“Music Saved My Life”

Abstract

The jazz community lacks gender diversity. For example, most jazz musicians are men (McKeage, 2004) and women tend to be negatively impacted in jazz spaces (Wehr-Flowers, 2006). The jazz world in the United States exists in a society in which ideas of gender are being questioned and, thus, an increasing number of “out” trans and gender expansive (TGE) students are involved in school music programs (e.g., Garrett and Palkki, 2021; Kosciw et al., 2014). This chapter chronicles the experiences of Jennifer Leitham, a professional jazz musician who identifies as a trans woman. Her multifaceted stories could fill many volumes; in this chapter, the authors employ transgender theory as a theoretical tool (Nagoshi and Brzuzy, 2010) in allowing Jennifer to portray her own narrative. The authors’ hope that these experiences help to create a more radically inclusive jazz education/community.