by elizabeth | April 27th, 2010
When I tell someone that I play the trombone and sing for a living, some people look at me as though I have 3 heads.
Female instrumentalists have a hard time breaking through into the consciousness of the general public. But there are amazing women working in this business, and I plan to spotlight several of them in the coming months.
Here’s a short list of inspirations to get your learning started (or continued). These women happen to be mostly based in the jazz world, but women are in all genres!
TRUMPET
Kiku Collins
Ingrid Jensen
Cameron Harder Handel
SAXOPHONE
Jane Ira Bloom
Jessy J
Layla Angulo
April Leslie
Anat Cohen
Jessica Lurie
TROMBONE
elizabeth!
Jen Baker
Sarah Morrow
PIANO
Dawn Clement
Yayoi Ikawa
BASS
Debbie Kennedy
Hagar Ben-Ari
Katie Thiroux
DRUMS
Allison Miller
Sylvia Cuenca
GUITAR
Amanda Monaco
Mary Halvorson
This is just a tiny fraction of currently working women… please add a comment with more of your favorites!
Thanks, Harv! Love the photo – I remember that gig in Wisconsin!!! You’re awesome! xo
Rachel Z on keys
Karen Briggs on violin
Amber Coffman & Angel Deradoorian from Dirty Projectors are badass on guitar and bass/keys respectively (whilst throwing out tricky vocal harmonies)
That’s a very solid big band you’ve got listed there!
Some more for the list:
Saxophone:
Amy Denio (also vocals)
Sue Orfield
Tina Richerson
Nonoko Yoshida
Mercedes Figueras
Moist Paula
Tobi Stone
Alexandra Grimal
Catherine Sikora
Anne Stafford
Trumpet:
Sarah Wilson
Percussion:
Elizabeth Pupo-Walker
Piano:
Angelica Sanchez
Violin/Viola:
Robyn Siwula (also saxophone)
Violin/Vocals:
Jenny Scheinman
Viola:
Jessica Pavone
Plus librarian-musicians Sharon Tidwell (flute), Eileen Kassab (guitar/banjo/vocals), and Rita Meade (keys, vocals) from Lost In The Stacks.
Just another voice in support of Amanda Monaco- Great player, great composer!!