“Notes from Mothers” Rings True: A Gracie Win for Louisville’s Laura Atkinson

By Alisha Proffitt Photos by Matt Johnson

In June, Laura Atkinson of Louisville Public Media stood on a stage in New York City with a national Gracie Award in hand, an honor reserved for the most impactful media made by, for, and about women. It was a culmination of years spent balancing two lives: one as a classical musician and public radio host, the other as a mother navigating a world that still too often forces women to choose between art and family. 

The award-winning project, Notes from Mothers, co-created with fellow musician and LPM colleague Colleen Wheelahan, explores the untold stories of motherhood in classical music. It’s a candid, resonant series that peels back the polished surface of symphonies to reveal the sleepless nights, missed rehearsals, and emotional complexity of life as a working artist-mother. 

“I was so, so thrilled and honored,” Atkinson said of the moment Notes from Mothers was announced as a winner. “It feels like a big personal moment, for sure, but even more it feels like a huge moment for the very subject we were covering, what it’s like to be a working artist and a mother.” 

And that moment has been a long time coming. 

“When I had my first child a decade ago, I tried my best to keep it under wraps in my professional circles,” she said. “I feared retaliation, which is illegal, of course, but still happens. I lost work, I lost momentum in my career...” 

What Atkinson and Wheelahan knew instinctively and what listeners quickly heard is that the emotional and logistical challenges of motherhood in classical music are underrepresented, often silenced, and yet felt by many. 

“You look at each other and say, ‘This is impossible, right? This is so much harder than I was prepared for.’” Atkinson said. “When you become a mother as an artist, the day-to-day of the career feels almost unattainable... The classical music field is intensely strenuous and competitive as it is, and suddenly the mental and physical energy you were able to devote to your craft before is pretty much gone.” 

And yet, what’s lost in stamina is gained in emotional intelligence. “The flip side,” she added, “is that you have an emotional depth accessible to you that wasn’t there before.” 

Atkinson knows this dance well. As WUOL’s midday host, her on-air shift is just one part of a full day that includes parenting, producing, performing, and planning. 

“It begins with the chaos of getting kids up and dressed and out the door... then I’m at the studio... researching music, fine-tuning my playlist... connecting with artists... Then it’s a mad dash to pick up kids, do all the normal family stuff and get everyone to bed. And then the third shift of parenting begins, laundry, dishes, catching up on emails, etc.” 

She describes this to give texture to the story Notes from Mothers tells. It’s a daily negotiation of priorities, and the emotional toll is real. “The pull from so many directions and never feeling like you can give 100% to any one thing anymore is the toughest part for me.” 

Still, the response to the special has made it clear how needed this work was. “One of the mothers we interviewed sent me a text after the special aired and said that in the 40 years since her child was born she hadn’t cried telling the story she told me, but when she heard it aired she wept. It was a moment of catharsis.” 

For Atkinson, the Gracie Award felt like an acknowledgment of the courage it takes to keep showing up. “Sharing the stage at the ceremony with so many media trailblazers was like having a real-life moment of standing on the shoulders of giants. It was humbling and awe-inspiring and made it so clear to me that whatever sacrifices I have made for my own career, these women have made them tenfold.” 

And it wasn’t only a personal milestone; it reflected on her workplace, too. 

“You only need to look at our staff list to see what a powerful and important role women play at Louisville Public Media... in fact, we’re at over 50% female employees right now. This is a high-achieving bunch... and it’s wonderful to add an award for classical programming to the shelf.” 

As for what’s next? “I will always look to other women and work to amplify those voices. I will always believe deeply in the work of public media, and in making classical music free and accessible to everyone in our community.” 

She adds, “I find myself moving into a hyper-local interest as I’m getting older and as I’m planting my roots deeply in Louisville again... Lord knows there are so many stories just waiting to be told from here in our own backyard.” 

Notes from Mothers is one such story, told honestly and without pretense. It invites listeners to hear not just the music, but the life behind it, the messy, difficult, beautiful truth of mothers who make art not because it’s easy, but because they must.