Ariel Strasser is a singer, songwriter and pianist based in Boston, Massachusetts. She brings her native Minnesotan charm to all her live performances, sharing stories, laughs and general quirkiness with her audiences. 2019 brought two New England Music Award nominations including one for “Songwriter of the Year” and one for “Album of the Year” for “Motivation”. She is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Musical Theater program. During her time at the Conservatory, she helped pilot the Songwriting Emphasis program within the Theater Department, helping to develop the curriculum that still exists today. Strasser has performed in festivals around Greater New England including The Boston Arts Festival, The Town & the City Festival and more. She has toured with and opened for national artists such as Chris Trapper (of the Push Stars), Lucy Wainwright Roche, Antigone Rising, and Brooke Annibale. When she isn’t touring the country delivering her soulful pop tunes, she teaches songwriting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and serves as the Vice President at ArtsBridge helping to develop training programs for young artists. She lives with her guitarist husband, Ken Budka, their son, and two fluffy cats, Bertie and Huey.