Women Composers in Jazz

Maria Schneider: Not Built For the Classical World

            Born in Windem, Minnesota in 1960, Maria Schneider was not familiar with the modern jazz scene of her time while growing up. While her family was supportive of Maria’s desire to learn about classical music, Schneider realized after her studies that she “felt weird in the classical world” (line 54). Living away from the jazz world, Schneider’s only resort was to learn about traditional music until she met a woman in her town named Mrs. Butler. Mrs. Butler previously lived in Chicago and was the one source of jazz knowledge in rural Windem. Schneider was already enrolled at the University of Minnesota where she was in the process of earning a classical degree in music theory and composition. However, that process was quickly rushed after learning the art of jazz from Mrs. Butler. Schneider went on to get her masters at the Eastman School of Music where she heard modern jazz in spades and knew it was her calling. While educated and trained classically, Schneider admits, “… my education in jazz came from this support of friends and just out of a love of music and listening to things all the time” (lines 85-86). Learning jazz from Mrs. Butler and furthering that knowledge at Eastman was what propelled Schneider to become one of a kind in the American jazz scene.
 
            Following her passion, Schneider worked as an assistant for music legend Gil Evans. While studying with Evans, Schneider was able to assist in writing music and composing for a tour with Sting and Evans’s scoring of the movie The Color of Money. She was also lucky enough to get commissions from groups like the Jazz and Lincoln center to music icons such as David Bowie. After working with composers, Schneider created her own orchestra named The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra in 1992. With her orchestra, she performed around the world. In 1994 she released her first record, Evanescence, for which it was nominated for two Grammys in 1995.
 
            The list of awards for Schneider and her orchestra is never-ending. In 2004, Schneider won her first Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. That album was the first to win that was exclusively sold online and purely fan funded. In 2005 she won four awards from the Jazz Journals Association ranging from Jazz Album of the year to Composer of the year. She later won her second Grammy in 2007 for Best Instrumental Composition. In 2013, Schneider’s album Winter Morning Walks won three Grammys. In 2016, she also won a Grammy for the latest work The Thompson Fields. Her achievements could go on for a lifetime but her passion and success are what prove her to be a jazz icon for all.

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