Levi came to Amherst from her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, intending to major in economics while taking music and music theory courses on the side. She got through all the core economics requirements, but stopped a few courses short of a major because she was not interested in the other available electives. She decided to major in music instead, a logical choice considering how involved she was in the music community at Amherst. For her thesis, Levi assembled a jazz composition, which she describes as "a little bit out there."
Levi became an active member of the a cappella group DQ in 1995, the same year that the group began accepting female members. She also sang in Concert Choir and played trumpet in the jazz band. During her sophomore year Levi started an indie-rock band called Kid Sampson, with Jeremy Sosenko '99 and Mike Sullivan '00, in which she played bass guitar.
After graduating, Levi stayed at Amherst for another year as the music theory T.A. and the Choral Society assistant, working with Choral Society Director Mallorie Chernin. "[She is] one of the best assistants I've ever had. She is smart, energetic, talented, clever, capable and all around wonderful," Chernin commented. "I adore Mara … [she] is fiercely loyal to the choral program and was a force to be reckoned with as the assistant."
Levi, in turn, loved her time with Chernin and hopes to one day demonstrate her appreciation for the choral director. Chernin said that when Levi becomes "rich and famous," she will include a "Mallorie Chernin Memorial Bathroom" in the music building that she donates to Amherst College. According to Chernin, this bathroom "will be a special place, just for me, with marble, a Jacuzzi, a reading area, soft lighting and a plaque."
The year after assisting the choir, Levi and the rest of Kid Sampson traveled to New York on tour. Levi found a job teaching music in a school on Long Island, giving her enough free time to travel around the city with the band. They played in many clubs and produced two albums, still available online through the band's website kidsampson.com, and bigger online stores like Amazon.com. The band also traveled to Boston, making the rounds through the nightclub circuit and getting used to the music club scene. According to Levi, Kid Sampson's indie-rock style had "considerable success" in the cities' music scenes.
After touring for a year, Kid Sampson broke up, leaving Levi to learn acoustic guitar and work on her solo act. She spent about a year learning guitar, composing her songs, and working odd jobs at non-profit organizations and community music schools. Levi now lives in an apartment in Northampton and performs frequently in the Northampton area.
A solo act takes a lot of courage but Levi finds ample support in the Northampton music community. She describes the music scene as "a small, hip crowd" in which even other musicians are eager to "go to each other's shows." In the New York City clubs, Kid Sampson had often found itself back-to-back with performers of very different music genres. Unlike the disheveled music scene in New York City, the venues in Northampton are careful to line up similar bands next to each other, hoping for overlapping audiences. Levi also joined a songwriting circle in Northampton, along with a fellow Amherst graduate Emily Greene '01.
Levi is also working on her solo CD debut. She plans to sell the CD at her shows, distribute it to local stores for sale and also distribute it to record companies. She hopes to "land a record deal," which would allow her talent to spread outside the Pioneer Valley. The College has been very helpful in the process, allowing Levi to use Buckley Recital Hall for recording and practicing. The rest of the process includes mixing the tracks, getting together and printing all the material for the CD backing and shipping the CD to music stores and record companies. If a company likes her CD, they will make a deal with Levi, including details on the re-recording of the CD under their label.
According to Levi's website, maralevi.com, her music "has evolved into a catchy blend of her folk music roots, her jazz composition training and her indie-pop upbringing." A funny bit from Levi's mother describes her music as "powerful, sorrowful, intelligent, catchy and riveting." The website compares her vocals and sound to those of Liz Phair, Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette and Aimee Mann.
The website includes Levi's biography, describing her music experience beginning at age 19. It also includes a list of upcoming performances in the Pioneer Valley area and beyond, along with photos from old shows. The website even lists tracks from her new demo CD, which you can download directly from the site or from mp3.com/mara_levi. She includes music she's written, arranged, or both-including Kid Sampson songs, DQ a cappella songs and parts of her jazz composition thesis. There are also links to places she's been, ranging from her high school band to Amherst College to favorite vacation spots, and a large collection of family photos from childhood to the present.
To stay updated on Levi's news and shows, the website highlights a link to join Levi's mailing list. To support Levi and enjoy her unique sound, look for her upcoming performances in the Northampton area, listed above.