About Us
Empowering youth through music since 2010.
our new name
Our mission is to amplify the voices that are not represented, and are most often silenced in music. We strive to center people who need to take up more space in society and in the world. When this organization started as Girls Rock Campaign Boston in 2010, the focus was on girls and women who needed that space at that time, especially in the music industry. Women and girls continue to be under-represented in nearly all music settings, that that is even more true for other gender, racial, and sexual identities. To be true to our mission it only makes sense to change our name to reflect and include the multiplicity of identities we want to uplift, so that everyone who touches our organization feels included and able to be their true self without limit. We rock.
Who We are
Our Mission
BRPM empowers girls, women, and gender-expansive youths and adults to believe in themselves by building a supportive community that fosters self-expression, confidence, and collaboration through music education and performance.
Our Values
In a world that frequently minimizes these voices, BRPM believes in creating an enriching and supportive environment that celebrates our core values:
Expression
Creativity
Collaboration
Inclusivity
Joy
We Believe
We can play any kind of music we want!
Our voices matter!
In building each other up, not tearing each other down!
We are the change we need!
In standing up for ourselves and each other!
That through our JOY we RESIST!
Programming
Our programming leverages hands-on music education and performance as vehicles to encourage confidence and collaboration while fostering creativity, self-expression, and social impact.
Youth Summer Sessions
Adult Sessions
We have previously offered:
BEATS, after-school program
Youth Activism Project
Each program is facilitated by women and gender-expansive adults who guide participants in instrument instruction, band formation, song composition, and performance. No musical experience is necessary to attend; BRPM provides all instruments and equipment.
Board of Directors
BRPM’s Board of Directors harness their creativity, perspectives, and enthusiasm to champion the mission and future of our organization.
SARAH KOLITZ
she/her
Treasurer, 2025 - 2027
Sarah Kolitz is a parent, scientist, poet and musician who has seen firsthand the transformational power of BRPM programming after first participating in 2013.
Rachel rowsey
she/her
Clerk, 2025 - 2027
Rachel Rowsey is a writer and editor, music enthusiast, and mental health counselor-in-training. She enjoys playing volleyball, playing with her dog and two cats, and playing around with a guitar, banjo, or harmonica. She is originally from Alabama and loves a good folk tune.
RACHEL HOCK
she/her
Member, 2024 - 2026
Rachel Hock is the Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO and Board Liaison at a global healthcare nonprofit. She is a writer and musician. Rachel has been involved with BRPM since 2019.
DARBY SMOTHERMAN
they/them
Member, 2024 - 2026
Darby Smotherman has traveled the world as a sound designer and engineer with a passion for live music and theatre. They have played drums professionally and have volunteered with BRPM for several years. Darby has also volunteered with The Epilepsy Foundation’s horseback riding program. During the pandemic shutdown, they distributed food with local organizations and helped facilitate remote learning for families with children aged three to seven. Darby currently works at the Huntington Theatre where they are a member of HEAR, Huntington Equity and Anti-Racism committee. They believe community is key and equity essential.
NINA ANGELES-COSTA
she/her
Board Chair, 2024 - 2026
Nina Angeles-Costa is a proud Filipino American, daughter of immigrants, and sister to four incredible siblings, two of whom identify as neurodiverse and on the autism spectrum. Nina's upbringing has led her to be a longtime DEIB advocate and is passionate about bringing greater Fil-Am, AAPI, and BIPOC representation onto the stage. Outside of her day job, Nina is a wedding singer with her partner, long-distance runner, and ramen fanatic.
Nina Tobin
she/her
Clerk, 2024 - 2026
Nina Tobin, M.Ed is a proudly neurodivergent, veteran inclusive educator, with nearly 25 years of experience in teaching, evaluation, curriculum design, legislation, consultation, disability justice activism, advocacy, administration, research, inclusion practices, and program development. Nina has worked with and for such institutions as the Boston Public Schools, Lesley University, MGH's Lurie Center and their Aspire Summer Program, the AdCouncil on various initiatives, and founded several in-person and online disability communities for advocacy, education, and communal support. Her association with BRPM has spanned ten years, as a vocals instructor, FLOACH, and band coach for both youth and adult programs. Nina served on the Educator Advisory Board for the MFA, Boston for ten years, and co-facilitated the first inter-museum panel in Boston focused on building educational programs for autism students. Nina also provides free consultation to districts throughout New England on transition planning and ADA/504/508 law in higher education. She is currently the Assistant Director of Disability, Access, and Inclusion for a large public university, Secretary of the university's PSA union, and is an active member for several on and off-campus ND and DEI organizations.
AMY ARRINGTON
she/her
Member, 2025 - 2027
Amy Arrington is from Boston; she was raised in Roxbury and lived for many years in Jamaica Plain. She has a background in outdoor education, reproductive justice, health equity and project management. She is passionate about supporting youth, making art and music and being outdoors. She currently lives in Rhode Island with her husband and pet rabbit.
Tanya Nixon-Silberg
she/her
Vice Chair, 2024 - 2026
Tanya Nixon-Silberg is a Black mother, puppeteer, multi-modal artist, native Bostonian, educator, and founder of Little Uprisings- an organization focused on centering artivism, racial justice, and liberation with kids and their caregiving allies. Tanya’s art centers the bodily remembrances of joy and the lived experiences of Black women. Her way of experiencing this joy is playing the games of her youth, including hula hoop, hand clapping games and double dutch. You will mostly find Tanya playing with and learning from her 11 year old kid (who has enjoyed rocking with BRPM for 2 years), being in community with other artists and radically imagining how we all get free together.
Instagram: @littleuprisings @tanyanixonsilberg_art
JENNIFER LEAVEY
she/her
Officer-At-Large, 2025 - 2027
Jen is a technical writer by day and a creative writer by night. She is a musician, cat parent, and voracious reader, and she runs on coffee and ice cream. She proudly identifies as neurodivergent, and has been a member of the BRPM community since 2013.
luke benson
he/him
Member, 2025 - 2027
Luke Benson is a seasoned nonprofit professional with over 15 years of experience currently working as a Senior Manager at the largest workforce development nonprofit in the state. Previous to his current role, he had a long history of homelessness and housing advocacy, both on the community organizing and legislative advocacy side, as well as work in the family shelter system, performing housing data analysis and reporting. He is a passionate advocate for equity and empowerment of the disenfranchised, and for the deconstruction of white supremacy, misogynistic, and capitalist power structures. In his free time, you’ll usually find him playing bass, painting something, tending to his plant or kitty babies, or doing crafty projects.