Mariko Farrell writes songs- and sometimes stories. She’s performed as a soloist and with a range of eclectic bands. Trained in classical music at UC Berkeley, she later explored jazz and musical traditions from around the world, including Indian, Indonesian, Middle Eastern, Latin styles.
She spent years traveling and studying throughout Asia, with extensive stays in Bali, where she studied gamelan. Mariko later returned to Bali on tour with Gamelan Sekar Jaya. She also worked as a musician in Japan, performing as a soloist in a geisha nightclub, and has sung with the Arabic music ensemble Aswat.
For Living Books (Random House/Broderbund), Mariko wrote the story, directed animators, composed and produced the music for Maggie’s Farmyard Adventure. She also co-directed and wrote songs for Sheila Rae the Brave.
Her music has appeared in Disney theme parks, Nickelodeon shows and Fisher Price toys. She has worked as a sound designer and videographer, including creating a quadrophonic outdoor sound installation for a San Francisco museum.
Mariko wrote the story and music for Hostage, a solo musical based on her experience of being taken hostage in South Korea.
She recently released House Occupied, available on major streaming platforms.