Maureen Charles
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Maureen Charles
Writer • Editor
Writing Coach

Maureen Charles Writer • Editor Writing CoachMaureen Charles Writer • Editor Writing CoachMaureen Charles Writer • Editor Writing Coach
  • Home
  • Books
  • About Me
  • Services
  • News
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  • Things I Love
  • Remembering Jon
  • LOVE OF AGING SHOP

Photos from Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2023 - BOOK SIGNING

I had a great time meeting readers and signing Music Mavens at the 2023 LA Times Festival of Books!

    Consider this: Music Mavens

    Column by Ellen Snortland, featured in the Pasadena Weekly and LA Downtown News

    Ellen begins: 


    "Squirming, I agreed to review the new book 'Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry,' by Ashley Walker and Maureen Charles. I have known one of the co-authors for years, and her late husband, Jon Charles, for even longer. I prayed to Euterpe, music’s muse: 'Please, please, please let me like it!' I’m extremely relieved to say, 'Like it? I love it!'


    Read on....

    Girl Talk HQ - Excerpt from Chapter One

    Broadway Sinfonietta founder Macy Schmidt | Photo by Rebecca J Michelson

    Meet Macy Schmidt: The Music Maven Orchestrating Equity In The World Of Classical Music (October 202

    Below is an excerpt from ‘Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry’, a young adult biography by Ashley Walker and Maureen Charles. The book is part of Chicago Review Press’s “Women of Power” series, a timely, inclusive, international biography series that profiles 15 contemporary women who are changing their field while empowering others to follow their dreams. The authors interviewed each of their 15 subjects extensively, fact-checking every detail and uncovering exclusive scenes and stories in the process.


    ‘Music Mavens’ transports readers around the world (and beyond)—to a jazz performance in Genoa, an instrument lab in London, a Tokyo taiko dojo, a New York City beatbox battle, and even a film scoring session aboard the starship Enterprise, to name a few. Along the way, it spotlights artists whose work spans musical genres and industry roles, including composing and songwriting, performing and conducting, audio engineering, producing, and rock photography.


    In ‘Music Mavens’, 15 extraordinary women reveal how they turned their passions into platforms and how they use their power to uplift others. Their musical resumes will inspire readers, but the way each artist lives her life is the real story. 


    In this excerpt, the authors introduce Broadway orchestrator, music director, producer, and orchestra founder Macy Schmidt, who is making her mark not only with her orchestrations but by hiring female-identifying musicians of color and showcasing their talents. When women are in power, everyone benefits....


    Broadway Sinfonietta founder Macy Schmidt | Photo by Rebecca J Michelson

    READ the excerpt on GirlTalkHQ

    Cynsations Blog Interview with the Authors

    Nonfiction for Older Readers: Maureen Charles & Ashley Walker Talk About Collaborating on Nonfiction

    by Stephanie Martinelli Eaton


    Today I am excited to introduce our Cynsations readers to Maureen Charles and Ashley Walker who recently collaborated on a nonfiction project for older readers. Their book Music Mavens from Chicago Review Press comes out this fall as part of their Women of Power series. Ashley and Maureen are enthusiastic and diligent writers for young people, I know because I am fortunate enough to be in a writing group with them. I can’t wait for you to learn about their process, especially their collaboration, which can be tricky waters for writers to navigate.


    Your most upcoming nonfiction title for young adult readers, Music Mavens is about women in the music industry. Tell us about what drew you to your subject.

    Ashley:  Gladly! I’m a music lover and amateur musician, so I was thrilled to receive an invitation to write this book for the Chicago Review Press Women of Power (WOP) series. WOP profiles “15 diverse, modern women who are changing the world in their field while empowering others to follow their dreams.” 


    Before I started knocking on industry doors, I reached out to a collaborator—a fellow author with a music background that complemented mine. I proposed the idea to the talented writer Maureen Charles in December 2020, just after her virtual Birthday on Broadway party. And with music (Janis Joplin) still playing in our heads, she agreed to partner with me....

    READ the complete interview

    Climate Restoration Curriculum Now Available for Grades 3-5

    Learn about this Free Online Curriculum here

    As a volunteer writer serving on the Foundation for Climate Restoration Curriculum Design Team, I am delighted to share and recommend this free online course with 3rd through 5th grade students and their teachers. 


    Stay tuned for the release of our Climate Restoration High School Curriculum due out in 2023.

    Maureen Charles featured in In Residence 2021, the VCFA Alumnx Magazine

    The complete magazine can be viewed here. This article appears on page 45.

    Buy MUSIC MAVENS

    MUSIC MAVENS is available in both hardcover and electronic formats everywhere books are sold. Click the button below for links to Indie bookstores, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and more.

    Buy Music Mavens at your favorite Book Seller

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