Karen Smith

Karen "Magic Fingaz" Smith, Brooklyn Native, Philly Resident, is a Professional Percussionist, Playwright, Poet, Teaching Artist, Curator and now Vegan Pie-Maker!!! Karen is a recipient of several grants including the 2019 and 2021 Art and Change grant from The Leeway Foundation. She has facilitated workshops around the Tri-State area and beyond with the focus on finding the rhythms within and sharing that finding to the instrument (drum). Ms. Smith is the Artistic Director and Lead Percussionist of Weez the Peeples and Sistahs Laying Down Collectives that she founded in 2012 and 2014. The opportunities continue to grow with a stellar list of artistry that she has provided rhythms, including Sister Sonia Sanchez, Ursula Rucker, TC Carson, Debbie Allen, Steadman Graham, Toshi Reagan and Founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock, Bernice Johnson Reagon and many others. Besides her percussionist presence on YOUTUBE, Karen has released her first CD project in 2020 entitled, "Spiritual Atmosferic Cleansing" that can be found on all the digital music distribution sites and the second CD will be released this Spring entitled, "Spiritual Hush". 2022 will release "Awoke the Musical, '' a look at mass incarceration and how there's a pipeline between the public school system and the prison system. "Possible is Possible '' is my daily mantra.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the artist