
Terra Lopez of Los Angeles, CA based Rituals of Mine speaks about her upcoming album, live performances, and why she changed her project name from Crayon Sister to Rituals of Mine with Homoground correspondent Maia Macdonald (Kid in the Attic, Brooklyn NY)

http://patreon.com/join/homoground
Transcription of Terra’s story:
“Nowadays with social media, it’s a lot of work to be vulnerable. It’s a lot of work to be present online and to put yourself out there every single day, but its also very rewarding. It has given me the motivation to continue going in the industry when fans connect and come up to me at shows to talk about mental health, insecurities, or how our music is able to keep them going. Me sharing my journey with mental health and suicide prevention has helped them in their own way. It’s pretty remarkable. It continues to keep me open. Anytime that I’m feeling insecure thinking, “oh god, maybe I share too much.” To hear feedback and that it’s actually helping other folks makes me think, “this is what I’m meant to do and I’m going to keep doing it.” To me, that’s success and the type of energy exchange that I want to have with people while I’m doing this, is to be 100 percent authentic, so that everyone can feel comfortable and safe at our shows and safe in in music in general.”
You can read the full transcript of Terra’s interview on our patreon.
CREDITS
This episode was recorded and produced by Maia Macdonald.
Executive Producer: Lynn Casper
Intro Jingle by data.data.data
Interview transcription by Major Davis.
Transcription was made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.
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Queer Joy Podcast Series [Episodes #273, #274, #275]
By HomogroundWe are thrilled to finally introduce Queer Joy, a new podcast series by Homoground featuring queer-identified artists sharing what queer joy means to them through storytelling and songs.
Queer Joy was created as a response to the lack of positive representation of the queer experience in popular media. Homoground asked artists to share their songs celebrating the things that bring them joy! We received beautiful, vulnerable, and thoughtful pieces from musicians all over the world.
In each episode, you’ll hear those songs along with anecdotes from the creators themselves.
Homoground is incredibly grateful to everyone who submitted. Your voices brought this Queer Joy series to life!
PART 1 – BE YOURSELF

We danced, we cried, and we’re honored to release Queer Joy Part One: Be Yourself.
Listen to anthems celebrating the process of being comfortable with who you are from Papa Molly, JayceJanae, Boy Bowser, and Kamerin. Stream the episode below or on whatever you listen to podcasts.
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“Lifetime” by Papa Molly (San Francisco, CA)
“Monologue” by JayceJanae (Norfolk, VA)
“Abort Mission” by Boy Bowser (Fullerton, CA)
“To Finally See The Sun” by Kamerin (Northampton) 
We are an independent podcast.
This podcast is available for free, but it is not free to make.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support our work.
http://patreon.com/join/homogroundOur wonderful Patreon supporters will have access to extra tracks submitted by the artists along with some extended interviews.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by D Orxata.
Our executive producer is Lynn Casper.
Artwork for this series was created by Morgan Diep.
Our social media coordinators are Morgan Dean and Rowan Blackwood.
The segment on Focus/Time was produced by Cheer up Charlye of Breakfast and Beats.Major thanks to our sponsors SPACES, Workfrom and our Patreon Supporters
PART 2 – LOVE CRUSH

This is part 2 of our Queer Joy series featuring songs and personal stories from LGBTQ musicians.
On this episode we’re celebrating Queer Joy with rose-colored lenses and songs about love and crushes from Giuliano from Worcester Massachusetts, Hana Katana from Austin Texas, Rascal Miles from Minneapolis Minnesota and Lucy Opazo from Brooklyn NY. ENJOY!
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Giuliano
Worcester, MA
website | Instagram: @musicbygiuliano
Songs: “Joshua” and “The D”
Cover Design: Joshua Croke, Photo: Erika Sidor
Hana Katana
Austin, Texas
website
Instagram: @TheHanaKatana
Songs: “Friends Don’t Make You Cry”
Photo credit: Nicole Lemberg
Rascal Miles
Minneapolis, MN
website
Instagram: @rascalmiles
Song: “Baby Baby”
Photo credit: Sam Gehrke
Lucy Opazo
Brooklyn, NY
Instagram: @lucyopazomusic
Song: “Isolation Station”
Photo Credit: Crisoula Lazaridis
We are an independent podcast.
This podcast is available for free, but it is not free to make.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support our work.
http://patreon.com/join/homogroundOur wonderful Patreon supporters will have access to extra tracks submitted by the artists along with some extended interviews.
CREDITS
This episode was produced, mixed and engineered by CheerUpCharlye, Breakfast & Beats.
Our executive producer is Lynn Casper.
Artwork for this series was created by Morgan Diep.
Our social media coordinators are Morgan Dean and Rowan Blackwood.
Major thanks to our sponsors SPACES, Workfrom and our Patreon Supporters.PART 3 – THE FUTURE WAS ALWAYS QUEER

