Today we’d like to introduce you to Maida Libkin
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I had polio when I was 11 months old (before the vaccine). After a long and trying time for me and my parents, I was left with paralysis that required braces and crutches. This was in the 1950’s. When I started to show an interest in playing piano, my mother did everything in her power to get a piano and lessons for me. She figured that I could play piano at all the dances since I wouldn’t be able to dance.
In the meantime, my brother began to show a serious interest in theatre. That rekindled my mom’s interest as well. So our family began to produce musicals. My mom directed. My brother was the technical director. And I was the musical director. This lasted all through high school. Concurrently, I also had an interest in music’s positive effects on the body and mind. So when it came time for college, I ended up majoring in music therapy while playing piano and musical directing many shows as well.
I have been doing some version of those things my entire professional career. Chronologically…I was a music therapist at Napa State Hospital right after college. Then I moved to Tucson, Az to become the musician in residence at Arizona Theater Co. Then I enlisted all the courage I could muster and moved to NYC to follow my musical career. I was lucky enough to briefly play and conduct on Broadway. And I also became connected with a theatre company that traveled both to Jordan and Russia.
During this time, I was hired to conduct the opera Faust and later Sweeney Todd at University of Oklahoma. They had a star tenor who was in both productions–Bill Schlitt. We met. Loved working together. And then fell in love with each other. We have now been married 35 years.
When we moved to Charleston about 32 years ago, I was pregnant with our beautiful daughter, Johanna. I didn’t participate in much as I was busy being a new mother. But gradually, I joined my husband who was the music director for St. John the Baptist Cathedral in downtown Charleston. I also taught music theatre at College of Charleston. And then I ran the theatre department for Ashley Hall–school for girls. All during this time, Bill and I started and ran our music theatre company–The Company Company.
We are currently artistic directors and performers in our 15 year run of a very special concert series called The Sound of Charleston. I teach privately. And I also have become a life coach since retiring from full time teaching. I am very lucky to be able to do what I love, surrounded and supported by my beautiful family.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Does anyone ever have a smooth road? Let’s see…being a disabled woman in NYC while trying to become a conductor in a time when women were not considered good material for conducting. I could write pages about the challenges during that time.
But I have to say that one of the most significant challenges as been my own fears. Nothing can stop us in our tracks like our own fears and insecurities.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have lived in and around the creative arts all of my life. I have been, and continue to be a stage director, performing arts teacher, pianist, musical director, and artistic director. I have loved all of these avenues of artistic expression. I strongly believe the arts are essential to a person’s growth and development. They require discipline and hard work to master. The result can bring joy, inspiration, emotional expression, and education to any one who is involved in the process.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m not sure exactly how to answer this. I’d love for people to come to one of our concerts. They can find us at Sound of Charleston.com
As I said, I am a life coach, a piano teacher and a vocal coach. I am not working to promote myself. But if someone wanted to reach me, probably the best way would be to message my on FB.
