American Women of Trombone: 19th Century Educa:on and Separate Spheres All female Chamber Ensembles, Orchestras, Wind and Brass Bands Begin With the founding of American colleges and universi:es came the opportunity for music training here at home, as opposed to Europe, which had been the standard. As women graduated, and finding no place which would allow them to audi:on, they began to form their own groups. Family Bands were a popular draw, and the vaudeville touring circuit began.

Oberlin College Founded Helen Accepts May students of Butler all races Ladies 1833 Military Band

1891 The Vassar Girls Harvard (1636) c. 1900 Yale (1701) Princeton (1746) Colombia (1754) 1870 1900 Penn State (1755) Boston FadeKe Ladies Orchestra Cheyney University Boston’s New England 6,063 concerts, 550,000 Founded, first of the Conservatory of Music has 1097 miles toured, over 600 historically black female and 317 male students women earned more than colleges and enrolled, though it reserved its a half million in salary universi:es scholarships for men 1837 1868

Oberlin, Cincinna:, Boston, and New Rounds Imperial Ladies Band, New York, c. 1900 England Conservatories Founded UNC Pembroke Founded as a Normal School for 1865-1867 Na:ve Americans enrolling men and women 1887

For more informa:on visit The Interna:onal Women’s Brass Conference hKps://www.myiwbc.org Dr. Joanna Ross Hersey, [email protected] American Women of Trombone: Early 20th Century Explora,on and Establishment Vaudeville, Women’s Orchestras and the Sounds of Jazz Women joined the professional workforce in greater numbers aOer the turn of the century working on the Vaudeville touring circuit and in the expansion of the American orchestral market. During WW1 many performed as entertainers, and aOer the war, Hollywood became the new center for professional music as radio and film took off.

American Federa,on of Musicians forced to begin accep,ng women Elsie Allen (leO) Los Angeles 1904 and the Parisian Women’s Redheads (right) Symphony c. 1930 Orchestra (right) 1933 1900 1940

Women gain the right to vote na,onwide 1920 Lillie Willingham Bushong plays for Edna White President Trumpet Roosevelt, Quartet Grapevine, 1914 TX, 1904 Rounds Ladies Orchestra, 1910s Prairie View Co-Eds Jazz Band, 1940s

For more informa,on visit The Interna,onal Women’s Brass Conference hYps://www.myiwbc.org Dr. Joanna Ross Hersey, [email protected] American Women of Trombone: Mid-20th Century War=me and the Fight for Equality During the war years, women provided the soundtrack in military bands and in dance halls across the na=on, performing at a high level, though s=ll in separate spheres. AYer the war opportuni=es became more limited, and the desire to create ensembles of mixed gender met with severe resistance. The Civil Rights Era and the eventual adop=on of screened audi=ons paved the way for some movement forward, though the world of music performance remained off limits to many.

Dorothy Ziegler (1922-1972) Na=onal Mildred Kemp Symphony Orchestra Louisville (1943-1944), won the Orchestra Principal Trombone (1957-1962) posi=on with the St. New York Women’s Louis Symphony, freelancer, Army Band taught at the Goldman 404th University of Miami Band 1942-1944 (1966-1971) (1972-1976) 1940 1970

Melba Liston (1926-1999) US Military Jazz great, Bands become plays with Be$y Glover (b. 1922) Bass open to Billie Holiday, Trombonist with the Cincinna= women Dizzy Symphony Orchestra and Opera 1942-1944 Gillespie, (1952-1985) Taught for 40 years at Quincy Jones Cincinna= College-Conservatory and more

All US Military branches begin allowing women musicians service- wide for the first =me since WW2 1976

For more informa=on visit The Interna=onal Women’s Brass Conference h$ps://www.myiwbc.org Dr. Joanna Ross Hersey, [email protected]