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Up Close with New Orleans' Native Daughter, Courtney Bryan

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Do you find that there are any distinctions between you as a female artist and your male peers?

There are distinctions, some more prominent than others. Musically speaking, the distinctions are subtle if there at all. I feel that there are certain qualities society credits as masculine such as assertiveness, being decisive, and sometimes ego driven, while there are those marked as feminine such as being supportive, emotional, and gentle. Given those definitions, most musicians (and people in general) have a mix of feminine and masculine qualities. I have met and worked with musicians who can lean more to the feminine or masculine side regardless of there gender. My favorite musicians to work with and listen to have a fairly balanced mix of feminine and masculine qualities, as do I.

As far as outward perception, sometimes people who haven't seen many women instrumentalists are awestruck especially when they see us carrying heavy instruments and equipment. Sometimes people respond with true appreciation and sometimes like the idea of it is pure entertainment. Sometimes men instrumentalists envy the attention though they don't understand there is good and bad that comes with being a minority. The attention can be good and get you multiple gigs come March. But the bad side is that insecure men instrumentalists can use the cheap shot of saying, she got that because she's a woman. And we saw recently how preposterous those sort of statements sound the other day with Geraldine Ferraro's accusation that Barack Obama is where he is because he is a black man. It's the same sort of nonsense.

One major distinction, and I can't speak for all women musicians, is the issue of safety. I find it important to have steady income and stability outside of my performing career so that I can be discriminating in choosing gigs. Most guys I know will feel free to take whatever gig is offered and only worry about the pay and directions. I worry first off about safety including who I am playing with, if they are trustworthy, and where will I be wandering around late at night to perform, especially if I am expected to bring equipment. This safety concern is good in that I take few risks. It is bad in that I possibly miss several opportunities that can be beneficial to my career and there is always a constant juggling act between performing and my other work that provides stable monetary income.

If so, who makes them and how do you respond?

I believe society makes these distinctions and that they are deeply embedded into our psyche. I think the rules and guidelines of society have a purpose to create hierarchy and organization. I think it is helpful for a society to have certain norms and standards. However, for the individual, these standards can act as a trap or a maze to navigate through.

What are the most significant differences you see between the struggles of artists today and the legends you revere?

Well, my generation has it easy in many ways. Jazz is now in the curriculum of many educational programs. There has been a great deal of work done by musicians and music supporters of the past to give Jazz its proper respect in society. Unfortunately, for my generation, many young jazz musicians want to follow the path of their heroes from the past not realizing that the generational gap makes it impossible to repeat the past. We cannot think of Jazz in narrow terms and in order to compete and to innovate the art form, we have to keep abreast of the many changes including growth in technology, the global economy, and the erosion of the “middle person" in most fields.

Who and what are the artistic influences that have most affected you and how?



I have been affected directly by many people. To mention a few would leave out many who have directly influenced me. But I will mention some of my mentors (Dean Curtis, Clyde Kerr, Jr, the Jordan Family, Daniel Wielbaecher, Roger Dickerson, Moses Hogan, Wendell Logan, Jeffrey Mumford, Marcus Belgrave, Billy Hart, Stanley Cowell, George Lewis, etc.) Indirectly, I have been influenced by Lil Hardin and Louis Armstong, Scott Joplin, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Bob Marley, Frederic Chopin, Geri Allen, Tania Leon, Gyorgy Ligeti, and stained glass windows.) My most direct influences are my hometown church St, Luke's Episcopal Church of New Orleans and the artwork of my sisters Amy Bryan and Alma Bryan Powell.

Where do you see the future of jazz going and what do you think is affecting any changes you see?

As I mentioned earlier, jazz musicians like those in other careers must respect the changes in economy, technology, and this new “global identity." I think it is easier than ever for a musician to express oneself and have it heard all over the world through self production and self advertisement. While there is a place for musicians to reinvent the music made by legends of the past, that is not the future of jazz. The future of jazz to me means embracing life as it is and responding musically as it should be.

Who do you admire musically and why?

I admire Scott Joplin profoundly. I love his music and he was the first composer I felt a special connection with. I admire that during his lifetime (1867/68-1917) he innovated the music we call Ragtime, composed the opera Treemonisha, and composed all the music at a unique time in American history (having been born a few years after the abolition of slavery).

What are your priorities for your musical career and why?

My priorities for my musical career are to do the things I love: collaborating with artists: musicians, writers, visual artists, film makers, dancers, actors; performing for entertainment, educational, and spiritual purposes either separately or all together; and composing straight from my heart without filtering the music through fear and doubt. I believe doing this will allow me to live a happy life. And I think one thing that people have in common is the desire for contentment.

What advice would you give musicians newly entering the field?

It is important to learn the history of the musicians coming before and of their struggles and triumphs. It is also important to remember that while playing music is very important can be very fulfilling; one is a sentient being first off. Try to have a “pure" heart and to live a life one can be proud of and to express that through the music so that music is not just a pretty object but can have the potential to be a healing force.

About Courtney Bryan:

Courtney Bryan, DMA Composition Fellow is currently pursuing her PhD at Columbia University. She appears regularly at venues nationally and local to the New York area. In the near term, you can catch her in action April 6 at Cachaca in New York City or April 18 at the Cape May Jazz Festival in Cape May, NJ.

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