- Hello everybody, I'm Satori Shakoor.

Welcome to "Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove," where Detroit's talented artists take the stage and share insights into their performances.

This episode is curated by a Detroit great and a musician herself, Michelle May.

Get ready to enjoy an eclectic mix of music on "Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove."

[Narrator] Funding for "Detroit Performs" is provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, The Kresge Foundation, the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (graphic swooshes) (light swooshes) - Hello everyone and welcome to "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove."

It's my absolute pleasure to be sitting here with Michelle May, who curated today's episode.

Hi, Michelle.

- Hi.

I'm so happy to be here.

- Yes, you are a force in the city.

- Oh, well thank you very much.

I try.

(laughs) - So let's start by asking, how did you get started in music?

- Oh, that's a wonderful story.

So, my mother is a concert pianist.

My father was a percussionist, among other things.

And I just listened to music all my life in the house.

And I started off on piano.

My mother taught me, you know, piano music when I was really young.

But then one day, someone came to our school, elementary school with instruments, with string instruments.

And I was so intrigued by the violin.

And so I started playing violin when I was about, I guess, say about 9 or 10 years old.

And then after that I picked up the flute.

And there's a very quick story about that.

I was very much in love with The Jackson 5, (Satori laughs) and I live in a historic neighborhood near where Berry Gordy lives.

And I thought, if I learned to play the flute, I could go down the street and join Motown (laughs) and go marry Michael Jackson.

What about that?

(Satori laughs) (Michelle laughs) - But at any rate, so that's basically how I got started, just loving music, listening to music and never put it down.

- And I see that you have inspired and encouraged younger musicians to take part in music as well.

- Absolutely.

I am so much about legacy.

My sister and brother and I were always taught to remember those around us and those that come after us, and I think that is so important.

I work very often intergenerationally with younger musicians, not only just teaching, but exposing them, if they are performing themselves, bringing them on.

One of the things that I do in my role as a musician is that I do present musicians, and I often make sure that I include younger musicians in that.

- And you produce.

It wasn't your brainchild, the Boston-Edison?

- The Boston-Edison neighborhood in Detroit is a wonderful, historic neighborhood that we do a lot of community events.

And so there was another historic neighborhood, the Palmer Woods neighborhood that was also doing concerts.

And so my neighbor said, "Can we do that in our neighborhood?"

And I thought about it, I said, "This would really be awesome."

House concerts are wonderful.

And so for the past 14 years, I've been bringing...

I founded and I've been bringing musicians into the homes of Boston-Edison.

And then two years ago I was also approached by another neighborhood, the Indian Village neighborhood, and so for the past two years, actually now I'm in our third year, I've been presenting musicians there also.

And I'm really, really...

It's just a wonderful setting and it's just wonderful, wonderful to do.

- Is there a mission?

- Absolutely.

So our mission... Actually, my mission for both of them really is to provide experience where musicians can come in and, you know, they don't have to deal with two drink minimums and all this loud noise and everything, where they really have...

The audiences are coming because they really wanna hear the music.

And so it's an amazing experience, not only for the audience, but for the musicians too, because it's intimate, it's immediate.

You know, at the intermission, they get to come right up and talk to everyone.

We serve dinner at the intermission, so it really is a communal kind of atmosphere and it's just great.

- And who have you curated and gifted us with today?

- I was very intentional about who I picked, and part of it was because my own musical playlist is very eclectic.

I listen to literally some of everything, and I really wanted this to represent who I am as a musician and also my own interests in music.

Maraj Virtuoso.

Wow.

So this is the intergenerationality I was talking about.

So, Maraj is someone that I recently became aware of, last year as a matter of fact, and she's a violinist like me.

So I really loved that.

But her show is just... And her performances are really, you know, they're very well thought out.

Her messages are really, really awesome in terms of self-acceptance and love, and I really, really love that.

And she's really out here making her mark, and so I was really glad that she was able to do this bridge for us.

- If you could just pick where you're going, where would you say that was?

- I'm gonna continue to inspire as much as I can.

Those are the things I'm gonna do now.

The specifics, places where I'm gonna be, I'm gonna let the miracles happen.

I'm gonna, you know, wait and see where all that's gonna be.

But in the meantime, I just wanna continue the energy of what I'm doing because so much can be created from that.

So many wonderful surprises, so many wonderful things.

And even when things get tough, it really helps me to continue to propel even through the challenges.

