Mandolin Justice Eisenberg, also known as M.J. Rain Song or Rain Song (Thoolyah in her native language, Tiwa), is a member of Taos Pueblo in Northern New Mexico. She is a dedicated multi-disciplinary artist, storyteller, and social-cultural advocate based in Albuquerque. As a Taos Pueblo Woman and Latina, she comes from a New Mexican background that has given her a worldview that allows her to foster connection, celebrate diversity, and champion social justice with unwavering sincerity. And with a personal story that defies all odds, everything she has to offer begins and ends with a deep appreciation for the privilege of being here to experience life. Mandolin Justice Eisenberg was born 3 months early with a hole in her heart and nearly didn’t make it. When the doctors went to perform open-heart surgery, they only got partway through the procedure. The hole had closed by itself in the nick of time, and the surgery left her with a paralyzed vocal chord, resulting in her one-of-a-kind voice that is both soft and surprising.
M.J.’s educational and community-driven foundation proudly began at Amy Biehl High School, after which she went on to study Screenwriting and Directing at DePaul University, and then later at the University of New Mexico. Her commitment to community has been extensive and manifested in her firm articulation of ethical actions in difficult situations, her work at local organizations, and advocacy for youth empowerment and suicide prevention. Her life’s trajectory and career consistently asks and inspires others to live with deep intention.
Mandolin’s artistic journey is rooted in a broad spectrum of practices spanning writing, directing, digital and mixed media, poetry, painting, editing, graphic design, storyboarding, set design and decorating, animation, acting, and public speaking. She has often been called a one-woman art department, with a resume that is packed with an impressive roster of collaborations and projects; her passion rings clear. Fearlessly adaptable, she worked as a manager at a 23,000+ square foot prop warehouse that serviced Netflix, Amazon, and A24, and has accumulated credentials both above and below the line. By her mid-20’s she achieved two of her seemingly
impossible childhood dreams at once: 1.) filming on her homeland of Taos Pueblo for PBS’s Native America on their episode “Warrior Spirit,” where she coordinated inter-tribally and inter-culturally; and 2.) then having her work be graced by the narration of the first Native American Poet Laureate of the USA, Joy Harjo. Creating equally from a place of responsibility and inspiration, Rain Song uses her broad artistic skills to articulate her own and others’ visions, winning awards for both and support from institutions like Scholastic, Outfest, ImagineNative, The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival, and Sundance.
Her abilities and adaptabilities have enabled her to broaden possibilities and maximize potential, much like her many, equally cherished names. Creating from a place of rich diversity, sincerity, and reverential craftsmanship, she aims to create and contribute to thought-provoking writing, imaginative visuals, and eye-opening ways of engaging with the world. M.J. Rain Song produces from the belief that a large spectrum of artistic expression and exploration is a direct route to works that are bold with life and a life lived boldly.