Tihda Vongkoth (she/they) is a co-founder of Modern Marimba in Sarasota and identifies as an able-bodied, non-binary person of the Lao diaspora. Tihda speaks standard American English but grew up listening to others speak Lao English and AAVE. They are U.S. college-educated and grew up in a working-class, single-parent family with heteronormative, assimilationist values. Tihda has appeared as a marimba soloist with The Florida Orchestra, the U.S. Air Force Band, South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble, and the Interlochen Academy Orchestra. They have performed as a guest orchestral percussionist with the Sarasota Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, Opera Tampa, St. Pete Opera, and Jacksonville Symphony. Tihda is committed to using music as a tool for healing and liberation and hopes to cultivate a sense of curiosity, literacy in multiple musical languages, and a lifelong respect for many music communities. She will occupy the office of union president of the American Federation of Musicians Local 427-721 in January 2023. Tihda co-occupies a home in Sarasota/Calusa territory with her partner, Dean Anderson, who is also a percussionist.
About Tihda’s organization Modern Marimba:
Modern Marimba was created in 2019 by musician Tihda Vongkoth (she/they). She loved playing marimba in high school and college, but there were only a few opportunities to hear mallet percussion music outside of academia. After realizing a need for curating performances and educational programs by and for BIPOC, Queers, and women/femmes, Tihda organized a house concert with marimbist Michael Jones in Sarasota for her neighbors, friends, and the general public. After realizing the positive impact Modern Marimba had on its ability to connect and unite people all around the world during the first year of the pandemic, Tihda realized she needed a partner to help move the mission forward. They reached out to composer and performer Steph Davis (they/she/he), a marimbist from Orlando/Boston who was supportive and excited to join Modern Marimba as a co-founder! From these humble beginnings, Modern Marimba has since collaborated with local Sarasota organizations such as The Newtown Nation, Westcoast Black Theater Troupe, Manasota Anti-Racism Coalition, WSLR, FabAF Foundation, ALSO Youth, WEDU PBS, Community Foundation of Sarasota, the Patterson Foundation, and The Bay Sarasota. Many of Modern Marimba’s in-person performances are free to the public, as they are committed to accessibility in community listening spaces. Modern Marimba also continues to present virtual music programs involving arts workers, students, and audiences from Sarasota and from an international community – this affirms the importance of building connections through diversity. As a nonprofit arts organization, Modern Marimba relies on generous donations and grants to sustain its activities to support its concerts and educational activities.
To find out more about Modern Marimba, log on to: https://modernmarimba.org/
