Rita
Maya
Burkholder
Things People Say About Me
Because, I get tired of talking about myself.
Rita
Rita is a jack of all trades. I've known her to be involved in so many different areas and formats of creative art. She is eager to both accept and deliver constructive criticism, for the sake of a fully realized outcome. Her mind works like the rhythm section of a band, laying groundwork for a project, then doubles back to enhance the melody, creating an intriguing and nuanced concept.
With all of her contributions to arts and culture so far, it's doubtful she will ever run out of new ideas, much less rehash the one's she keeps in her mind bank.
Rita has boundless energy. She's the kind of person you want to have around during a collaboration or in any group setting. She works hard, speaks her mind, and maintains her sense of humor, even when things are tough. She's observant and intuitive, which are both so important when working with people. I've been grateful to get to know her through her music, arts organizing, glasswork, and as a clown.
Theatre Genius and Clown -Donna Oblongata
"For awhile Rita did these tiny drawings of seeds, micro-organisms, flowers, cute bacteria etc., tiny beings, like the ones in Whoville. I've also heard her in the other room singing and playing the ukulele. Based on these two examples, I believe that Rita is capable of doing anything- she's never tried scrimshander for example, but I'm sure she'd master it instantly.
She gave me one of the glass beads she'd made. It was a blue cat face, a cartoon cheetah face or something. This little bead has a certain power. I carry it, for good luck pressed into the palm of my hand."
Poet- Alex Rainey Ward
As a musician, I've observed and worked with Rita plenty of times and marveled at her creativity and attention to detail. Her own songs are entirely hers, not relying on pre-existing forms or chord changes. Instead, she starts from scratch and weaves her narratives and original melodies through harmonic twists and turns, and the outcome is always both surprising and satisfying. She is also a team player, which is vital for a musician. She stays so busy on so many creative fronts that I've wondered how she has the time needed to excel at them all, but she always does.
Jim Cavender- Startlingly Fresh Records
Rita Maya Burkholder has been employed by the Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation since it's inception in 2015'. She has been exceptional to work with! She has the great gift of balancing being incredibly professional and also artistic, creative and fun. She has used her musical skill in conjunction with our mission, to integrate music with a number of other subjects in many elementary school classrooms. By working with, for example, fun 2nd graders or a receptive special needs class. She has been a joy to work with.
Evan Billiter- President of The Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation.
​
Rita Maya Burkholder is my friend. And I'm lucky to know this crazy, old soul. There's a certain breed of artist that knows no medium and she is exactly that. Every breath of her is one part "yes" and two parts "I'm doing it". She is the type of person that makes creative creatures into creators; an educator from experience, a muse of her mistakes, and a poet with the prose and poetry of 6 reincarnations. Rita has no " would or should", only "do and am" and I admire her greatly for it. Playing chess with Rita is an excuse to read the lines of our brains and not the board, and the pieces we push on it. She is unabashed, fearless, brave, and shares her world through her expression, and I love her for it.
Adam Coppens- Punk Rock Chess Club/Pro Chef/Artist
#wearethewigs