WHO WE ARE

ERIN BOYD (she/her) hails from Tampa FL by way of Bricktown NJ, she is a vocalist, songwriter, and activist.  She is passionate about music and her community and it shows through her community efforts and keen musical sensibility. Boyd is a Fordham University at Lincoln Center alum and can be heard singing background on the new David East album and Smirnoff 'Infamous Since 1864' syndicated commercial.  She is an active member of the Resistance Revival Chorus and Sound Mind Collective, two incredible organizations focusing on activism through song.

“Through SMC, my understanding of the importance of democracy in an artistic environment has grown exponentially. I have harnessed the tools to ensure my creative growth and intellectual safety. Asking for full transparency from bookers, band leaders, and clubs is just one small take away I have received from my involvement with The Sound Mind Collective.”

SMC Working Groups: Love NY Festival, Womxn Musicians Forum

Website: LovErinBoyd.Com

Instagram: @E_R_I_N_BOYD

ELENNA CANLAS (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, composer, and producer based on Lenape & Canarsie lands in Brooklyn. She creates music as Lupa and has recorded and toured across the globe many times around supporting a multitude of artists & bands including Sinkane, Underground System, and Easy Star All-Stars. She currently performs live with Lollise, Walk Talk, Miles Francis, Cochemea, Kendra Morris, and Kirsty Rock. Elenna is also an advocate for womxn in music, and is the organizer & facilitator for Womxn Musicians Forum

“Community is an integral value of Sound Mind Collective, and it’s the reason that I became involved with this group, which inspires me to remain committed to the work of evolving in solidarity with those who create change and pathways of connection within NYC music culture and beyond. SMC provides the safe space, tools, and experiences to practice emergence and embody a healthier, more fulfilling existence within musical communities, and I am impacted by the lessons learned from this collective on a daily basis."

SMC Working Groups: Womxn Musicians Forum, SMC Venue Coalition, Mental Health Working Group

Website: www.musikasalupa.com

Instagram: @lilelenna

ALBA PONCE DE LEÓN (she/her) is a singer/songwriter/actor who fronts the Latinx psych-soul band, Alba + The Mighty Lions (Brooklyn label, Names You Can Trust).  She is also a member of the Resistance Revival Chorus (Righteous Babe Records), an ensemble of 60+ women and non-binary singer-activists who use their music to infuse joy into political resistance while elevating and centering women’s voices- especially those of Black women and women of color.  When not singing, you can find Alba in her voiceover booth where she voices English/Spanish commercials and promos, animation and video games, and even narration and dubbing for everything from documentaries and films to radio, podcasts and everything in between! 

“I joined Sound Mind Collective because I was searching for a way to channel my artistic voice into a form of advocacy for myself and my community.  However, my SMC family quickly taught me that advocacy isn’t just about speaking up, it’s also about listening better and knowing how to spread power among our community, even in moments that feel small or insignificant.  As a result, I have felt so much more rooted and capable in the work that I do.  I constantly find myself looking to extend this new strength to others because I know- if a tree falls in the woods, we’ll all feel it if our roots are connected.”

SMC Working Groups: Womxn Musicians Forum, SMC Zine, Policy Working Group

Website: www.AlbaPoncedeLeon.com

IG: @albasmightylions

Twitter: @albapdl

KATHERINE “KP” POWELL (she/her) has, over a 15-year career in music culture, performed many roles from manager, booking agent, publicist, business manager, venue owner / manager, talent buyer, and promoter to production manager, tour manager, stage hand, and backline tech. She has been taught by both experience and amazing mentors and has remained on the side of industry independents throughout her career.

In her role as artist manager, she focuses simultaneously on career development and execution of vision while creating and maintaining a strong and sustainable business infrastructure. Her work is rooted in the goal to help artists with the difficult balance of creating while maintaining a working business model without compromising the strength and integrity of their vision and voice. KP currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and manages The Payback, Inc 501(c)(3) with Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds) and is a partner in Color Red, a record label and studio based in Denver, CO.

CHRIS ST. HILAIRE (he/him), a founding member of SMC, is a Trinidadian-American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, gardener, and activist, known for his work with The London Souls and as a touring drummer and vocalist for Sinkane and Doyle Bramhall II.

"The SMC value that resonates with me the most right now is Health. Taking care of our physical, mental, and spiritual health is sometimes the most radical and impactful thing we can do. How can we possibly commit to radically changing our culture if we can’t take care of ourselves and our communities? My work in SMC is rooted in a sense of health and what that means for music creatives living in community with the violence and trauma of capitalism, racism, patriarchy, and the normalized dysfunctions of daily life."

SMC Working Groups: Mental Health Working Group, Policy Working Group

Website: www.chrissthilaire.com