Podcast Summary: "A Concert for Doula Training"

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Episode Date: December 5, 2025
Guest: Domino Kirke — Musician, Doula, Founder of Carriage House Birth
Main Event Previewed: Mama Was a Rolling Stone Benefit Concert (Dec 17, National Sawdust, NYC)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights musician and doula Domino Kirke, founder of the doula collective Carriage House Birth, as she discusses her upcoming benefit concert "Mama Was a Rolling Stone." The concert gathers musician-mothers performing to support affordable doula services and training in NYC. Through candid conversation, Kirke and host Alison Stewart explore the intersections of art, motherhood, birth work, and community — culminating in a conversation about reclaiming agency and fostering support around both the creative and maternal journeys.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Birth of a Doula Collective (01:27 - 04:34)

• Origin of Carriage House Birth:

  • Kirke describes founding the collective in 2012 as a response to a growing desire among city dwellers to reclaim community-driven birth experiences, rather than only relying on hospitals.

  "The goal of the collective was to create community around pregnant families and pregnant people... We don't live in intergenerational homes anymore... I want to be that person for a family or a person giving birth because I feel that is the missing link." — Domino Kirke (03:30)

• Personal Motivation:

  • After a challenging birth experience and sensing a lack of supportive, non-medical care, Kirke sought doula support and ultimately felt called to the role.
  • She emphasizes the ancient roots of birth support and the vital need for companionship during childbirth, especially in urban, fragmented communities.

Transformative Lessons from Doula Work (04:34 - 05:37)

• Presence and Parenting:
  • On-call doula work heightened Kirke’s sense of presence in motherhood.
  • Balancing service work, artistic career, and single motherhood, she expresses the deep challenges and gifts of being ever-ready to support others at pivotal moments.

  "On any profession that has you on call... You have to be fully in the moment, or you're going to miss it, because you literally can be called at any minute... It kept me really present with my son." — Domino Kirke (04:42)

Motherhood and Musical Identity (05:37 - 08:32)

• Making ‘The Most Familiar Star’:

  • Kirke’s new album explores identity shifts in motherhood — the grief and rebirth involved in letting go of a former self, and making space for gradual self-rediscovery.
  • She recently welcomed twins, expanding her family from two to four children, deepening her reflections.

  "The music really is just a moment to reflect on, you know, the grief that comes with becoming a parent, the loss of sort of spontaneity and who you were prior and just also giving yourself enough grace to get to know who you are..." — Domino Kirke (06:30)

• Album Title Meaning:

  • ‘The Most Familiar Star’ stands for Kirke herself — a return to her own center as she threads motherhood, art, and selfhood together.

  "Myself... coming back to your source material really... It's really about coming back to self." — Domino Kirke (08:02)

Notable Musical Moment:

• [09:12] Excerpt of the title track “Most Familiar Star” gives listeners a taste of Kirke’s introspective, evocative songwriting.

Previewing 'Mama Was a Rolling Stone' Benefit Concert (10:12 - 12:29)

• Concert Concept:

  • The show unites musician-mothers from Kirke’s “Mama Was a Rolling Stone” WhatsApp group: Joan as Policewoman, Rachel Price (Lake Street Dive), Odetta Hartman, Seema Cunningham, and others.
  • The group’s camaraderie, shared motherhood, and musical gifts are the heart of the event — timed with Kirke’s birthday.

  "Selfishly just want all these women in one place just for me... It's also my birthday that day, so I was like, what do I want for my birthday? I would like to hang out with mothers who make music, who I respect, who I may have watched give birth." — Domino Kirke (11:19)

• Impact:

  • Proceeds fund Carriage House Birth’s scholarships for doula training and childbirth education, supporting under-resourced families and aspiring birth workers.

  "The scholarship fund is pretty amazing... It does reach all the best people. So, yeah, it's just a night to combine all my loves and all the things I do." — Domino Kirke (12:08)

• Future Aspirations:

  • Hopes for the benefit to grow into a “festival” celebrating motherhood and creativity.

Notable Moment:

• [13:02] The show closes with Kirke’s song “City,” further highlighting her dual artistry and emotional candor.

Notable Quotes

• On Restoring Community to Childbirth:
  "People just don't give birth in community anymore... so I just was like, wow, I want to be that person for a family or a person giving birth, because I feel that is the missing link." — Domino Kirke (03:30)

• On Identity After Motherhood:
  "You won't love your child the way you imagined right away. You won't know how to do the thing right away. The record is me saying goodbye to an old life while being uncertain about who I am in the role still." — Domino Kirke (06:49)

• On Artistic Reunion:
  "I selfishly just want all these women in one place just for me so I can hang out." — Domino Kirke (11:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:27] — Founding Carriage House Birth
• [02:24] — Kirke’s personal journey to doula work
• [04:40] — On-call work and presence in motherhood
• [05:57] — Making and meaning behind ‘The Most Familiar Star’
• [07:59] — On returning to oneself as “the most familiar star”
• [10:20] — Assembling the concert lineup
• [11:42] — Scholarship fund and impact
• [13:02] — Musical performance: “City”

Final Thoughts

This episode offers an intimate look at how motherhood, music, and activism coalesce in Domino Kirke’s life and work. It is a celebration of communal care, creative kinship, and the ongoing transformation of identity — a testament to the necessity and beauty of supporting one another through life’s greatest transitions. The benefit concert stands as both a party and a powerful act of service, blending art and advocacy for the health and dignity of all birthing people.