Dear friends,
I haven’t written in a while. The past eight months have demanded more of me than I ever anticipated—managing the #MeToo style sexual harassment situation in our community has taken all my mental and emotional energy. But I feel like I’m finally stepping up (or more like leveling up, Yu-Gi-Oh style) into the woman I need to be to handle it. And not a moment too soon.
This week brought new challenges: the loss of my brother-in-law, who leaves behind my sister and their two young boys (donate here), the first community support group I’ve been able to organize for allies and women impacted by harassment and sexual violence in our small town, and starting a new job developing a community outreach and prevention initiative at Whangarei Rape Crisis.
I don’t think anyone sets out to do this kind of work. You fall into it after experiencing something harrowing—something that radicalizes you. My mother worries I’ll become “one of those women who makes people uncomfortable.” I’m more afraid that I won’t be able to make a difference. But despite the turmoil of this week, I felt grounded. I felt everything, but nothing shook my inner sense of self. I wasn’t numb or dissociated. I was present. Competent. Collected. Admittedly tired.
And then, amidst it all, I played a 30-minute set of love songs for Valentine’s Day.
While practicing, I teared up a few times—grief and hope and exhaustion all converging in the lyrics. I knew I didn’t want to break down on stage. Emotions on stage are powerful, but there’s a line between vulnerability and losing control that I no longer wish to cross (though I have, many times). At the same time, shutting emotions down is no way to be—as an artist or as a person.
So instead, I held them. All of them.
I found myself managing my emotions the same way I approach performance; a technique I call “spinning plates”. Balancing melody, technique, interpretation—each is a plate that I spin, checking in as needed without dropping any. Last night, I did the same with my emotions. They were all there, fully present, coexisting without overwhelming me. I didn’t reject love in the presence of pain. I embraced it. I hoped for it. I wished it on my sister, on my fellow survivors, on all of us.
And suddenly, it was a meditation.
0:00 – A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
4:45 – Can’t Help Falling In Love made popular by Elvis Presley
8:50 – Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
14:15 – Lover by Taylor Swift
18:30 – Tracks Of My Tears by Smokey Robinson
22:00 – Ain’t No Mountain made popular by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
25:00 – Stand By Me by Ben E. King
I don’t imagine this was my most masterful performance—I was exhausted, and it took me a couple of songs to find my footing. But there were moments that felt like the culmination of months deep internal work. And that, I think, is worth something.
So, happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones. May love—real, messy, complex love—find you, and may you have the strength to hold it, even in the presence of everything else.
Musically yours, Maggie
🌿 Updates & Announcements | February 2025 🌿
📅 Upcoming Gigs
🎸 February 19th – Maggie Cocco w/ Austyn Mills 📍 Auckland Blues Club at Harlequinne Bar, Pointe Chevalier 🕢 7:30 PM
🎶 February 21st – Bill Angus & The Mighty Ways 📍 Rafter’s Music Club, Unitarian Church Ponsonby 🕗 8:00 – 11:00 PM
🎭 April 17th – Maggie Cocco’s Science for Sociopaths feat. Sculptor Jo Brooks 📍 Hundertwasser Arts Centre, Whangārei 🎟️ Tickets on sale soon!
🎤 Upcoming Events
🕉️ February 26th | Kirtan at YogaOn: Music-Based Meditation 🎸 January 23rd | Folked Up Jam 🎥 Watch Livestream @ What The Folk on FB
📀 Project Updates
🎵 “Like A Moth” Album – Physical & Digital Release
📦 CD Orders Shipped! Hopefully you have receieved your CD! CDs were produced in Italy (fancy!) and shipped in January. Reach out if you have not recieved yours!
🚢 Vinyl Production Update: IT’S HERE!!! The test vinyl has arrived for me to approve in New Zealand. Will be unboxing and texting it out with the production crew as soon as they can be herded ( – like cats, they are!) Once we give the go ahead, the final part of the production process will commence!
🌍 Europe Tour 2025
We’re receiving festival offers for the 2025 European Summer Festival Season and are actively working to finalize a viable tour route. However, due to the demands of managing recent events, there is a real possibility that we may need to roll this over into 2026.
For now, that burner is still hot, and we’ll keep you updated.
🎭 Science for Sociopaths – Hundertwasser Museum
Exciting news! I’ve been invited to curate a Science for Sociopaths multimedia show at the Hundertwasser Museum in Whangārei. This marks a major step toward my vision of Science for Sociopaths as a touring performance art project.
Collaborating with Jo Brooks, a talented clay artist, we’re crafting an immersive, tactile experience. Conformed date: April 17th, 2025. Tickets will be on sale soon!
🎶 Student Sponsorship Spotlight
Exciting news! We have a returning scholarship student:
✨ Christian – A foster student in the Detroit Health System, singing with the renowned Detroit Youth Choir! Christian came to me via Girls Rock Detroit and is currently taking two online hourly lessons per week. Subsidizing Christian’s lessons costs $400/month.
🎵 Seeking Sponsors! Maggie Cocco Music is seeking sponsors for two differently-abled adult students with limited income:
- Tony – Studies for one hour per week. A passionate singer like his father before him, Tony is preparing to pass his Grade 5 Music Theory Exams. Subsidy needed: $30/week.
- Joey – Studies for one hour per week. Joey has already created three albums and is now working on his first album of all-original music. Subsidy needed: $30/week.
Finances should never be a barrier to living your best life! Maggie Cocco Music offers Pay What You Can services to ensure quality music education is accessible to all.
💡 No student is ever turned away due to lack of sponsorship—if sponsorship isn’t secured, I donate my time to ensure they still receive their lessons. If multiple people donate for the same student, additional funds will go toward supporting other students in need or expanding resources to enhance their learning experience.
🔹 Support This Mission: 📩 Zelle/PayPal: maggiecocco@hotmail.com 💳 NZ Bank Transfer: Maggie Cocco Music | 38-9022-0416841-00 🎵 Become a Sustainer: Patreon
Note: Maggie Cocco Music is not a registered charity—just a charitable person committed to making music education accessible to all. Your support goes directly toward providing lessons and resources for students in need.
🤍 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 🤍