Four queer time travelers sent us records of queer joy from the past, the present, and several possible futures. If you’ve ever found yourself trapped inside of a moment, this episode is for you.
Part 3 of our Queer Joy series features songs and personal stories from Creatrx, Sara Renberg, Oxeye, and Carry The Branches.
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creatrx
Instagram: @creatrx
Songs: “Baptism” and “Sunday”
Photo credit: Danika Karolinski
Sara Renberg
Pittsburg, PA
sararenberg.com | Instagram: @sara.renberg
Songs: “It’s a Beautiful Day to be Gay”
Photo credit: Leah Brennan
Oxeye
Stockholm, Sweden
Facebook| Instagram: @oxeye.music
Songs: “Standing Proud”, “Det Här Är För Oss”, “The Only Good Thing”
Photo credit: Clara Veneziano CoenCarry The Branches
Brooklyn, NY
Instagram: @carrythebranches
Songs: “Zombie Telegram”
We are an independent podcast.
This podcast is available for free, but it is not free to make.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support our work.
http://patreon.com/join/homogroundOur wonderful Patreon supporters will have access to extra tracks submitted by the artists along with some extended interviews.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by D Orxata.
Our executive producer is Lynn Casper.
Artwork for this series was created by Morgan Diep.
Our social media coordinator is Rowan Blackwood.
Major thanks to our sponsors SPACES, Workfrom and our Patreon Supporters.SPONSORS

This episode of Homoground and this Queer Joy series is sponsored by SPACES, an app that lets LGBTQ+ people find and build the communities we wish to exist. Initially conceived as a response to the shortcomings of heteronormative social platforms SPACES is designed by queer people, for queer people. You can create your own space about whatever topic you want, or you can search to join the many SPACEs that others from around the world have already created. It’s a cool way to connect with others, in a safe and like-minded atmosphere. Personally, for me, joy is when I’m able to connect with people I can be my true authentic self around.
How do you experience joy?
Join us on the SPACES app and tell us your stories of queer joy! It’s easy! Download the app from the App Store, create an account and search for Queer Joy to join our space. Or visit homoground.com/queerspaces for more info.
Be Yourself. Find Your Space.

Focus/Time is a dedicated virtual space for LGBTQIA folks to work on their personal and/or work projects in an accepting environment. It’s the perfect place to work on projects you’ve been putting off or to start the projects that have been incubating in your mind. This is a space for you to focus on the things you want to do but struggle to do. Sign up to attend a guided session.

Homoground’s Virtual Cafe is powered by a platform called Workfrom that lets us customize the space so we have an inspirational mural as our background along with a killer playlist and some ASMR options like rain sounds. It’s a cool online space that we use to bring the Homoground and Focus/Time community together. Folks pop in and out and we share updates about our lives and what we’re working on in the chat box. It’s a great place to socialize while working from home while also getting some chores and work tasks done.

