Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Hamburger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Alex, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One big meaningful project for my was my debut quartet album And She Spoke released in 2021 which was a collection of music inspired by the diverse and ever changing concept of the female voice. “Featuring original compositions heavily inspired by poetry written through the female voice and personalized arrangements of female-written compositions, And She Spoke pays homage to the Black American Music tradition, citing Alex’s background and mentors as fundamental inspiration, while providing a fresh outlook with palpably incandescent energy.” The whole concept for this project was started by rediscovering my grandmothers book of poetry and published literary works. My grandmother Ana Maria Codas was an activist, teacher, community builder, writer, and dreamer. She was the leader of a national movement for academic integrity in Paraguay during the Strossner dictatorship and the director of a school she built in a small town in Villa Rica, a smaller town in which her school served the rural community outside the town so that all children had the opportunity to get an education. She stood up to the dictators rules and soldiers, not allowing them to take teachers from her school of dictate what she could teach. She wrote colorful poetry on deeply personal matters and political allegory for the things she saw happening around her. Essential to the history of Black American Music as both musicians and educators, yet often left out of the conversation, Mary Lou Williams and Geri Allen are the source of inspiration for two tracks on And She Spoke. American writer, editor, and educator Toni Morrison is highly regarded for her novels as essential pieces of American literature that speak on and to the Black experience. Morrison’s unique stylization of producing honest, raw, and strong imagery called to me.
‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ most accurately depicts how I feels in relation to the women featured in this project and the many others who have come before me to forge a path for women like me in music, writing, activism, and beyond. This collection of work would not be possible without the women who came before me, in particular, the Black women whose voices and impact are often not represented to the enormous scale in which they are of foundational importance.
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Another very recent meaningful project for me was a festival benefit for DC abortion fund I created and produced with my co- creator Amy Bormet sponsored by the Washington Women in Jazz Festival and Strange Women Records. Sunday April 2nd, 2023 My Body, “My Festival” we presented a day of performances at the Pie Shop showcasing women in music from the DC area to raise money for DC Abortion Fund. The performing artists spread across many different genres from jazz to blues, from singer songwriters to rock and r&b, all uniting to help make reproductive choice a reality. We sold out the tickets (which all proceeds were being donated for) and we were able to raise over 5k for DC abortion fund! It was an incredibly powerful night full of amazing music, community and solidarity.
This year’s festival included Attic Sessions, The Honey Larks, Biomorphic Forms, Jenna Camille and Elena La Fulana and was hosted by WPFW’s Katea Stitt. DC Abortion Fund was present with an information table and a guest speaker and The Outrage sold reproductive rights merchandise and donated a percentage of the proceeds to DCAF.
Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Raised in the vibrant music scene of the DC area, flutist, vocalist and composer Alex Hamburger was immersed in the world of art from her earliest years. Growing up as the daughter of accomplished artists—a drummer and a dancer—Alex’s passion for music ignited at a young age. After exploring other musical landscapes and studying at prestigious institutions in New York and Switzerland, Alex has returned to DC with a renewed sense of purpose and a desire to make a resounding impact.
Her debut album “And She Spoke” (released in November 2021) brings together a collection of music inspired by the diverse and ever changing concept of the female voice, featuring original compositions heavily inspired by poetry written through the female voice and personalized arrangements of female-written compositions. Featuring world renown bassist Doug Weiss along with producer/pianist José Luiz Martins and drummer Chase Elodia, “And She Spoke” is “An album whose spontaneity and subtle sophistication reveal new treasures with each listening” (Patrick Dallongeville, Paris- Move). The album’s CD release tour, spanning six cities across the United States, was made possible by the Jazz Road touring grant, a national initiative of South Arts funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Alex’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “What If?,” is slated for release on June 29th, 2023 on Unit Records. Through its exploration of perception, transition, and the boundaries of human experience in today’s society, this album seamlessly weaves together nine original compositions, fusing electric and acoustic sounds to create a truly immersive narrative. Alex’s quintet, comprising José Luiz Martins, Tyrone Allen II, Chase Elodia, and Patrick Graney, play integral roles in bringing this music to life. The recording of this album was made possible through the support of Chamber Music America’s 2021 Performance Plus Grant, where Alex’s band had the opportunity to work on the music with renowned artist Ingrid Jensen and through the support from the Pathways to Jazz Grant, a donor-advised fund of the Boulder County Arts Alliance.
