Two weeks ago, I was very fortunate to lead a warmup class and present a recital at the International Women’s Brass Conference in New Jersey. This was my first time at a brass conference specifically focused on women and it was an amazing experience to be surrounded by so many great players.
The warmup class began at 8 am on Thursday June 9th. I chose to make it a combined warmup and mindfulness session, titling it “How to Start your Day on a Positive Leap for Success” We went through many typical warmup class activities, from mouthpiece buzzing, lip bends, Stamp exercises, and lips slurs yet we also touched on many important concepts away from our instruments. These included health and stretching, improvising, the importance of establishing a daily routine, and how to structure daily sessions to address weaknesses and best prepare for a varied day of playing. It was so exciting to have a mix of trumpet and French horn players in the room but most importantly, over 10 people showed up to warm up on their instrument at 8 o’clock in the morning. Inspiring!
On June 10th at 10 am, I presented my recital in the Boyd Recital Hall. Here is my program:
Kate Amrine – Anx Jessica Rudman – Elegy Nicole Piunno – Monterey Letters Jennifer Higdon – Trumpet Songs (movements To Home and Threaded) Jinhee Han – Yaygara
It was so nice to have another opportunity to perform selections from my upcoming CD, featuring music by women composers. This recital was particularly exciting also because it was the second performance of my own composition Anx. I am starting to compose more and this piece has served as a great opener for me in various recitals. It is exciting to delve further into composition and stay tuned for more on my future projects involving my own pieces!
I had a great time attending other presentations and recitals at the International Women’s Brass Conference but especially enjoyed the evening concerts. I heard the Athena Brass Band, Ashley Hall, Diva Jazz Orchestra, and Seraph Brass. I also really enjoyed the workshop on Alexander Technique and the Entrepreneurship Panel. While most of the workshops seemed more relevant for older musicians, throughout the conference I kept thinking how great this experience would have been for me and for younger students – especially those who may not have as much diverse representation in their own communities. To be able to see such strong extremely talented and successful musicians together in one place – who happen to be women – is especially inspiring and motivating, at any age.
Please check out these lovely videos of the concerts if you weren’t able to attend!