And I want people to understand that and to learn that and to practice that and to have that freedom.

Thank you so much for curating this episode.

So now we're gonna head to the stage and see our first phenomenal performance.

(light swooshes) (gentle guitar music) - I am Maraj Virtuoso.

This is The Better Things Collective and this song is called "Don't It."

It's about feeling your emotions, allowing yourself to process them as they come, allow yourself to let them go, and allowing yourself to move forward and just be.

(gentle music) ♪ Don't it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ To see all the mess we made ♪ ♪ Don't it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ Just staring at the memories we share ♪ ♪ Don't it make you feel glad ♪ ♪ Erasing the picture you gave ♪ ♪ And it makes me feel bad ♪ ♪ Just to live with the choices we made ♪ ♪ Pride doesn't really become ya ♪ ♪ No friendship left because ya ♪ ♪ Disappeared, disappeared on me ♪ ♪ No magic tricks in this back here ♪ ♪ No feeling left to see, dear ♪ ♪ So you say, so you said to me ♪ ♪ Poof, goes another song ♪ ♪ Poof, now you're so far gone ♪ ♪ Now I'm left with promises you never meant to keep ♪ ♪ Poof, goes another song ♪ ♪ Poof, now you're so far gone now ♪ ♪ Now I'm left with promises you never meant to keep ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ And it make me feel ♪ ♪ Living with choices we made ♪ ♪ Tell you, make me feel ♪ ♪ We made ♪ ♪ And it makes me feel bad ♪ ♪ Even when I don't wanna feel ♪ ♪ Erasing the memory we made ♪ ♪ Guess, I gotta feel anyway ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel glad ♪ ♪ And it makes me feel ♪ ♪ Erasing the pictures ♪ ♪ You gave ♪ ♪ All the things I wanna feel ♪ ♪ You gave ♪ ♪ So much is said ♪ ♪ But it's okay ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ I found joy in my best ♪ ♪ To live with the choices we made ♪ ♪ All the things that you gave ♪ ♪ Chapter two ♪ ♪ Just ask me about my accident ♪ ♪ Text to see how I am ♪ ♪ Maybe we can be just friends ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ Uh-uh ♪ ♪ Now in another lifetime ♪ ♪ Apologies were our lifeline ♪ ♪ Transparency for her own to see ♪ ♪ Poof, goes another song ♪ ♪ Poof, now you're so far gone ♪ ♪ Now I'm left with promises you never meant to keep ♪ ♪ Poof, goes another song ♪ ♪ Poof, now you're so far gone ♪ ♪ Now I'm left with promises you never meant to keep ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ Does it make me feel ♪ ♪ Living with choices we made ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ We made ♪ ♪ And it makes me ♪ ♪ Does it make you ♪ ♪ Feel bad ♪ ♪ And it makes me feel ♪ ♪ Erasing the memory we made ♪ ♪ So bad but that's okay ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel glad ♪ ♪ And it makes me feel ♪ ♪ Erasing the picture you gave ♪ ♪ Said it makes me feel ♪ ♪ You gave ♪ ♪ I said it makes me feel bad ♪ ♪ And I don't wanna feel ugly ♪ ♪ Living with choices we made ♪ ♪ Yes, it's healthy, I know ♪ ♪ Yes, I'll be healthy, yes, I ♪ So, when you're processing these emotions, it is so important...

It's so important that as you're caring about your mental health, even when it doesn't always feel like it, that you say this mantra to yourself.

So I think I'm gonna try it out.

Y'all wanna try it?

Yes?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Yeah?

How about y'all?

Y'all can do it with me?

- [Kevin] Oh yeah, we're in.

- Okay.

All right.

We gonna try this.

Yeah.

One, two, three, and... ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ - Yeah.

♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'm be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ - Yes.

♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay, okay, okay, oh ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey ya yeah ♪ ♪ Living with choices we made ♪ ♪ I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ You're gonna be all right, you're gonna be okay, yeah ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel bad ♪ ♪ Even if you don't ♪ ♪ Feel it today ♪ ♪ Erasing the memory we made ♪ ♪ Can you feel it anyway ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's so (indistinct) ♪ ♪ In the night ♪ ♪ Does it make you feel glad ♪ ♪ Erasing the picture ♪ ♪ You're gonna be all right ♪ ♪ You're gonna be okay ♪ ♪ You gave ♪ ♪ You gave ♪ ♪ And I'ma be all right ♪ ♪ I'ma be okay ♪ ♪ I said it makes me feel bad ♪ ♪ Living with choices we made ♪ ♪ You're gonna be all right, you're gonna be okay ♪ ♪ Don't it make you feel ♪ ♪ Any number of emotions ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (gentle upbeat music) (gentle music) (light swooshes) (gentle music) So this song is called "I Do."

