Today we’d like to introduce you to Ella Grace
Hi Ella, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was drawn to music from a very young age, banging on pots and pans and making up songs as a toddler. Blessed with supportive parents, I cycled through private piano, guitar, and drumset lessons in elementary school and played drumset and bass in my middle school jazz band before trying the trumpet and instantly falling in love. It came easily to me and as my passion for jazz music simultaneously developed, musical studies quickly became my primary focus. I started studying with Steve Strand, Prince’s longtime lead trumpet player and joined the top band, orchestra, jazz band, and pep band at Stillwater Area High School. I auditioned into several state-wide honors ensembles including the Minnesota All-State Jazz Band, Minnesota Youth Jazz Bands, and the Dakota Combo. I was lucky to have an older brother who played jazz tenor saxophone and together, we formed our own quartet in high school and began performing around the Stillwater area at private events and restaurants.
The pandemic hit during my junior and senior years of high school, and though I missed out on a lot of performance opportunities, I dived deep into composition and audio production while auditioning to nine universities around the country to continue my studies. I ended up moving to Chicago in 2021 to pursue a degree in jazz studies at DePaul University. I continue to perform throughout the Midwest, particularly in Minnesota, as I enter the final year of my studies at DePaul. I work both as a sidewoman with several bands and I also bandlead my own quintet which exclusively performs my original contemporary jazz compositions. I have two iterations of my quintet, one based in Chicago called the Ella Grace 5tet and one based in Minnesota called the Ella Grace MNTET. The MNTET has performed at dozens of Minnesota venues including KJ’s Hideaway, Berlin, MetroNOME Brewery/Fingal’s Cave, Taste of MN, and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have been so lucky to have an incredibly supportive family who have been my number-one fans since the beginning. They have been so generous to me with their time and financially, which has definitely helped smooth the road for me. Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle I face is my gender. Jazz is an overwhelmingly male-dominated genre and I am often the only woman in the bands I play in. I am grateful to be living in an age when overt sexism has diminished considerably and I know the female musicians who came before me faced much worse conditions, but I still have to deal with demeaning comments from other musicians, venue owners, and booking agents. When people see me, they never assume I’m a killing trumpeter and I have to prove myself to earn their respect, and even then I don’t always get it. That being said, much of the jazz community is supportive, especially in the Twin Cities and I am grateful to have an amazing network of patrons, fans, and colleagues.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a trumpeter, composer, educator, and producer specializing in jazz and modern music. I’m one of only a few female jazz trumpeters in the Midwest. I am very proud of my arsenal of contemporary jazz compositions which I am lucky to get to perform with so many talented musicians.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I plan on getting back to the Twin Cities in November and December to perform more. For information on all my upcoming shows, you can sign up for my newsletter at https://ellagrace16.wixsite.com/ella-grace-music
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ellagrace16.wixsite.com/ella-grace-music
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ella.grace.music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.grace.96780671
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb8gPqgwXqhHeTovnlxreFA
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ellas_music
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FrNPbgDC0VutUJFRgLzje
- Bandcamp: https://blueoxjazztrio.bandcamp.com/
