To Here from There, the debut album from theatrical singer-songwriter Susan Rakov, will have a live, dynamic, one-woman show at SOhO to celebrate its release on Monday, December 15. The album is really the soundtrack of her show, in which Rakov uses storytelling and songs, along with her piano, to chronicle her challenging journey through recent life-altering times.
Rakov’s story began back in her hometown of Newton, Massachusetts, where she took piano lessons starting at age 5 and joined choral and vocal jazz ensembles. After graduating with honors from Harvard University with a concentration in Social Studies, Susan landed a job with MASSPIRG and continued working with The Public Interest Network as a professional advocate for the environment. In 1996 she became the founding director of Frontier Group, an in-house research group (part of the Public Interest Network) that supports and advises groups in 25 states.
“I worked for 40 years as a wordsmith in environmental advocacy, writing my way every day towards a better world for our kids and their kids,” says Rakov. “I had a real career that was important to me.”
Suddenly, on Labor Day Weekend 2023, Rakov’s life took a giant detour. Debilitating fatigue and other symptoms completely overcame her. She was unable to manage simple tasks of daily life, let alone work, and was finally diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in spring 2024. She was forced to retire and focus on recovery.
Rakov says she was devastated about not working. “I loved my job. But work was pretty stressful.” She decided to channel all the energy she could muster to music. “All that was left of the old me was the music I’d been creating in the background for 15 years — I could still do that,” she recalls. “And it turned out that making music made me less sick. So now I write and perform music about what matters to me, and I get a little bit healthier every day.”
Rakov’s first task was to come up with a setlist. Then she set a goal of writing a song every week and playing piano every day. The result of her efforts are the 10 songs in her debut album, created in a musical theater style that connects Broadway to ’70s folk and pop. “I always thought I was writing a musical that didn’t have a plot,” Rakov explains. The lyrics reflect on an array of life experiences, from dodgeball and death to unconditional love. “The songs delve deeply into what it is to be a woman, a parent, a professional, and a creative in the 21st century,” she says. Instrumentalists and a full band accompany Rakov and her piano in several songs.
Audience feedback shows that her songs seem to resonate with a range of other people. “I’m often telling the story that resonates inside me. I try to tell the story in a very personal way.” Her music appeals to people in her age group (60s) — “I feel like I’m representing a generation that’s not being heard from,” she said. But she said her music also connects with younger women, who get a glimpse of what’s coming. “We connect with each other in past and future.” —Cheryl Crabtree
Rakov’s performance takes place at SOhO on Monday, December 15, at 7 pm.
Susan Rakov’s music is available on Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, and Spotify, plus BandCamp. For more information, visit susanrakovmusic.com.
