From Story to Song
Come together for an evening of storytelling and original music featuring resident songwriters Adeline Um, Emily McNally, and Kacia Flórez and storytellers Azhar Bande-Ali and Paula Croxson.* Songwriters and storytellers pair up to share their chosen stories through new songs never played live before, accompanied by a full band. Be a part of this very special Keepsake House showcase where performance, music, and conversation intersect.
*Note that katherine gan has withdrawn from the performance and residency for personal reasons. We wish them the best and will continue to honor the story they prepared and the song that it inspired.
Doors: 6:30pm ET
Tickets:
In-person: $15-25* depending on seat, or free for Key to Keepsake holders.
*Note that this venue has reserved seating, so purchase your tickets early for the best seats!
Online video (live & recorded): Free with RSVP!
Hold the key to Keepsake House with a season pass to all residency shows! As soon as you sign up, you'll also receive immediate access to all past show videos–over 34 hours of content.
Left to right: Adeline Um, Paula Croxson, Emily McNally, Azhar Bande-Ali, and Kacia Flórez.
— Songwriters —
Adeline Um (she/her)
Adeline Um is a Korean American songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts, where she started her music journey as a Berklee City Music scholar. She is passionate about Asian American representation and visibility within the Western entertainment industry while also providing a soft landing for vulnerability and conversations regarding mental health within her music. Adeline has been recognized by BBC Scotland, BBC Introducing, The Rolling Stone India, UKSC, and Amazing Radio and is currently working at Berklee College of Music. Her favorite hobbies include going for coffee with friends, hiking, and spending time with family.
Adeline is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows House for the Holidays, Metamorphosis, and Inner Child.
Website | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
Emily McNally (she/they)
Emily McNally is creating the soundtrack for the lovelorn and anxious with their genre-fluid, DIY folk pop music. With vulnerable lyricism, Emily confronts her own naivete and yearning in layers of lush vocals. They hope to share a time capsule of life's emotional whirlwinds in order to ease the sense of loneliness in others (and herself). Emily currently freelances full time as a singer/songwriter, taking commissions on sites like Fiverr.
Emily is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows Found Family, House for the Holidays, Metamorphosis, and Frames of Reference.
Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
Kacia Flórez (she/her)
Kacia Flórez is a Colombian-Ecuadorian Queens native singer/songwriter, whose music is inspired by folkloric rhythms from her country of origin. From an early age, Kacia’s father taught her how to play and interpret a diverse amount of Latin American genres from the most renowned artists of his time, including Julio Jaramillo’s classic “Bolero, Vales and Pasillos” to Andean superstars Los Kjarkas with their Caporal hits. Kacia has performed for the Ecuadorian American Cultural Center, The Queens Museum, The Museum of Human Achievement, and has been involved with ongoing community work through Queens-based art collective Kaleidospace. Today you can check out her newest release “Kacia Flórez - Vol. 1,” an EP honoring her Andean roots, on all streaming platforms.
Su nuevo álbum, Kacia Flórez - Vol.1 está inspirado en el género Andino cual define a la artista de manera auténtica. Cada cancion en su EP demuestra pequeños fragmentos de lo que significa ser una mujer andina enamorada de su cultura. Ella espera que tú el oyente puedas también sentir el corazón de Los Andes en casa pista y conocer un poco de lo que define a Kacia con el sueno de revivir el folklor.
Kacia is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows Women of the House, House for the Holidays, Metamorphosis, and Linguistics.
— Storytellers —
Azhar Bande-Ali (he/him)
Azhar is an Indian-American storyteller from Atlanta who believes that great stories wrap vulnerability with humor like sushi or, as he calls them, a stushi. His stories tackle the core of our shared human struggle - self worth, identity, hope, and suffering - in search of meaning. He is a Moth StorySLAM winner and a Moth Showcase performer. As a writer, he’s worked on Rob McElhenney’s Adimverse. In his free time you can find him strolling through Central Park listening to podcasts about the technique of writing. Ask him about the time an essay he wrote about Michelle Obama landed him the best surprise ever.
Azhar is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows From Story to Song (October 2023), House for the Holidays, Metamorphosis, and Inner Child.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Paula Croxson (she/her)
Paula Croxson is a science communicator, neuroscientist and storyteller who is passionate about bringing together science and the arts. She moved to New York from the UK in 2010 with dreams of becoming a professor and researcher, but after discovering the power of storytelling she completely changed direction to focus on making science accessible to everyone. She is a senior producer for The Story Collider, and her stories and performances have been featured in podcasts, videos and around New York City in science shows, nerd shows and storytelling shows alike. She is also a musician, playing flute in two indie rock bands, and a long distance open-water swimmer.
Paula is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House show House for the Holidays, Metamorphosis, and Frames of Reference.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
— Band —
Jillian Carelli, Piano
Kenji Tokunaga, Bass
Paula Croxson, Flute
Sebastian Danalis, Guitar
Zac Swanner, Drums