Meet the team that keeps the organization running! Feel free to reach out to us directly about any questions or feedback. We are happy to be part of this community, and are here for our Members.
Founder & President
Roxy founded WIJO in July 2017 with a mission to empower and connect women in jazz, create a network, support system and platform for education within women in jazz, and to create meaningful change on the scene and within the jazz community.
Roxy is a professional Saxophonist/Musician, Composer, Bandleader, Recording Artist, Educator and Activist.
More: www.roxycoss.com
Vice President & WIJO Mentors Interim Program Director
Tahira joined WIJO's leadership team in August 2017 with an intention to highlight the voices of black women within WIJO, nurture a community of intersectional feminists, and contribute to the empowerment of all women.
Tahira is a professional Musician, Composer, Educator, Activist, Recording Artist, and Bandleader.
More: www.tahiraclayton.com
Secretary
Allegra has been an active member of WIJO since its inception and joined its leadership team in March 2020 with the aim to continue the essential work of fostering this community of women and non-binary people in jazz and allowing all voices and music to be heard and celebrated worldwide.
Allegra is a professional musician, singer-songwriter, lyricist, and recording artist.
More: www.allegralevy.com
The WIJO Internship Program is a great way for up-and-coming music-community leaders to gain real, hands-on professional experience and insight into the day-to-day activities of a start-up arts nonprofit organization. The internship program is designed for motivated students or young professionals who are interested in gaining the multifaceted skills that it takes to run an organization and its affiliated programs in today’s music industry and an insider's look into the world of being a professional musician/composer. WIJO Interns receive a meaningful, educational, and enjoyable work experience and work with established jazz musicians-turned-community-leaders, while being exposed to the broader music industry environment.
WIJO Intern & WIJO Mentee Graduate (2020-2022)
Faith M. Quashie, a Brooklyn, New York native is a current jazz vocal artist, and a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s in Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University, where she studied under the illustrious Greg Jasperse. Faith was also a member of the nation's most multi award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company.
She currently is a piano and voice teacher at Kalamazoo Music School/ Jazz and Creative Institute in Kalamazoo Michigan.
WIJO Intern
Maria is a new member of the WIJO team and is very excited to begin working within such a supportive community of musicians and activists.
Maria is a jazz musician, woodwind doubler, and arranger from northern New York and is currently completing her undergraduate degree in music performance, jazz studies, and business administration and management at Ithaca College.
WIJO Intern & Current WIJO Mentee
Eliana O’Brien discovered a deep love for jazz in 2019; two years later, she moved to New York and joined WIJO with the ambition of increasing the accessibility of jazz for all people, fostering social intention within the music community, and making beautiful sounds.
Eliana works professionally as a vocalist, pianist, euphonist, educator, and visual artist.
WIJO Intern & Current WIJO Mentee
If you are interested in applying to be a WIJO Intern, please submit a resume to womeninjazzorg@gmail.com with the subject “WIJO INTERN APPLICATION”.
For more details, click here to view the WIJO Internship Program 21-22 PDF info sheet.