Talitha MacKenzie

Talitha MacKenzie (born on Long Island, New York) is an American world music recording artist, teacher and ethnomusicologist. Initially known for her work as the singing half of the original Mouth Music lineup, she has gone on to follow a highly respected solo career. Although most associated with Celtic and Gaelic music, she also performs arrangements of traditional songs from elsewhere in Europe, Africa and America.

From an early age, MacKenzie took advantage of growing up in a multi-cultural New York environment. Training as a concert pianist from the age of four (teaching by the age of thirteen, and later specialising in Slavic and Impressionist piano music), she also began to teach herself Scottish Gaelic in her teens. Studying French, Russian and Spanish in high school, she went on to study Russian at Connecticut College.

Following her time at Connecticut College, MacKenzie worked at the Manhattan record store World Tone Music, where she immersed herself in the "exotic modes and unusual rhythms" of folk dance from around the world. This led to work with various dance ensembles in the fields of Balkan, Celtic, Renaissance and Baroque music. At around the same time, MacKenzie worked at maritime museums in Mystic, Ct and South Street, Manhattan, which led to her crewing on sailing ships. She became known as a singer of sea shanties and other work songs, gaining insights regarding the interrelation of movement/work-related music and its organic rhythms.

Extending her formal musical studies, MacKenzie attended the New England Conservatory of Music, obtaining a degree in ethnomusicology and music history. While studying at the NEC, she also led the institution's Eastern European Music Ensemble and sang in the Conservatory Choir (performing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops).

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