A grandmother, 5th generation Montanan, and self-described community art activist, Marla Goodman worked as a graphic designer in Bozeman until her obsession with a rare and fascinating musical instrument propelled her unlikely trajectory into performance art.

Her Talk/Performance “Theremin, the Incredible Instrument Time Nearly Forgot” (1 hour) tells the story of how the Theremin (a gesture controlled synthesizer invented in 1919) rose to international fame, lapsed into obscurity and made an amazing comeback. The talk includes slides, video clips and live performance of Theremin music ranging from its roots in folk and classical repertoire to its 1950s stereotype as a “sound effect” in sci-fi and thriller movies, to its resurgence in contemporary music.

Her “Vinyl Sisters Fraternal Twin Theremin Show” (1 hour) combines paintings, collage animation and memoir with music produced live on the Theremin. In an imaginary world woven through her live performances and homemade YouTube videos, Goodman’s personae, Polly and Dolly Vinyl, perform classic Theremin repertoire and project her kitsch-infused contemporary art through a wildly fictional and darkly comedic family history.

Her Drawing Sound Workshops (2 hrs, ages 12+) invite participants to create and interpret graphical scores using the Theremin and to create sound collages using a fun virtual synthesizer app. The 2-hour workshop wraps up with an optional performance jam session.

Her Theremin Petting Zoo and/or Theremin Happy Hour pop-up performances allow passers-by to hear Theremin music for the first time and try their hand at playing it. It’s a jaw dropping and engaging spectacle for all ages, kids and senior citizens inclusive.

Though Goodman has a BFA in painting (MSU 1988), she considers herself an outsider artist, preferring in general to participate in art events that reach “people who weren’t looking for art.” Her self-styled outreach mission has led from performances on street corners to exhibits at galleries, libraries, kindergarten classrooms, retirement communities, dive bars, a bowling alley, and even uninhabited dwellings.

In 2016, she organized “Three Story Houses,” a group art show that toured nontraditional spaces, which led to a 3-year series of art exhibits for Montana’s mental hospital. She also founded the musical outreach community, Bozeman Ukulele Cabaret and frequently collaborates with Bozeman arts outreach nonprofit, Random Acts of Silliness to create interactive cabinets of curiosity, moving panoramas and imaginative works for trailside pop-up installations. She’s currently developing “Humanity Fairs” that gently push back against the proliferation of ai enhanced creativity by offering opportunities for real life collaborative art and sound making.