Meet SheROCKS 2026 Artist: Lilo Marz

While she has shared stages with some of the most influential voices of our time, Lilo Marz credits her purpose not to proximity to power, but to the lived realities she has witnessed in classrooms and communities often pushed to the margins. Her artistry is shaped by the understanding that some truths are personal and tender, while others are collective and urgent. Long before performing alongside cultural icons, her purpose was forged in classrooms, community spaces, and moments of bearing witness to systems impacting her students.

Q: When you’re writing, what usually guides you first, the personal truth or the social truth?

Lilo Marz: This is dependent on the topic I'm writing about. A social truth is imperative when I'm writing about social justice issues. There are specific barriers that marginalized groups of people experience and the history behind these issues is not subjective. A personal truth is geared more towards my experience as an individual. Some things that are true for me may not be for someone else. Once I've decided on a topic to write about, then I can make my decision of which truth comes first.

Q: You’ve performed alongside changemakers like Michelle Obama and Lin-Manuel Miranda. What moment from those experiences did you take away that fueled your purpose as an artist or activist?

Lilo Marz: Sharing the stage with Lin Manuel Miranda and our first Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama was nothing short of an honor. However, these two performances did not fuel my purpose as an artivist, being a teacher did. I was able to perform with these two important people because I already had something to fight for. I have always been an artist for something beyond myself, not for recognition. My experiences in classrooms, in underserved and over policed communities, with incarcerated youth and with children in protective custody changed the way I chose to use my art.

Q: How do you hold space for others while still caring for your own emotional well-being as a performer?

Lilo Marz: I’m still learning. Some days I’m balancing my heart and the room’s heartbeat like a circus act. I try to separate my own emotions when I need to, and other times, if I feel the room can hold it, I let the rawness show. I remind myself that what I’m feeling is human, valid, and temporary and that the mission is bigger than my moment. It’s a constant dance of presence, boundary, and grace.

Q: As a teaching artist, how do your students influence the way you write, speak, or imagine the future through your work?

Lilo Marz: Firstly I'd like to say that my students are by far some of the most amazing people I have met and will ever meet! They have been such a gift to me. They’ve taught me that art is never one-size-fits-all, there’s always another layer to peel back, another way to say the same truth. Because of them, I write more clearly, think more flexibly, and push myself harder. They changed the way I approach obstacles, the way I communicate, and the way I dream. They make me believe the future is loud with brilliance and ready for change.

Q: You’ve performed everywhere from classrooms to rallies. How does your approach shift when you’re writing for education versus writing for protest or performance?

Lilo Marz: When writing for a classroom, especially if I'm the one teaching I think about how to layer learning. A poem alone may work for some audiences but when you are really trying to reach someone to teach them something you feel is valuable, you need some assistance! I like to use clips from tv shows like "In Living Color", "A Different World", even Disney films. Eventually we will expand on the bigger themes in the lesson. When I am writing in protest or for a rally I try to balance the facts and feelings. We protest because we care. We don't march for the sake of walking in a crowd. Something means so much to you that you made signs, called friends and family and you are staring police officers in the face. So my protest writing holds emotion in one hand and research in the other. I want people to feel, but I also want them to know.

Q: Your upcoming book Thorns and Roses will explore both pain and beauty. What themes or poems in the collection feel the most essential to your story right now? Or what can we expect?

Lilo Marz: Honestly, the whole book feels essential to who I am right now. It took eight years to build, and it grew with me. I started writing it in deep confusion and hurt, but once I realized the theme was duality, I saw how the pieces mirrored my growth. This isn’t the voice of a college freshman anymore — it’s the voice of someone who’s lived, lost, learned, and laughed again. Readers can expect honesty, reflection, and moments that feel like looking in a mirror.

Q: Your art is deeply rooted in community accountability and collective healing. What conversations do you hope your work sparks?

Lilo Marz: I hope my work starts conversations that don’t just sit in the air  they move people toward action. When I was with G!RL BE HEARD, we were taught that every piece needs a call to action. I still believe that. I want people to walk away thinking not just about the injustice we name, but the ways they can challenge it in their daily lives.

Q: Twelve years into performing, how has your relationship to your own voice evolved onstage, on the page, and in the world?

Lilo Marz: Thirteen years in, I’ve learned to love my voice, not shrink it. I started out writing just to survive the day-to-day, keeping myself small. When people started calling my voice “too militant,” I had to step back and understand that strength isn’t a flaw. My voice has matured with me; it’s more intentional, more grounded, and more confident now. Onstage and on the page, I speak with purpose. And in the world, I’m simply grateful to have something meaningful to contribute.

Rapid fire: One line you’ve written that still gives you chills — go!

Lilo Marz: "Diamonds lose value in the wrong hands, and daughters do too"

Q: What are you most excited for audiences to feel, hear, or hold onto when you take the stage at the March 2026 SheROCKS showcase?

Lilo Marz: I’m excited for people to truly experience the work to hear pieces that are honest, reflective, researched, and rooted in care. I’ve poured so much intention into every poem. If just one line lands in someone’s chest and stays there, if one moment makes them rethink their world or their worth, then I’ve done my job.

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