WIJO Mentors is a mentorship program designed to connect and enrich the community of women and non-binary people in Jazz. The program provides strong role models to up-and-coming jazz musicians and composers in a safe and supportive environment and offers a way for established jazz musicians and composers on the scene to actively participate in and help shape the future of their art form. Selected mentees will work with professionals serving as their mentors in a one-on-one setting to receive guidance on musical, career, and interpersonal skills, as well as having a once-in-a-lifetime experience to build a new relationship with an established musician or composer.
The WIJO Mentors selection committee is looking for mentees who show strong artistic vision, a commitment to their musical growth in the area of jazz, and potential to contribute to the community of women and non-binary people in jazz.
WIJO Mentors 2022-2023 will run January 2, 2023 through August 1, 2023 and is a no-cost program for all selected participants.
Building on the success of previous seasons, WIJO Mentors will select an unspecified number of applicants. This change will not only ensure consistency and growth in the quality of mentor-mentee relationships but will also allow WIJO Mentors as a program to support its participants to the fullest capacity.
WIJO Mentors consist of:
2 private lessons, each at least 1 hour long
4 additional meetings or discussions, each at least 30 minutes long
Mentees will also receive the following:
Work with their mentors on need-assessment and goal-setting
Feedback from mentors on all their application materials
Invitation to all WIJO Mentors online and in-person events, including “meet & greet” sessions, workshops, master classes, and jam sessions
Access to additional WIJO resources
Contact information and connection with the current class of selected Mentees
- Musical Skills: Practice routine, harmony, band leading, chart writing, attending/leading a jam session, recording, listening, etc.
- Professional Skills: Social media promotion, brand management, booking gigs, website building, networking, industry information, etc.
- Interpersonal Skills: How to present yourself in a professional way, getting to know how the Jazz community works
- Shared Experiences: How to navigate the experience of being a woman or non-binary person in Jazz
Applicants can choose to apply as primarily either a vocal performer applicant, instrumental performer applicant, or composer applicant. If selected to participate, the applicant will be paired with a mentor in the category they apply for. Applicants can only apply in one category per season.
Please read the GUIDELINES carefully for more information about the WIJO Mentors program, including detailed application requirements, before beginning your application. Click to select your desired program from the dropdown menu on the left of the application landing page in Acceptd, to view the guidelines.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUITY STATEMENT
WIJO is seeking and encouraging individuals of all backgrounds to apply for WIJO Mentors 2022-2023. We are committed to representing and cultivating diversity in all areas of this program. This commitment is present in all decision-making, including the selection of mentees and mentors. Diversity, inclusion, and equity will be a primary consideration in the review process of determining which mentee applicants are chosen to participate.
International Applicants: This program is open to all applicants, regardless of location, including students inside and outside the U.S.
If you have any questions, please check out wearewijo.org/mentors or email questions to mentors@wearewijo.org.
For any technical questions, check out the Acceptd Applicant Support Help Desk.
MENTEES: Pictured L to R, Top to Bottom row: KC King (tenor sax), Florence Hughes (trombone), Marlena Boedigheimer (tenor sax),Anna Meyer (voice), Allison Young (alto/bari saxes), Kellin Hanas (trumpet), Mackenize McCarthy (tenor sax), Sarah McIntyre (trumpet), Adriana Tampasis (composition), Angelina Kolobukhova (voice), Jenna Reel (piano), Destiny Diggs (composition), Stephanie Tateiwa (alto sax), Anjelica Rose (bass), Kate Williams (composition), Alexandra Biancoviso (trombone), Stephanie Chow (guitar), Faith Quashie (voice), Emma Hedrick (composition), Sara Navratil (tenor sax)
MENTORS: Trineice Robinson Martin, Charenee Wade, Johnaye Kendrick, Rosana Eckert, Ayn Inserto, Marta Sanchez, Marion Hayden, Mariel Bildsten, Kalia Vandever, Bria Skonberg, Lessie Vonner, Caylen Bryant, Carmen Staaf, Camila Meza, Sharel Cassity, Maria Grand, Lisa Parrott, Camille Thurman, Gabrielle Murphy, Caroline Davis
MENTEES:
Pictured and Listed Alphabetically, Top L to R, each row, top to bottom.
Alexandra (Allie) Biancoviso (trombone), Anson Jones (voice), Bell Thompson (trumpet), Devon Gates (bass), Eliana Fishbeyn (composition), Emma Taylor (bass), Faith Quashie (voice), Katelyn Robinson (voice), Katie Carson (trumpet), Kellin Hanas (trumpet), Lauren Elliott (composition), Malin Carta (saxophone), Marlen Suero-Amparo (drums), Olivia Hughart (saxophone), Renuka Jayasinghe (saxophone), Stephanie Tateiwa (saxophone), Summer Camargo (composition), Yvonne Rogers (piano), Zandra Azoulay (drums), Courtney Wright (composition)
MENTORS:
Pictured and Listed Top L to R, each row, top to bottom.
Vanisha Gould (voice), Tomeka Reid (composition), Jennifer Wharton (trombone), Grace Kelly (saxophone), Janis Siegel (voice), Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), Shirazette Tinnin (drums), Carla Cook (voice), Lessie Vonner (trumpet), Helen Sung (piano), Nadje Noordhuis (trumpet), Christine Jensen (composition), Gabrielle Murphy (saxophone), Mimi Jones (bass), Chloe Rowlands (trumpet), Camille Thurman (saxophone), Allison Miller (composition), Marion Hayden (bass), Ayn Inserto (composition), Sharel Cassity (saxophone)
MENTEES:
Olivia Hughart, Malin Carta, Grace Frarey, Madeline Winters, Morgan Hurlock, Lael Dratfield, Lauren Elliott, Crystal Rebone, Hannah Dunton, Jahnvi Madan, Yu Nishiyama, Jhoely Garay, Sejin Kim, Naomi Nakanishi, Maya Keren, Anastassiya Petrova, Alice DeRagon, Sarah Irvin, Bell Thompson, Katie Carson, Summer Camargo, Shannon, McDougall, Emily Gelineau, Catherine Byrne, Joie Bianco, Yifei Zhou, Rachel Azbell, Elizabeth Sadler, Alaina O'Neill, Kassandra Charalampi, Rose Stoller, Dina DiMarco
MENTORS:
Alden Hellmuth, Alexa Tarantino, Melissa Gardiner, Karolina Strassmayer, Mercedes Beckman, Christine Jensen, Lisa "Paz" Parrott, Katie Ernst, Mary Ann McSweeney, Lihi Haruvi-Means, Erica Seguine, Shirazette Tinnin, Dida Pelled, Rachel Z Hakim, Roberta Piket, Monika Herzig, Angela Morris, Virginia Mayhew, Bria Skonberg, Barbara Laronga, Nadje Noordhuis, Shannon Gunn, Akua Dixon, Leonor Falcon, Kristina Koller, Aubrey Johnson, Brenda Earle Stokes, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Lauren Lee, Noriko Ueda, Tammy Scheffer, Rachel Ekroth
MENTEES
Genesis Berrios, Anna Blackmore, Malin Carta, Kassandra Charalampi, Domi Edson, Jhoe Garay, Jess Goodrich, Sarah Hanahan, Morgan Hurlock, Malwina Masternak, Liany Mateo, Sarah Milligan, Yu Nishiyama, Anastassiya Petrova, Jade Saffery, Ella Jane Sharpe, Bell Thompson, Talia Rubenstein, Courtney Wright
MENTORS
Mercedes Beckman, Rachel Eckroth, Melissa Gardiner, Jocelyn Gould, Christine Jensen, Aubrey Johnson, Kristina Koller, Barbara Laronga, Virginia Mayhew, Elsa Nilsson, Nadje Noordhuis, Dida Pelled, Roberta Piket, Mayu Saeki, Karolina Strassmayer, Brenda Earle Stokes, Sumi Tonooka, Noriko Ueda, Rachel Z
MENTEES
Alexandra Ayoob, Bell Thompson, Diamond Anderson, Montana Heater, Jade Saffery, Liany Mateo, Jessica Goodrich, Malwina Masternak, Yvonne Rogers
MENTORS
Alexis Cole, Melissa Gardiner, Monika Herzig, Barbara Laronga, Roberta Piket, Lauren Sevian, Svetlana Shmulyian, Joanna Wallfisch, Rachel Z
If you have any questions about the WIJO Mentors Program or application process, please send us an email.