We were lucky to catch up with Johanna McGuire recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Johanna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to be a part of the SOL collective in Boston, a project that was put together by Devon Gates. The goal of the collective was to create a space that was welcoming and nurturing for all musicians, and to truly foster and create a sense of community. One of the most special things about this collective was that every member was a woman or non-binary person, which was the first time I was in a group like that. It felt like we finally got to represent a community and had the power to use our voice and be heard. As a collective, we would hold meetings and discuss the issues we would see, and try to create solutions for those issues. We held community discussions that were open to the public to try and have an honest conversation about how the community was, and how it could be improved. One of the biggest things I see in the music scene, specifically the jazz scene, is that a lot of people don’t focus on the community and collective aspect of music, but rather take an individualistic stance. It can feel very much like an “every man for themselves” experience. I’ve witnessed people at jam sessions mess up, and be ridiculed by other musicians for messing up. What kind of an environment is that? How is that helping? Witnessing this made me afraid to participate in sessions, fearing that I would mess up and be looked down on.
When I got back to Baltimore, I reflected on my time in Boston and tried to think how I could transfer everything I learned and apply it to my own community here. This led me to my current project I’ve been working on, Spread the Jam. Spread the Jam is a jam session I created, but not like the traditional sessions most musicians are familiar with. The mission is to create a more equitable and free, non-hierarchical and non-judgmental space for everyone. By creating a space that focuses on honest and authentic communication, community building, and liberation, we can transform the current scene into a more productive, positive and engaging community. Typically, at jam sessions, any tune can be called. While that is true for my session as well, I wanted to find a way to get everyone involved, including those who may be new to jam sessions. Each session will include a “menu” of tunes; 7-10 different tunes that are posted ahead of time, that way people have the opportunity to prepare before the session and feel more comfortable. The session will also have a community discussion, similar to the ones we hosted at the SOL collective. The last piece of the session, which I’m really excited about, is an original tune workshop opportunity. There are not a lot of opportunities for musicians to work on their own music outside of their own rehearsals, so I thought creating a time to have musicians workshop their own music would be helpful. The composer gets a chance to actually hear their music be performed by other musicians, and it gets to foster a strong sense of community building while uplifting others, which is the ultimate goal.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I first started playing saxophone when I was in fourth grade. Growing up, my grandfather had a huge love for jazz. Every time I would visit my grandparents in South Carolina, there was always jazz playing. I remember getting my first jazz CD. It was the Ken Burns Jazz: Miles Davis album. I remember hearing “Boplicity”, for the first time, and falling in love. I quickly dove deep and began listening to all the greats; Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis were my first introductions. In high school, I originally planned on being a band teacher. I was very fortunate to have great band teachers growing up, and they all encouraged me to pursue music. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I learned that you could get a degree in jazz studies, and I was sold. I went to Towson University in Towson, Maryland, where I got to work with some amazing faculty. I studied under Jason Rigby, and also studied with Jim McFalls and Dave Ballou.
While I love performing, I also love teaching. I teach private lessons, and I also teach at music camps during the summer. I finally feel like I’m starting to get to where I want to be, or at least I’m working my way towards that, but it wasn’t always easy. I went through a pretty serious musical slump after graduating college. I graduated in 2021 in the midst of COVID, which was really hard for everyone. I had to take some time away from saxophone and really step back and figure out what I was going to do. It was hard. After taking sometime to travel, reflect, and experiment with other art forms, I finally felt ready to get back into it, and I’m so glad I took a break. I want people to know that it’s ok to be confused and scared. It’s ok to take a break and explore other things- if it’s meant to be, you’ll know. I learned a lot about myself during that time, which inspired a lot of upcoming projects I’m working on, which I’m really excited about!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Honestly, taking a break from music was probably the hardest things I’ve done. I had graduated college in 2021, and the world was feeling very bleak with COVID and all the injustices that were happening at the time. Playing saxophone felt pointless, and I couldn’t find the flame I originally had. Every time I practiced, it felt forced. I couldn’t even listen to jazz the way I used to. I knew I had to stop, otherwise it would only get worse. I was really scared- music was everything I knew. I felt like I didn’t have a personality outside of being a musician, which was terrifying. I took a break for a few months and tried to jump back into it, but I wasn’t ready. I really began to worry- what if I never could play again? What if this wasn’t meant for me? I then took a two week solo road trip to New England, with the end of my trip being at a cabin in Vermont. During this trip, I did a lot of soul searching and finding out who I was a person. Trust me, I know how much of a cliché it is, but it’s true! After spending a lot of time with nature and meeting new people, I wrote a tune for the first time in over a year. This tune is actually my favorite piece I’ve ever written. After this, I knew it was time to get back into it, and that I was ready. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I didn’t give myself the time to be honest with myself. I feel like the flame has grown and grown, and I’m ready to share that passion with the world.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Haha, that is the age old question! I think the first step is to start teaching an appreciation for arts at a young age. We constantly hear stories of schools losing their music programs, getting rid of art classes, and not caring about the arts in general. We need to start that love at an early age. Funding local programs and foundations that help support the arts is a great first step. Showing support for artists doesn’t have to be hard either. Repost their Instagram story. Spend the few bucks to buy their album. Commission them when you can afford it. Go out to their shows! It doesn’t take a lot to show your support, and chances are you might influence someone to do the same. If we took the arts as seriously as we did with STEM programs, and encouraged people to pursue the arts instead of looking down on it, we would have such a rich ecosystem. The amount of times I’ve heard people say they wanted to be an artist, but their parents wouldn’t let them, or they were told not to pursue it always breaks my heart. If we start giving more value to the arts, the results would be much more beneficial than what people realize.
Contact Info:
- Website: johannamcguire.com
- Instagram: @johannamcguiremusic