Ali Marcus

Songwriter

Bio: Ali is the owner of Happy Time Studio on Front Street and the founder of the Issaquah Open Studio Tour. She has shared the stage with the likes of Dar Williams, Tom Paxton, and Ruthie Foster, and has written, recorded, and produced at least eight albums of original music. Having spent well over a decade as a touring folksinger, she is lucky to have known and learned from so many inspiring artists across America. Ali has a double degree in Music and 20th Century Art and Architecture from the University of Virginia.

On community: “There are tons of people in our community in Issaquah who are so fired up about the arts. And I am 100% certain that there's more than I know about, and I'm just really excited to help those people find each other.”

On connection: “You have to know yourself to be able to connect meaningfully with another person or a group. And my own experience has been that art is the most effective way to get to know yourself.”

On what art has given her: “Everything. I mean, it's brought some of my most important relationships, including my husband and then my children as a result. So it's brought me a sense of self. It's brought me comfort and happiness, a place to go when I have nowhere else to go.”

Hometown: Oakton, Virginia, by way of New Mexico, Paris, and the road. (More details here.)

Her favorite place near Issaquah: Mirrormont Park, but let’s keep it under the radar.

Find Ali:

Happy Time Studio: website and instagram

Original Music: website