On June 2, I gave birth to my child - David Ian Dascher. I was thrilled to become a new mom, but I also had a lot of thoughts running through my head about what parenthood might mean for me. I've been playing music actively and consistently since I was 17 years old - for twenty years. I play music in DIY, community based settings, and the primary motivation is the love of the craft. I was and am deeply curious about how people balance active parenting and creative life.

It felt viscerally important to me to find out more about this, so for the duration of my maternity leave (often while nursing, sometimes with my baby in tow) I interviewed some of the people in my community who are doing this. Parenting and creating. I want to record their stories so that we could all hear from one another, share ideas, and hopefully build stamina and enthusiasm for making art while raising children.

Here are their stories. I hope you appreciate this project. I am new, and I am learning, but I know in my gut that continuing my creative life will help ensure that I am the best mother I can possibly be for my kid.

Huge thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with me. These conversations have meant so much, and I am glad we can share them more broadly thanks to The Media.