Mara studied classical and pop piano as a child and teenager in Southern California. Beginning at age 10, she would record songs played by local radio stations onto cassette tapes, re-play and write-out their lyrics (clearly, this was before the internet existed) and would sing them, accompanying herself on the piano. She began an informal study of jazz in her late teens and moved to New York City in 2005, where she studied comparative literature at CUNY Queens College and played piano in the Hunter College Jazz Ensemble. Writing and recording her original music from home over the years wile performing standards and covers in jazz combos, Mara began performing her own shows in New York in 2012. Mara continues to write and record her music from home and performs both in her own original band as well jazz/cover groups in venues throughout the New York. She hopes to release her first E.P. in the Summer of 2014. Mara Stepe is a Brooklyn-based singer, pianist, and songwriter with roots in classic and contemporary R&B, Soul, Pop, Folk, and Jazz