Maureen Charles is an author, editor, and amateur musician whose current young adult biography, Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry, will resonate with middle and high school music, performing arts, English, and creative writing students.

Music Mavens is a young adult biography collection that transports readers around the world—to a jazz performance in Genoa, an instrument lab in London, a Tokyo taiko dojo, a New York City beatbox battle, a film-scoring session aboard the starship Enterprise, and beyond. It tells the life stories of 15 contemporary artists whose work spans musical genres and industry roles, including composing and songwriting, performing and conducting, audio engineering, producing, and even rock photography.

Whether solo or in harmony with her Music Mavens co-author Ashley Walker, Maureen is available to lead in-person or virtual workshops for students or youth groups in grades 6-9. Possible topics include:

• Telling True Stories—writing creative nonfiction

• The Sound of Your Story—using music to elevate language in fiction and nonfiction

• Making Something Together—collaborating with a writing partner

• Music Industry Careers—exploring paths to and through the music business

Maureen is passionate about the power of a well-crafted story to open hearts, broaden minds, and impact the world views of people young and old. She is based in the Greater Los Angeles Area, where her late husband, Emmy winner Jon Charles, worked as an arranger, composer, and orchestrator for films and television. Her favorite nonfiction subjects to write about are music/musicians and true stories at the intersection of social justice, kindness, and inclusion. She volunteers as a curriculum writer for the Girl Up Academy, the United Nations Foundation's global, girl-centered leadership development initiative. Maureen holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also completed undergraduate degrees in Speech Pathology and Audiology and Spanish Literature at Marquette University.

Music Mavens is aligned with Common Core State Anchor Standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening and Common Career Technical Core Standards in the Arts.

Learn more about Maureen. Learn more about Music Mavens.