Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Maestra is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides support, visibility, and community to underrepresented artists, including women and gender-expansive musicians, and their allies, and offers year-round programming designed to build lasting models for equity across the theatre industry.

Maestra is open to anyone who wants to join. There are many ways to get involved.

• If you are a woman or gender-expansive musician, especially if you work in the music theatre industry (including opera), you can join the Maestra Directory. This directory is free and reaches a global audience. We recommend updating your profile at least once every six months.

• If you are involved in the theatre industry in any capacity other than acting, you can join the RISE Directory. This directory — also free — is meant to function like a Linkedin for the theatre industry, and it is open to all who work in the field, except actors. Actors are encouraged to use other existing directories run by other organizations and casting agencies.

• If you are a person who works in a different industry, or if you want to support Maestra without joining a directory, you can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, or you can set up a one-time or recurring donation here.

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Maestra’s tax ID number (EIN) is 83-3439518.

RISE Theatre is a program of Maestra. For more information about the history and development of RISE, please visit the RISE history page.

The Maestra Directory is an online database of women and gender-expansive people who work as musicians in the musical theatre industry. It’s a valuable resource for producers, contractors, general managers, artistic directors, and other industry professionals seeking to hire more diverse talent. All Maestra members are self-represented in their Directory profiles, which showcase their skills and experience.

To become a member of Maestra, you must fill out our membership profile application on the website. Profiles include professional experience, skills, photo, bio, pronouns, contact information, and any relevant portfolio work. Once your application is reviewed and approved by our Directory Manager, you’ll receive access to our community and its member resources.

Maestra does not charge a membership fee. We believe in making our resources and community accessible to as many people as possible, and we have insisted that we don’t want to run the organization on the backs of the people we support. However, donations are always appreciated and will help support our programs. One way members and allies can contribute financially is by setting up a recurring monthly donation which enrolls them in our monthly donor program called Continuo.

As a member of Maestra, you’ll gain access to a supportive community of like-minded professionals, a wealth of resources and opportunities for professional development through programming like our Virtual Technical Workshops and Replay videos, First Takes reading sessions, and the Mentorship program. Your profile in the Maestra Directory is searchable, which also increases your professional visibility.

Creating a RISE profile is for all theater makers at every level of their career. In order to appear in search results, each user should have at least one credit before making a profile. Anyone hoping to use the RISE Directory only to search for candidates can create a profile without credits.

The Maestra Directory of Shows is a newer directory built to showcase and elevate original musical works created by Maestra members. Whether a work is a published piece or a new musical in progress, this searchable directory allows users to filter by type of work, length, genre, musical style, cast attributes, band size, and developmental stage, making it easier than ever to discover, support, and produce work written and composed by Maestras. Maestras who have served as orchestrators, arrangers, and other collaborative roles on these works also have the opportunity to have their contributions highlighted, further underscoring the broad impact Maestras are making on the musical theatre canon.

All of our directories are free for all profile makers.

Maestra offers a wide range of resources, including a directory of female and gender-expansive musicians, educational seminars, a mentorship program, a jobs board, technical skills workshops, reading sessions, regional and affinity groups, networking events, industry statistics, timelines, exclusive partnerships, and care for members in need. 

Maestra Mentorship is a six-month hybrid partnering program which connects women and gender-expansive musicians (ages 18+) who are interested in continuing their pursuit of a career in making music for the theater with professionals currently working in the musical theater industry. Mentees who are selected to participate meet with their mentor once a month, in-person or virtually. This free-of-charge program includes special community events and resources.

RISE Theatre is a program of Maestra Music. RISE (Representation, Inclusion, & Support for Employment) Theatre seeks to build a more equitable and inclusive theatre industry by centralizing DEIA tools and resources through a network of partners and a national personnel directory that focuses on folks from underrepresented backgrounds, including but not limited to people of color, women, trans, nonbinary, deaf, and disabled theatre professionals. Visit www.risetheatre.org to learn more.

For more information about the history and development of RISE, please visit the history page.

Maestra and RISE both host a variety of events throughout the year, including virtual and in-person workshops, panel discussions, networking mixers, and performances. These events are designed to inform, educate, foster community, and showcase the talents of our members and allies.

Many of our events are open to the public, though some events may be for directory members only or require an RSVP. Public events like our Virtual Technical Workshops, our spring Amplify concert, and our appearances at industry-wide events like the Broadway Flea Market and the RISE Summit are a great way to learn more about our community and get involved.

You can support Maestra by attending our events, volunteering, making a donation, purchasing merchandise, sharing our data and resources, or spreading the word about who we are and what we do. If you or someone you know is hiring, check out the Maestra and RISE Directories. If you’ve successfully used one of our directories, share your testimonial with us by emailing [email protected].

All donations in support of RISE are made directly to Maestra.

You can give to Maestra by visiting the Donate page on our website. Donations can be made as a one-time gift or as a recurring contribution. All donations go directly toward supporting our programs and initiatives. Maestra also accepts in-kind donations in the form of event space, auction items or experiences, catering, service discounts, etc. Additional ways to support include becoming a corporate sponsor, recommending us for a corporate match from your employer through Benevity, recommending Maestra for grants, and buying tickets to our public events.

All donations in support of RISE are made directly to Maestra.

Have more questions about donations? Email us at [email protected].

Every contribution helps us continue our work advocating for a more equitable theatre industry. According to our most recent Annual Report, Maestra’s expenses are 68% programs (including RISE), 18% fundraising, and 14% administration. Thanks to individual donations, we’re able to host programming and provide continued support, visibility, and community to our members.

Maestra’s greatest resource is the community of people who believe in our mission. Ask, “Do you know about Maestra?” when you’re in rooms where we aren’t. In addition, you can volunteer at our events, donate to support our programs, or offer a testimonial about how you’ve witnessed Maestra’s impact in the community at large.

Yes! We’re always open to collaborations that align with our mission. Whether you’re an organization looking to partner on an event or an individual with a project idea, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to us through our contact page.

We’re always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with our events, programs, and outreach efforts. If you’re interested in volunteering, please fill out the volunteer interest form on our website. We’ll reach out when opportunities arise that match your interests and skills.

Maestra occasionally offers internship opportunities for students and early-career professionals interested in gaining experience in arts administration, development, event-planning, marketing, or programming. Internships are posted on our website when available, along with application details.

You can stay updated by signing up for our weekly newsletter, following us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and regularly visiting our website.

The Maestra newsletter is a weekly email update that includes news about upcoming events, member highlights, industry insights, and more. It’s a great way to stay connected with the Maestra community and learn about new opportunities. Sign up at www.maestramusic.org/

The On The RISE newsletter is a monthly email update that includes news about upcoming events, member highlights, industry insights, and more. It’s a great way to stay connected with the RISE community and learn about new opportunities. Sign up at www.risetheatre.org.

You can contact us via the contact form on our website, or by emailing us at [email protected] or through the contact page for RISE. We’ll do our best to respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible.