JazzGirls Day

Hendersonville Theatre (HT) invites area middle and high school female-identifying musicians to an afternoon of fellowship and learning on April 1 at 3 pm. JazzGirls Day, presented in conjunction with North Carolina Central University, is a free event that will allow area student musicians to converse with professional jazz musicians and other jazz students. Students can register by visiting HVLtheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (828) 692-1082. All area music educators are also invited to attend. 

JazzGirls Day is an annual NCCU initiative that invites and inspires girls from North Carolina to join the jazz faculty for a day filled with learning, playing, and performing. One of the goals of the day is to welcome girls to start or continue playing jazz but also encourage North Carolina music educators to encourage girls to play jazz. 

Area female-identifying musicians will participate virtually from Hendersonville Theatre with NCCU’s JazzGirl Day in Durham, NC. NCCU Jazz Studies second annual JazzGirls Day features special guest trumpeter/composer Arnetta Johnson, bassist Dr. Natalie Boeyink, Lydia Dudley, Serena Wiley, Jasmine Best, Shaena Ryan Martin and Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds. 

All instrumentalists and vocalists (traditional AND non-traditional) at all levels are encouraged to attend. Students in grades 7-12 who identify as female or gender-expansive, including cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth and any girl-identified youth, are invited. Accompanying adults are welcome as well, although seating may be limited. In addition, all area music educators regardless of gender identity are welcome to attend. Hendersonville Theatre will also make a recording of the event available to area educators to share with their students. 

JazzGirls Day was founded by Sarah Cline, director of the jazz program at Berkeley High School in San Francisco, in 2012. The events and programs were meant to encourage young women to explore jazz and improvisation. A subsequent event was presented at the Jazz Education Network conference in 2017, which sparked the idea for an event in North Carolina. Since its inception, similar JazzGirls Day programs have been produced in El Paso, Boston, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Phoenix, as well as at SFJAZZ and JALC.

In March 2019, the first NC JazzGirls Day (JGD) took place on the UNC-Wilmington campus. The event brought together an all-female team of educators and performers to mentor young jazz musicians. All instruments and voices were welcome, and there was no prerequisite for jazz experience or participation in a school jazz ensemble. Twelve middle school and high school jazz girls participated in the inaugural event’s activities.  In fall 2020, UNC-Greensboro director of Jazz Studies Steve Haines produced a successful JazzGirls Day event, with 38 participants and featuring saxophonist/composer Camille Thurman. 

The purpose of JGD is multi-layered. It is an opportunity for young jazz musicians to build comradery when they are usually a small minority in their school’s jazz ensemble. They get to work on their jazz skills and improvisation in an environment free from worrying about mistakes and how their male peers may be judging them. JGD provides a safe environment to get their questions answered and conduct an honest discussion about the jazz industry. It gives participants a network of female jazz educators and professionals in the state. Best of all, they get to interact with and witness professional female-identifying jazz musicians performing at a high level, modeling a career path for vocalists and instrumentalists.

The 2023 event at North Carolina Central University will be the second hosted by NCCU Jazz Studies. Sponsors of the event include the North Carolina Arts Council, Tribe Jazz Orchestra®, the National Endowment of the Arts, NCCU Jazz Studies, St. Joseph’s Foundation/Hayti Heritage Center and the Jazz Education Network. Hendersonville Theatre’s JazzGirls Day is also additionally sponsored by the Henderson County Arts Council and SouthArts. 

Information and questions can be directed to info@HVLtheatre.org or by calling 828-692-1082.

One of the missions of HT is to provide arts education that promotes life-long learning, in a way that inspires, nurtures, enriches, and empowers. 

Since 1966, Hendersonville Theatre has provided an inviting and nurturing environment for live theatre, as well as high-quality, affordable entertainment for the residents of Hendersonville and surrounding areas. 

Hendersonville Theatre is located at 229 South Washington Street. For more information contact us at 828-692-1082 or online at HVLTheatre.org.