August 21, 2024

You Are Worth It! Addressing The Epidemic Of Bullying & How To Reclaim Your Divine Feminine Power, Confidence, And Self Worth After Experiencing It

59 minutes

If you've been listening to my show for awhile then you've likely heard me speak about my experience of being bullied as a teen and young adult. It's a matter which is near and dear to my heart and one that I try to bring awareness to any chance I get. Which is why I was so excited when my dear friend and previous guest on the show, Amy Adams, shared that her cousin literally wrote and created a play which addresses bullying head on. Mary Ann Mangini is a performer, writer, teacher, musician, and all around hugely talented Woman. She wrote the music and script for an original, anti-bullying musical called You Are Worth It which is the focus for our episode together.

On this guest episode, Mary Ann joins me in a collaborative exploration of the nature of bullying; what it's like to experience bulling, how to understand bullying, and ways to overcome bullying. Mary Ann shares about the path that led her to creating this incredible gift of a musical which addresses the growing bullying epidemic, provides solutions for working to eradicate bullying, takes a serious topic and infuses some humor to lighten the mood, and is performed by the very youth and teens who often endure this abuse. Working with young actors on this show allows for a lot of open discussion regarding the topic. Mary Ann explains how everyone can identify with bullying because It’s everywhere, and not just among our young population. She wrote the show because she was bullied as an adult at her first job.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in music education at Grove City College, Mary Ann pursued her passion for teaching choir, music, drama,
and private vocal lessons at Shenango High School in New Castle. She also taught high school choir and elementary music in the Riverview School District in Oakmont. In April 2013, Mary Ann released her debut jazz album, Release Me, comprised of popular jazz standards and several original works. She currently tours the Pittsburgh area as lead vocalist for the high-energy disco band, Dancing Queen. She has performed at venues all over the Pittsburgh region, including Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, multiple Atria’s locations, the Rivers Casino, the Meadows Casino, the Rivers Club, Eddie V’s, Cioppino, Fresco’s, the Oaks Theater, the Parlay Lounge, the New Hazlett Theater, and Kennywood. Dancing Queen has won Pittsbugh City Paper’s Best Cover Band in Best of PGH for the past three years in a row! Mary Ann teaches voice/piano lessons at her home studio in Cranberry Township, and also serves as the creator/director of the Fantastix youth show choir. In 2017, Mary Ann wrote the music and script for an original, anti-bullying musical called You Are Worth It. The Fantastix has performed this original musical in local Pittsburgh schools in order to raise awareness for the persisting bullying epidemic, as well as to provide solutions to combat this issue.

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