Anyone can create their own virtual coworking space using Workfrom and you can control the privacy and customizations.To try out your own space visit homoground.com/workfrom.
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How COVID-19 is impacting LGBTQIA musicians [Episode #255]
By Homoground
With the rise of COVID-19 cases, many steps are being taken to prevent the spread and ensure people’s safety. This is leaving many people out of work and affecting their sources of income. For musicians, it is resulting in the cancellation of live events and tours, which is how many musicians generate their income. LGBTQIA musicians already face many struggles and having to cancel their main sources of income and a way that they’re able to connect with their communities is a huge blow.
During this time, Homoground hosted a virtual panel to hear from musicians in our LGBTQIA community who are being affected by COVID-19 and to discuss ways that we as a community can help each other, as well as come up with solutions to alternative ways to survive financially during this time.
We heard directly from:
Terra Lopez (Rituals of Mine)
Lauren Denitzio (Worriers)
Kim Villagant (Kimmortal)
+ moreContinue this discussion and find support on the Homoground Discord.
We will be posting more events like this on our Patreon, including skillshares and more panel discussions on specific topics that came up during this panel.
Resources mentioned on this call:
Virtual Music Events Directory: A Calendar of Livestreaming events plus a Livestreaming Tool Directory with resources to setting up your own livestream https://docs.google.com/document/d/11wWL_7I4BG76t0V2kw1a4yIeWxUSfGwMQFYdUWAgSnA/preview#heading%3Dh.6p7nn4acptfw
She Shreds Magazine: List of resources for musicians. General plus state specific resources. They will continue to update it: https://sheshredsmag.com/covid-19-resources-for-musicians/
Freelance Artist Resources: This list is specifically designed to serve freelance artists, and those interested in supporting the independent artist community. This includes, but is not limited to, actors, designers, producers, technicians, stage managers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, craft artists, teaching artists, dancers, writers & playwrights, photographers, etc. https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/
Artist Relief Tree: A new fund created to financially support artists who are affected by cancellations due to COVID-19.
https://artistrelieftree.com/
MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund: To help address the concerns of the industry during this time, MusiCares have expanded their services to include lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or performances due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund
Women in Sound: An ongoing list of free and discounted educational resources, software licenses, webinars, online courses, and enjoyable media for these uncertain times. https://www.womeninsound.com/covid19-resources
Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund: Relief Fund for musicians with canceled work. Musicians can apply for financial assistance. People who have $$ can also donate to this fund. https://equalsound.org/project/corona-relief-fund/
Corona Virus Resource List: A comprehensive list of TONS of resources (general, not musician/artist specific, but very useful): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rcan4C_e6OBFBI5bUn7MtYK74Ab-WarxyJmDvZUI_YA/mobilebasic
This episode is brought to you by TERRORBIRD MEDIA, a queer-owned music marketing company who encourages you to directly support independent artists wherever you can, today and always: Buy records and merch directly from artists or their labels, and send yourself or a homebound pal a musical care package! Subscribe to their patreon, or even donate directly via their preferred payment app. For more suggestions and info on how – and who – you can help, follow @terrorbirdmedia on Twitter and Instagram.
/// Technology to host this panel is made possible by Composites Collective, operating at the intersection of design & technology, behavioral sciences and technology. http://compositescollective.com \\\
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Ahli – Nashville, TN [Episode #257]
By Homoground
Episode 257 features the words and music of Ahli, a pop singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. In this episode, Ahli talks about what it was like growing up in a conservative town while discovering their identity plus advice for those who are currently living in more conservative areas.
The songs featured in this episode: “Ghost” and “Past Life”
Follow Ahli online at ahlismusic.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider contributing to our Patreon to support this free podcast.
http://patreon.com/join/homogroundFull transcription of Ahli’s story:
Same ground, different sound. You’re on Homoground. This is Ali from Stockton, New Jersey. I identify as a pansexual gender-neutral. I grew up in Stockton, New Jersey. It’s a really small rural town on the Delaware River. It’s biggest claim to fame is that we’re pretty close to where Washington crossed. I grew up in a more divided area. People would go to Pride in Pennsylvania, but there would also be people who fly the Confederate flag where I went to high school.. In high school, it wasn’t the best place to come out for a lot of reasons. One of them was there weren’t a lot of people who were out. I probably knew like definitely finger counting the amount of people who were LGBT and all of them were in the closet and not really outspoken about it. I think everybody was kind of in that zone like it’s kind of a toss up. We’re not really sure what to do. And it just kind of spread to me. I was like, OK, like, I definitely like girls, but I’m gonna hold off on that.
I waited till my senior year when I had transferred out and gone to boarding school. I was 200 miles away from my parents before I told them. I was like, hey, I am pansexual.
You can read the full transcript of Ahli’s story on our patreon.
CREDITS
This episode was produced and hosted by Lynn Casper.
Intro Jingle by data.data.data
Transcription was made possible by Queer Public Podcast who let us use their transcription software.
Our affiliate sponsor for this episode is Pride Counseling. Homoground listeners receive a 1 week free trial when they sign up through this link. We also receive commission from each sign up that becomes a paid member. These funds helps us produce episodes like this 🙂

















