Martha Bourne

• Folk
• Singer/Songwriter

Martha is from Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She could have spent her childhood chained to the piano, but instead she liked to play ball. She was classically trained on the piano by her teacher Thelma Sasser, who was more than often disappointed in Martha’s lack of discipline. During high school, she was mentored by rocky mount senior high’s legendary band director, John C. Sykes, Jr., who taught her most everything she knows about precision in music, reading charts, rehearsal techniques and playing in and leading a band. Under his tutelage, she was exposed to a broader range of musical genres, learned other instruments including the clarinet, saxophone and flute. In college, she played in several jazz and orchestral ensembles and eventually took up the guitar and played in local venues (The Cave, Cat’s Cradle, etc.)

Martha also writes music for film and tv. Her music has been featured in independent feature-length films including Breaking Free, directed by David Mackay, and Amy Hobby’s Coney Island Baby. She also scored a short film, written and directed by Bridget Bedard, entitled Grasshopper, for which she received a grant from the Utah Arts Council/NEA to compose. Her television credits include numerous placements on daytime tv and the upcoming series deliver me on the Discovery Channel.