Takoma Park MD
6-08-2026 8:13pm

Come ALIVE: Kanysha's Strathmore Residency Is a Homecoming Worth the Wait

A DC native. Raised in church. An artist who refuses to be boxed in. This is her moment.

Kanysha learned this from her family: music is not a career. It is the family way.

Her parents. Her grandparents. Her aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins—all musicians in their own right. Growing up in Prince George's County ("Pretty Girl County," she calls it), she had a front-row seat to what a life in music looked like. Then she added a second education: the choir stand behind the pulpit.

"Never underestimate the conservatory training that the Black church provides," she says. Reading the room. Working a crowd. Improvisation. Passionate delivery. That is not a dress rehearsal. That is the real thing.

Then came Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Then the San Francisco Conservatory. Then a disappointment. She came back to DC.

She went west for vocal training, expecting to find her people. Instead, she found an educational experience that did not serve her. Her mentors back home told her: DC can serve you just as well as any program in the country. She listened. She bounced back. And she has not stopped since.

The Thread That Holds It Together

Kanysha refuses to be confined by genre. That is not a marketing line. It is in fact her reality.

She studied Duke Ellington. Richard Smallwood. Roberta Flack. Marvin Gaye. Chuck Brown. Denyce Graves. She learned that there is a place and an audience for everyone. Living in one of the most diverse cities in the nation gave her the courage to simply try.

"I'm still trying," she says. "I think it's working out pretty well though."

What holds her music together? Stories.

"My entire album is one story after another," she says.

The Lesson from a Wednesday Night

Kanysha has performed at Carnegie Hall. The Kennedy Center. Nearly every major theater in DC. But the moment that changed how she sees herself happened at a local spot called The Artemis DC on 14th Street.

She was hosting an open mic night a few weeks ago—R&B Wednesdays, worth checking out—and while she was singing, she realized something.

Her audience that night was not looking for a masterpiece. They were people who needed a night away after working all day. They wanted to hear a song or two to lift their spirits.

"It wasn't my job to be perfect," she says. "I didn't need to use every tool in my arsenal to present a masterpiece. I just needed to make someone smile and convince them to belt out their favorite song with me."

That night, she saw herself as a guide to someone's happiness. "For me, in a way, that's the whole point."

The Residency: Three Shows, Three Different Vibes

Kanysha is part of Strathmore's Artists in Residence Class of 2026. The program brought together musicians with wildly different interests—Scottish string music, Spanish anthems, world percussion—and asked them to collaborate, learn, and create.

"It allowed me to fall in love with music all over again," she says. "I knew I'd sing. I knew I'd create. I knew I'd perform. What I didn't expect is that my love for music would be deepened by the experiences and stories of those around me."

Here is what she is offering over three nights in June.

Show One: Album Release – Wednesday, June 10

Strawberry Sessions is a collection of short stories and music. Five years of work. Finally making its debut.

"I chose the name because strawberries are famously my favorite," she says. "This project is a very large group session. Whether you're angry, working through grief, baking in the kitchen, or struggling with embarrassment, there's a session or a song for you."

Show Two: Genre-Bending Workshop – Wednesday, June 17

An interactive evening. She wants to challenge expectations. Work through biases and opinions. Leave with new perspectives and open ears.

"If you love music for music's sake, are a fan of a bit of open debate, or you're curious about the inner workings of how music gets to our radios and algorithms," she says, "come out and learn with me."

Show Three: Unreleased Material – Wednesday, June 24

"This performance allows me to peel back the layers and show you exactly who I am and why."

She wants you to come to all of them. But if you can only choose one? She will not pick. She will just say: You are not gonna make a bad choice.

The Bottom Line

When you walk into The Mansion at Strathmore on any of these three nights, you will not just hear a singer. You will hear a skilled vocalist who found her way home. A DC native who refused to let a bad experience on the West Coast define her. An artist whose family stood beside her, whose mentors told her the truth, and who is now standing in front of you.

Kanysha is an artist through and through. Come see why.

If You Go

What: Kanysha – Artists in Residence Series
Where: The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD
When: Wednesdays in June. Doors at 7:00 PM. Show at 7:30 PM.

  • June 10 – Album Release: Strawberry Sessions
  • June 17 – Genre-Bending Workshop
  • June 24 – Unreleased Material

Parking: On-site garage available for $5.20. Or take the Metro Red Line to Grosvenor-Strathmore Station—the skybridge connects directly to the venue.
Tickets: Available through Strathmore's website.

#Kanysha #Strathmore #StrawberrySessions #ComeALIVE #DMVArtist #StrathmoreAIR

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