Deidra Montgomery is a queer Black Rhode Island-based artist who uses sound and text to help people connect to themselves, others, and the world around them. An experimental-yet-reverent musician, Deidra’s works incorporate grooves, melodies, structures, and feelings that reflect their diverse musical influences—soul music, show tunes, disco, German Lieder, free jazz, shape note singing, bubblegum pop, and more. As trombonist since age eleven, Deidra has performed in concert halls and breweries, for gallery openings and weddings, and at birthday parties and festivals. As a vocalist, they have performed at the Newport Folk Festival, opened for Elvis Perkins, and traveled the United States teaching Sacred Harp singing schools. They currently perform with Providence’s Undertow Brass Band, in addition to writing and performing as a solo artist and collaborating with artists across the state and region. Deidra holds a Master’s in Arts Administration from Goucher College and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Amherst College.
Deidra is also a consultant, facilitator, and coach supporting individuals, groups, organizations, and projects that seek to make the world more joyful and just. In 2024, Deidra co-founded Congruence Cultural Strategies, a cooperatively owned and operated consulting business that works with values-driven partners in the philanthropic, nonprofit, and government sectors on strategy, research, and facilitation. You can learn more about this work using the buttons below.