Martha was classically trained as a youth, but expanded to jazz and rock as a college student while earning her mechanical engineering degree at Northwestern University. She was active in the Chicago music scene for over ten years, performing with various rock and jazz ensembles including singer-songwriter Kat Parsons, indie rock band The Paper Airplane Pilots, prog rock ensemble Aziola Cry, rock musician Phil Angotti, and gypsy jazz guitarist Alfonso Ponticelli. Martha was also a founding member of Chicago jazz ensemble, the Uptown Strings. She studied jazz theory, improvisation, writing and arranging with David Bloom at the Bloom School of Jazz.
Upon moving to Northfield, MN in 2010, Martha founded ensemble Ile du Berceau, appeared with the Clearwater Hot Club and helped to cultivate community music in southern Minnesota. In 2015, she founded Hot Spot Music, a practice, rehearsal, teaching, event and gathering place for local musicians, known as “your local music incubator.” Martha currently performs with guitar / cello duo, Over Yonder, and accordion / cello ensemble, Can Duo.
Martha began her professional career as an acoustical consultant for the Chicago firm of Kirkegaard Associates and a project manager for the Rise Group working on large museum and performing arts projects. She was the Manager of Campus Energy and Sustainability at Carleton College where she helped advance the college’s transition to lower-carbon utility systems including wind-powered electricity and geo-exchange for heating. She now leads similar work as the Sustainability Director at RMF Engineering. Martha lives in Northfield with her loving husband, Nat, and two wonderful kids, Olga and Gus.