Biography

Be Steadwell is a musician, filmmaker, storyteller from Washington DC. In her live performances, she utilizes looping, vocal layering and beat boxing to compose her songs on stage. Be's original music features earnest lyricism, and ​affirming LGBTQ content. Be's goal as a musician is to make other black girls, queers, introverts and generally marginalized weirdos feel seen and loved. With a BA from Oberlin College ​and an ​MFA in film ​from ​Howard University​, Be's love for music expands into filmmaking​. Her film Vow of Silence ​screened in film festivals around the world, including Black Star, HBO's OutFest, The Schomburg Center, Inside Out Toronto, and Fringe Fest UK​. ​ Be has shared stages with fellow artist activists Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, Nikky Finney and Gina Yashere. In 2017 Be sang at The Women's March on the National Mall behind Maxwell and Janelle Monae in Toshi Reagon's Big Lovely Band. In 2019, Be composed the music for The Alvin Ailey Dance Company's production of "the gone". Later that year-Be wrote and directed a musical, A Letter to My Ex​. Be's musical​ tells stories of love- narrating one character’s journey through the year following a breakup. ​In 2020, ​Be released her newest album, Succulent. During the pandemic, you can find Be on her Patreon channel- Patreon.com/besteadwell.