maroon’s first single “Maroon’s Dance”— “a love letter to movement, mystery, and the power of presence,” carrying themes of resistance, resilience, and transformation.
Today, I continue to move fluidly between roles—composer, performer, director, and visionary—building a body of work that is as intellectually grounded as it is emotionally expansive.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road—and honestly, that’s been an essential part of the journey.
Like many artists, I’ve had to navigate uncertainty at multiple stages: figuring out how to sustain a creative life financially, building visibility in highly competitive spaces like New York City (now Houston), and carving out a voice that feels both authentic and evolving. Transitioning from formal training into a self-defined career path also came with its own challenges—there isn’t always a clear blueprint for a multidisciplinary artist, so a lot of the path had to be created from scratch.
There have also been the less visible struggles: moments of self-doubt, creative burnout, and the pressure to constantly produce while still growing and working full time. Balancing roles—composer, performer, music director, collaborator—can be rewarding, but it also requires a lot of energy, adaptability, and resilience.
On top of that, developing large-scale, concept-driven work—especially pieces rooted in history, identity, and cultural memory—demands deep research, emotional investment, and time, often without immediate recognition or support.
Even the evolution into Scorpio Maroon came with its own risks. Stepping into a new artistic identity means embracing vulnerability and letting go of expectations, which isn’t always easy, especially when audiences are used to seeing you a certain way.
But those challenges have also shaped the work. They’ve pushed me to be more intentional, more fearless, and more expansive in how I create and show up. The road hasn’t been linear, but it’s been rich with growth—and that’s what continues to fuel the artistry forward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a music director, composer, pianist, and multidisciplinary artist whose work lives at the intersection of music, performance, and storytelling, I specialize in creating original compositions and directing musical experiences that blend classical training with experimental, theatrical, and contemporary forms. Whether I’m building an operetta, composing for vocal ensembles, or performing my own material, my work is rooted in narrative—often drawing from history, identity, and cultural memory along with my personal life.
My solo artistry is another key part of my work. Projects like “Girl Born on a Monday” and “Scorpio Moon” showcased me as a recording artist, while the emergence of Scorpio Maroon expands my creative language even further—bringing in elements of psychedelia, performance art, and spiritual exploration.
I’m most proud of my ability to build a career that doesn’t fit into a single box. I’m proud to be creating space for myself across multiple disciplines without compromising my voice, and being able to collaborate with a wide range of artists and institutions while staying grounded in her own artistic vision.
Being commissioned to create work like “A Day with Mae”, performing and directing at major venues, and being selected for residencies like Ucross are all milestones—but more than that, they represent a continued commitment to growth and intention.
What sets me apart is my commitment to depth and transformation. I’m not just creating music for entertainment—I’m creating experiences that invite reflection, challenge perception, and connect people to something larger. That blend of technical skill, conceptual vision, and emotional honesty is what defines my artistry.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting at the piano and just… exploring. No pressure, no expectations—just me, the keys, and curiosity. I remember the feeling of discovering that I could create something out of nothing, even if it was simple. Sometimes it was trying to figure out songs by ear, other times it was just making up melodies and getting lost in them for hours.
There was something really freeing about that space—it felt like my own little world where I could express things I didn’t yet have words for. Looking back, that was probably the beginning of everything: not just learning music, but understanding it as a language, a place to think, feel, and imagine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.scorpiomaroon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scorpio_maroon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scorpiomaroon/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashondareeves/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Scorpiomaroon/shorts
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/scorpiomaroon
