Meet Gordy’s Mom: Molly Scruta
Gordy is a good boy who lives with May Festival Chorus member Molly Scruta and her husband Max Larson in the Betts-Longworth district of the West End, just about a block from Music Hall. He enjoys long walks in Over the Rhine with his humans, who are generally recognized around the neighborhood as “Gordy’s parents.” However, the May Festival knows that Gordy’s parents are actually just as interesting and memorable as he is.
Molly Scruta is a graduate of Mason High School, where she participated in the marching band’s melodic percussion section. During her time there, she was able to perform Leonard Bernstein’s MASS as an instrumentalist and was captivated by the power of this grand production. She went on to attend Valparaiso University and earn her degrees in Spanish and Humanities, with an Art minor. After college, Molly became a Fulbright Scholar and went to Spain to teach. While there, she also earned her Master’s degree in International Relations from the ESERP Business School. Fortunately for all of us, she returned to the Queen City to continue sharing her talents with our community.
Molly has served our community in the classroom as a high school Spanish teacher in both the Mason and Harrison school systems, but these days she works in multi-cultural affairs for the University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash. As a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff, Molly collaborates with other Student Affairs offices across the University of Cincinnati system to provide support for minority students and resources for instructors to approach conversations regarding power, privilege, and identity. She works every day to dismantle the institutional systems that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential and would like to remind everyone that Black Lives Matter.
In 2014, Molly met Max Larson, the digital marketing manager for the Cincinnati Arts Association, through some mutual friends. After a few dates, they became an official couple. A year later, Gordy appeared in their lives, and Molly joined the May Festival Chorus. Naturally, the two began to consider Music Hall their second home, whether they were hosting their mothers for a performance, Max was working, or Molly was performing. When the time came, the couple chose to be married at Music Hall and look forward to their second anniversary this year.
Molly is also celebrating her 5th Anniversary as a member of the May Festival Chorus and has enjoyed the musical challenges and growth that have come with her membership. In 2018, Molly performed Leonard Bernstein’s MASS again, this time as a vocalist with the May Festival, bringing her musical journey with the piece full circle. For Molly, performing the piece was life-changing.
“There’s just something about making music with the Symphony, backing up the Ballet and Opera, and sharing the stage with so many talented and accomplished artists. It’s thrilling! And the tangential benefit of being able to take your mind off of work at each rehearsal and focus on the music and breath – it’s so cognitively rewarding and therapeutic, too.”
Join us in congratulating Molly on five fantastic years with the May Festival, and keep an eye out for Gordy in Washington Park or at Findlay Market. You can’t miss his smile.
Learn about the May Festival’s outreach program to provide choral education to students attending schools without choir programs, Cincinnati Choral Academy, here.
Listen to some of Molly’s favorite choral works on the May Festival Spotify channel here.