Femme Jazz Day with the Girls Ellington Project

Femme Jazz Day, an annual initiative aimed at inspiring musicians at every level, welcomed female, queer, trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive musicians for an evening of learning, playing, and collaborating.

On Tuesday, March 12, the students and teachers of Seattle JazzED’s Girls Ellington Project orchestrated an evening for young femme musicians to engage in music-making that fosters creativity, courage, and camaraderie.

As the event unfolded, a mix of familiar and new faces filled the space. They delved into Bb-Jam Blues, Little Sunflower, and Caravan, guided by our Girls Ellington educators who led with expertise and enthusiasm.

At 7:30, the doors opened to families and friends who were invited back for a short performance from the group. The room buzzed with the infectious energy of our performers. As the musicians took their solos, joy and the spirit of community further filled the room.

Reflecting on the experience, Addy T., a 6th grader, shared her thoughts about the evening:

“I was really nervous! But it was fun. It was fun to play with other femme musicians because my jazz band has less than half femme musicians. I really liked when they said, ‘Be brave, not perfect’ because I feel like a lot of people need to hear that about playing solos or playing in general.”

Seattle JazzED began the journey towards gender parity in jazz education in 2013. Recognizing the underrepresentation of female-identifying and gender diverse musicians in traditional big bands, the inaugural Girls Jazz Day launched with the creation of the Girls Ellington Project happening soon after.

Femme Jazz Day continues to cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment where musicians of all backgrounds can come together to celebrate the joy of jazz music.

Femme jazz Day musicians practicing ‘Caravan” guided by Girls Ellington Educator, Marissa Kall.

Are you looking to play with femme musicians? We’re hosting a Femme Jazz Summer Camp from Monday, July 15 - Friday, July 19, 2024. Click below for more information and to register!

As of July 2024, Girls Ellington Project has been renamed Femme Ellington Project. For more information on the name change, click here.