This week on Women. Music. Power. we sit down with Kathryn Claire. Kathryn Claire has spent years cultivating her own style and approach to music as a violinist, guitar player, singer, and songwriter. She has toured, performed and taught extensively in the US, Japan, The Netherlands, India, Belgium and France.

From her journey in Irish punk bands to crafting a multimedia masterpiece, Kathryn shares her story and wisdom on staying true to your art. We dive deep into her journey, learn about synesthesia, and laugh a lot!

www.kathrnclairemusic.com

Songs featured in this episode can be found here along with lots more!

Music | Kathryn Claire

Quiet Sound

Will of the Flower

Bjorne Stomp

Eastern Bound for Glory

Leave Behind

Women. Music. Power. is produced by Marianna Thielen and Leah Hinchcliff

Executive Producer, Dr. Nancy Breaux

Mastered by Alyson Castonguay at Sound Travels

Theme song by Marianna Thielen and Leah Hinchcliff

www.womenmusicpowerpod.com

This episode features one of the most diverse and hardest working female singer-songwriters the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Songwriter, guitar player, singer, producer, actor, activist...Stephanie does it all.

We all learned how to take responsibility for our womanhood in this episode!! :) What a joy it was to sit down with Stephanie and discuss her career in music--covering her early work in speech pathology, getting coveted spot at the Lilith fair, and to the work she does with her songwriting course You are the Song.

We know you will be as inspired as we were by this incredible artist and human. Enjoy!

Songs featured:

Oxygen
All Gone
Gridline
Cry With Me
Cry With Me - Video
Wherever You Go

On January 1st 2026, Leah Hinchcliff and Marianna Thielen will be releasing the 5th episode in season 1 of Women. Music. Power. Their guest is Stephanie Schneiderman. Stephanie is a power player in the Portland music scene and beyond. Tell your friends and don't forget to tune in on Thursday January 1st.

This episode, we interview powerhouse band director and flutist Cynthia Plank. Her band at Beaumont Middle School recently received the prestigious DownBeat Student Music Award for the best middle school large ensemble in the entire country.

She also serves as an Associate Conductor for the Oregon Symphonic Band, which is a professional-level group of adult musicians. Besides flute, she has also performed extensively on bass, percussion, trombone and currently sings in a 20-piece swing band.

Hear all about how she is living out a life plan she made at age 18, how she and Leah met in the 80s in Euguene, and her philosophy on how to get young folks (especially young women) excited about playing music, and doing it well.

To donate to Beaumont's music program, email cynthiaplank@pps.net.

• WMP theme song 00:29.63
• Charmaine - Beaumont Ambassadors 02:53 (short clip)
• Para Los Congueros - Beaumont Ambassadors 15:04 (interstitial)
• Para Los Congueros - Beaumont Ambassadors 19:38 (long clip)
• Night and Day - Cynthia Plank 29:40 (long clip)
• Got Blues - Beaumont Ambassadors 38:19 (interstitial)
• Charmaine -Beaumont Ambassadors 42:21 (long clip)
• Bye Bye Blackbird - Cynthia Plank 47:07 (long clip)
• Bye Bye Blackbird 53:06 (piano interstitial)
• Got Blues - Beaumont Ambassadors 56:07 (outro clip)

On December 18th, Women. Music. Power. is presenting our interview with Cynthia Plank. Cynthia is a music teacher in Portland Public Schools and performs locally. She has won numerous awards with her school bands and was a finalist for a grammy in the music teacher catergory. She is smart, funny and entertaining with an intriguing story. Don't miss it. Episode drops on Thursday Dec. 18th.

Episode 3: Rachel Brashear – Be Excellent

We are so excited to welcome Rachel Brashear as our 3rd guest on Women. Music. Power. Rachel is a fearless artist whose honesty, vulnerability and strength have been guiding forces in her creative journey. Her lyrics often tackle themes of identity and empowerment.

In this episode Rachel shares stories of growing up in a very musical family in Branson, Missouri - a small resort city in the Ozark Mountains, often called the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World". She recounts humorous encounters with famous musicians and charming stories of performing with her family at a young age.

We will listen to 3 of her songs and delve into the deep, thought-provoking process that guides her creativity. We talk about breaking free from old norms, finding power in softness and staying authentic as an artist.

Rachel's new album, The Death of the Ingenue is a genre bending collection of compositions highlighting Rachel's excellence as a composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. It is an intimate peak into her world view and her philosophical determination to understand and explain her journey as a woman and artist.

We discuss her dedication as an educator and she shares wisdom gleaned from a life of musical study and practice. Her stories, fearless attitude, experiences and insights serve to elevate women in music and effect a change in the music industry.

Please listen to our interview and share it!

Rachel's website

Here are links to the music we listened to in our podcast:

Why

The Things You Forgot

Not The Caring Kind

 Hello, women music Power listeners. I'm Leah Hinchcliff, and along with my co-host, Marianna Thielen, we are so excited about episode three, which is dropping on Thursday, December 4th. Our guest is Rachel Brashear, a fearless artist, redefining what it means to be authentic in music.

From growing up in a musical family, to releasing her Bold new album, the Death of the Ingenue. Rachel shares her journey of resilience, creativity, and empowerment.

Please join us on Thursday, December 4th, wherever you stream, and check out our website, women music power pod.com for links to music artist bios, and more. Thanks for listening.

Episode 2 of Women. Music. Power. features LaRhonda Steele, Portland's First Lady of the Blues. An artist whose voice has the power to transport, heal and transform.

In this inspirational episode, we sit down with LaRhonda Steele, a compelling, uplifting vocalist whose artistry spans blues, R & B, gospel and jazz with boundless emotional depth and astounding virtuosity. Born in Oklahoma, Larhonda relocated to Portland in the early 90's and became a beloved fixture on the Portland scene. She's now an essential part of the Waterfront Blues Festival, a Cascade Blues Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2020 Oregon Music Hall of Fame honoree. She has also traveled overseas to perform at festivals. Larhonda has recorded several albums with her husband and musical partner, Mark Steele. She also has studio credits that include back up vocals and collaborations with many luminaries including Curtis Salgado, Taj Mahal, and Gino Vanelli, whose albums Wilderness Road and The Life I Got feature LaRhonda's stunning back up vocals.

LaRhonda shares stories with us about her musical journey, her family and her creative voice. Whether fronting the LaRhonda Steele Band, directing the Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir, or performing with the Steele Family Band, her sound is unmistakable: bluesy, gospely, and drenched in soul. As Portland blues legend Norman Sylvester puts it, "She can bounce over chordal progressions like a surfer on a perfect wave".

We talk about music as a career, a way of life and a journey to finding strength in the face of adversity. LaRhonda's voice doesn't just fill a room—it transforms it. Listening to her can heal you, transport you to a place of peace and stir your soul.

Tune in for a conversation that has us laughing, crying and honoring LaRhonda's artistry and musical gifts.

Aside from our podcast theme song, every track in this episode carries LaRhonda's creative touch—whether as writer, co-writer, or collaborator.

Here are links to those songs:

Bootylyte - Ocean 503
In and Out Romance - LaRhonda and Mark Steele
Cycles - LaRhonda and Mark Steele
In Another Life - Lo Steele and Peter Knudsen