Melinda Joy
Bio

Sensual. Intuitive. Intellectual. Spiritual. Melinda Joy Rothouse is a singer-songwriter/bass player whose songs interweave poetic lyrics (many originally written as stand-alone poems) with bass and melody lines that draw from a variety of genres. Born in D.C., she grew up in the Midwest and has lived in New York City, San Francisco, North Carolina, Philadelphia, and New Orleans before migrating to Austin, TX, after Katrina. She recorded and released her debut CD, Unbound, in New Orleans during the summer of 2004 with her band, M.J. Baby & The Last Word. Currently performing mostly as a solo artist, she also collaborates with Hannah Williams as well as J.T. Martin and Sean Hannon of Chasca.

In addition to her musical endeavors, Melinda is a teacher, writer, and creativity / writing coach. She holds a B.A. in Biopsychology from Vassar College, and Master's degrees in Religious Studies from Indiana University and Performance Studies from New York University's Tisch School for the Arts. She teaches in the religion program at Austin Community College, and keeps a blog on religion, culture, and travel at: http://acommunityofthespirit.blogspot.com/

Performance Highlights:

2010 Austin Jams @ Austin Java - Unofficial SXSW Showcase, Austin, TX
2009 Art Actualized Showcase, Austin, TX
2007 Hyperactive Music Festival, Albuquerque, NM
2007 "Invasion of the GoGirls," Austin, TX
2007 Folk Alliance Conference (GoGirls Showcase), Memphis, TN
2006 GoGirls Music Fest, Austin, TX
2006 Cutting Edge Music Conference Showcase, New Orleans, LA

Affiliations:
BMI, AFM Local 433, GoGirls, Texas Independent Musicians, Folk Alliance

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