How would you describe the experience of a Brass Queens show?
Like you showed up to a neighborhood block party at the intersection of New York and New Orleans! Get ready to sing, dance, and build community with fellow music lovers.
Seven years in, how has the landscape for female musicians changed — and where is there still work to be done?
We're moving in the right direction. But we still perform in places where adults have never seen a woman playing tuba, let alone an entire brass band made up of women. Every member has stories about being underestimated or treated differently. With funding for the arts disappearing rapidly, it's more vital than ever to support underrepresented musicians: buy their music, attend their shows, and spread the word.
You've played everywhere from the Met Gala to street corners in Brooklyn. What do you love about performing at a community festival like Jazz'n Downtown?
Events like these are the heart of our style of music. New Orleans brass bands are all about playing in the streets for anyone who wants to listen — that's how we got our start. To be welcomed into new communities and share in their love of music is an honor. If you follow the music, the best food, drink, art, and people are sure to be there!
What role do you think artists have in building up the communities around them?
Artists reflect their communities — the triumphs, the struggles, what binds them together. We feel our role is to amplify those voices through our sound. Music is a space where everyone can belong and connect through shared humanity, and organizations that promote that philosophy are essential to letting live music thrive.