We went through a journey of feeling our emotions and "I Do" is a song where you reclaim stuff, you decide to say I do to yourself, and the things that bring you joy, the people that bring you joy, to life, you're saying I do to all of it.

(gentle upbeat music) ♪ Kiss me a little, kiss me quick ♪ ♪ Hope I'm just like when I was a kid ♪ ♪ Afraid, nah ♪ ♪ Tie me like a little string ♪ ♪ Like a violin, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Psycho, psycho ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's the only fact she might know ♪ ♪ But the fun of my growth is ♪ ♪ It's time to let go ♪ ♪ So to life I'll say ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ So to life I'll say ♪ ♪ So to life I'll say ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ So to life I'll say ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I say I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Do ♪ (Maraj scat singing) (gentle music) ♪ Thumbelina ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm short ♪ ♪ She's a tiny little thing with her heart on a string ♪ ♪ Tried to doodle my thing, but she don't know ♪ ♪ But livin' the life on the low-low ♪ ♪ Sold a box, try to stop her with a cup of (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Fantasy ride, but you told her a lie ♪ ♪ I used to be a cashew ♪ ♪ But all on the track when I came through ♪ ♪ And a gusto that she had to break through ♪ ♪ 'Cause she knew how life was like ♪ (gentle music) ♪ Like that ♪ ♪ So I say I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I dut-dut-du-rut-du-du-du ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ (gentle upbeat music) (Maraj scat singing) - All right, break it down man.

Take it down for me.

So, hey Roger.

- Heya.

Hey - I feel like we should call one of the homies up.

- I'm done with that.

- [Kevin] Ooh.

- Hey, McCrea Deezer I heard you got a part of the story that you wanna tell.

- Hey.

Yeah.

- Hey, bro.

(Maraj giggles) ♪ Oh, you mad ♪ ♪ Upset ♪ ♪ Upset ♪ ♪ Hold up, getting held up ♪ ♪ Got a P2 ♪ ♪ It's a little yellow like a P2 ♪ ♪ And the preacher just ♪ ♪ Just assisting God ♪ ♪ Just assisting God ♪ ♪ Try not to repeat you ♪ ♪ Try not to repeat you ♪ ♪ What you say ♪ ♪ The mockery ♪ ♪ The mockery ♪ ♪ Drink a glass of water instead of ♪ ♪ Tryin' to copy me ♪ ♪ Copy me ♪ ♪ Got my own path, what's the terra cost ♪ ♪ Every win, the whole crew lean back, terra squad ♪ ♪ But they be hella bored ♪ ♪ And I'll be hella busy ♪ ♪ And I'll be hella busy ♪ ♪ Non-productive ♪ ♪ Heaven sent me repercussion ♪ ♪ Sent me ♪ ♪ Evidently trace combustion ♪ ♪ For the next seven centuries ♪ ♪ We to the crib, Black Picket Fence Inc. ♪ ♪ He ended up ♪ ♪ For my lineage ♪ ♪ Lineage ♪ ♪ Allow me to dream a bit ♪ ♪ Then make a scenery ♪ ♪ Then make a scenery ♪ ♪ Red carpet, head sparkling, blessed to be screening it ♪ ♪ Whether you went overflow or you streamin' it ♪ ♪ No, no ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Said I do ♪ ♪ I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ - So we can't tell these stories without y'all.

And since we're telling the story, we're gonna include y'all in it one more time.

So we gonna try this I do thing and you are going to recommit yourself back to joy and life.

All right, y'all ready?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- So I say... ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I dut-dut-du-rut-du ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I dut-dut-du-rut-du ♪ ♪ I dut-dut-du-rut-du ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (Maraj scat singing) ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ (Maraj scat singing) ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do ♪ (Maraj scat singing) ♪ I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ Said I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ - Ladies and gentlemen, we have Tyrell Williams and we're weighing on the horn (imitates trumpet tooting).

(Maraj laughs) We got Alex Animal Duncan on guitar.

