Be Steadwell

(They, She, He, Be)

Be is a queer pop composer and storyteller from Washington DC.  Be composes  songs on stage using looping, vocal layering and beat boxing.  Be's original music features earnest lyricism, and affirming queer content.  Be's goal as a musician is to make other black girlies, introverts and weirdos feel seen and loved.

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 Be earned a BA in Black Studies from Oberlin College and an MFA in film from Howard University.  Be's short film Vow of Silence screened in film festivals around the world, including Black Star, HBO OutFest, The Schomburg Center and Inside Out Toronto.

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In 2019, Be wrote and directed Dear Ex, the musical.  Dear Ex imagines a queer black woman's experience of healing after a breakup.  In 2021 Be released their pop and R&B album- Succulent.  In 2023, Be joined the cast of Parable of the Sower the Opera by Toshi Reagon and Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon.  

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Be's 2025 romance novel Chocolate Chip City is now available for preorder on Bywater Books.  Be currently tours their music and works as an adjunct lecturer at Howard University.