In 2019, Alex resided in Basel, Switzerland after being selected to join the esteemed Focusyear band at JazzCampus. Immersed in an environment alongside esteemed masters such as Ambrose Akinmusire, Seamus Blake, Billy Childs, Dave Liebman and more, Alex had the privilege of studying and performing for a year with the prestigious international ensemble. The band also recorded and released an album of original music titled “Open Paths” and embarked on a successful tour throughout Europe. Prior to her ventures in Europe, she received her bachelor’s in Jazz Performance at SUNY Purchase in New York as a James Moody Scholar as well as the recipient of the President’s Award for the Conservatory of Music.
Alex’s journeys abroad have ignited the flame for her to continue captivating audiences worldwide with her internationally acclaimed performances. In January 2022, her quartet embarked on a South American tour, captivating audiences at the esteemed Jazz a la Calle Festival in Mercedes, Uruguay, and at Jazz B in São Paulo, Brazil. Looking ahead, in the fall of 2023, Alex is set to return to Europe for an exciting tour and residency with her duo alongside José Luiz Martins, as well as a series of album release shows with her full band.
While making waves abroad, Alex also remains deeply connected to the DC music community, a place she holds dear. A member of the 2022 Strathmore Artist in Residence class and a 2022 Wammie awards nominee, she continues to contribute to and thrive within her hometown’s musical landscape.
In addition to her remarkable musical achievements, Alex is deeply dedicated to utilizing her talent as a force for positive change in the global fight for social justice. In spring 2023, she co-organized the groundbreaking My Body, My Festival: A Fundraiser for DC Abortion Fund in collaboration with Amy Bormet from the Washington Women in Jazz Festival. The sold out event proved to be a tremendous success, raising over $5,000 for the DC Abortion Fund and was covered by the Washington City Paper. Furthermore, Alex actively contributes to the music community in the DC area by working at Paul Carr’s Jazz Academy of Washington where she teaches the next generations of musicians and assists in the production of the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival.
With a steadfast belief in the transformative power of music, Alex strives to use her art as a means for making a meaningful impact in the community both on stage and off. Alex’s artistic endeavors reflect her unwavering commitment to her craft and her desire to create music that resonates with audiences worldwide.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
To better support artists and creatives in society, I think the first and most important step is for both the economic infrastructure and the general population to put importance to art and creative work. The biggest problem is that in the US art and artists are not valued and seen as legitimate professions or necessary for society. You can see that clearly in the public school systems that are struggling and first cutting art without asking any questions. I think the problem is also bigger than just art and artists, we live in a country riddled by systematic racism, police violence, a broken education system, a practically non existent health care system and a huge wealth gap. I think it’s is hard to say that our current society does little to support anyone but a wealthy few. Art is like anything else, when people, when a community is doing well, all parts of it thrive. When people have access to things they need such as food, clean water, safe living spaces, health care, artists also thrive, have time/space/resources to make art and most importantly, the community has the means to support and engage in art whether it’s going to museums, concerts or plays, buying art to put up in their homes or sending their kids for music or dance lessons. This model is fully active in affluent communities and sometimes artists get to benefit from that but we are still (most often) in another socio economic class and therefore not supported by the community but rather just a hired hand and seen to have only that much importance too. A flourishing community is one in where artists and creatives can thrive and be active members.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I was just having lunch with a student I’ve taught since she was 13 before she goes off to college on a full scholarship for jazz. She asked me if there was anything I wish I could have told myself when I was her age and after thinking for only a second, it came to me so clearly. I wish I had really understood that it’s all a long game. That there’s no rush to be the best, get noticed or famous, there’s no rush to be great. Although the music takes 110% of us and a deep desire to be great, to be the best for the music (not fame/fortune/popularity), I think that when you’re young it’s hard to understand that this journey and that drive will be there for the rest of your life. I wish I had known this and therefore felt ok with myself for being where I was at in the journey. I spent so much energy trying to hide what I didn’t know, trying to grow faster than possible, at the expense of my physical and mental health, trying to show the world I was the shit before I really even took the time out to find out who I was. So maybe this doesn’t quite answer the question exactly but I wish that earlier in my creative journey I knew and fully understood the art and importance of patience within the craft. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexhamburger.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dabaddestburger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.hamburger.3/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5X3WvUR6Q6Db8z9nofAWSA
- Other: https://alexhamburger.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Nick Moreland Jamie Sandel