(electric guitar thrumming) Nick Calcaterra back there on percussion.

Then we got Reggie the Banga on the drum.

We got Woods over there on the keys, the base keys.

Kevin Christian on the key keys.

We got Lana Be Free on the violin.

And I'm McCrea Deezer I'm Maraj Virtuoso.

- Hello.

- We're The Better Things Collective.

And we just came here to give y'all some love 'cause we do.

♪ We do, we do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do, we do ♪ - Okay, okay, okay.

♪ I said we do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do, we do ♪ ♪ I said we do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do, we do ♪ ♪ We do, we do, we do ♪ ♪ I said I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ ♪ I do, I do, I do ♪ - Bye.

(gentle music) (Maraj giggles) (light swooshes) - And we are back from the stage from that phenomenal performance by Maraj Virtuoso and The Better Things Collective.

How are you Maraj?

- I'm doing well.

How are you?

- I'm very good.

I love your name.

- Thank you.

(laughs) - What did you play for us today?

- So they were two original songs.

One was called "Done It," and it was produced actually by the keys player, Kevin Christian.

And then the other song was called "I Do," And that was produced by Barry, the real keys (indistinct).

- So you use storytelling?

- Yes, very much.

- And you talk about you.

I love that you make yourself the subject.

Can you tell us how you began to use storytelling and using yourself as a subject?

- I am a huge mental health advocate.

I even have a mental health and music festival that I do every year.

We took a pause for about a year or two now, but I feel like whenever I start to tell my story, and so that other people, whoever you are in this world, know you're not alone dealing with these specific issues.

My issues, like, that I'm speaking about openly are moments where I've had to be superhuman, and honestly, I think about the emotions that, am I being reactive?

Am I working through this in a healthy way?

Well how am I doing that?

And I've had to literally tell bits and pieces of my story where maybe I wasn't so healthy or I had to figure out how to figure a better, healthy coping mechanisms moving forward, which included music.

But it's so that people who have anxiety or depression or ADHD or bipolar disorder or whatever it is, or they're just going through something, you're not alone.

You're not alone at all.

I promise.

You might not feel it.

Like I say to my son, you might not feel it today, but you will be okay eventually.

Yeah.

- Ooh, I love that you have a higher purpose for your art and that it extends to other people.

And you had this, like, the philharmonic around you today.

(Maraj laughs) Who are The Better Things Collective?

- So The Better Things Collective, we wanted to show that you can be a collective of people from all different backgrounds and want to pursue a very similar goal and dream.

But each person in their own right is a producer, is a musician, and each have their own stories to tell, like McCrea Deezer who came on the stage with me today.

He has so much music that is also very much so in the same direction of positivity and purpose.

Kevin Christian, the same with him.

He has, like, pop tunes and whatnot.

So our collective, it consists of not just instruments, but people who are rappers, singers, dancers.

And it's almost like we wanted to create this group that came straight out of Detroit that you might never see again.

(laughs) Like, there have been, what, The Roots, you know, like Lauryn Hill and the Fugees.

There have been so many different groups that have come out of different areas.

- Mm-hmm.

- And it's been far and few in between that groups like that, that eclectic, have come out of Detroit.

So we wanted to create that group.

- So you had a beautiful set design, flowers.

- Mm-hmm.

- Can you tell us about it?

- Sure.

My best friend who is also our other violinist, she is incredible.

She is a violinist, also producing on her own right, an educator within, like, the Detroit Public Schools right now.

Lana Be Free is her stage name, but Lana Martin is her actual name, and she designed all the florals.

She designed them with colors that she knows, like, speak to my heart whenever I either need to calm down a little bit or find some peace.

So she did an incredible job with the florals.

- Now if you think of yourself 10 years from now, where do you see yourself?

- I hope that we are still doing some tours with the music, yes, that we've already created, but more stories to tell so that more people can have that feeling of, "Yeah, I'm not here by myself."

And just keep doing that, keep creating in 10 years.

I don't ever wanna stop creating.

- Yeah.

- So no matter where I'm at in this world, I just...

In 10 years, if I'm creating, if I am filled with joy, and I still feel like God's love surrounds me and I get to tell other people that they will be okay, I'll be happy.

- Thank you so much, Maraj.

- Thank you for having me.

- And thank you for watching "Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove."

See you next time.

- [Narrator] Funding for "Detroit Performs" is provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, The Kresge Foundation, the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (bright music)