Elbows Out - playing loudly and taking up space in the northern jazz scene.
“It’s always about the women themselves. It’s always about encouraging them. It’s always about helping them to believe in themselves and to experience improvisation.”
Our March forum explored creating safe spaces to collaborate and take risks with guest artist Trish Ferrarin. Jazz North team member Helena Summerfield spent an inspiring hour learning about the ethos of Elbow Room and discussing experiences of playing in all-female versus mixed ensembles. Together the group pondered the following questions:
What is a safe space - what do they look like and how can we create them?
Why are safe spaces needed for women and gender diverse musicians in the northern jazz scene?
Several members of Elbow Room joined the conversation and explained why playing in Elbow Room was so important to them…
Able to experiment
“I don't know what it is about being just women, there's something the same about us. We're not competing with each other. We're just doing our best. On a good day, it goes right. On a not so good day, you make a pig's ear of it, but nobody seems to care. But for some reason, in the other setting, it was perhaps my self perception, but I didn't feel like I had the confidence to do that. There was nothing wrong with our director, he was fine, but I think it was just because there were so many men. I feel much more able in Elbow Room to experiment a little bit and not worry if I get the notes, what you might think of as, wrong”.
Building confidence
“In Elbow Room I think “I’m going to play and I'm going to play loud” and, you know, have a bit of fun. I think it is about levels of confidence, actually… there may be people who actually can play better, regardless of whether they're male or female, but most of us can do something. We can find our niche and fit into a particular place, but it’s having that confidence to fit into that space, and it's building that confidence and allowing that place to build confidence”.
A really nice home
“It's like a really nice home, because we all play in different places. We all play in mixed groups and so on. But somehow, having a time each month when we've got people on the same page, it gives you a lot of confidence to be able to step out and handle things, you know, just kind of say, well, I'm here and I'm going to play”.
Comfortable expression rather than impression
“What I love about the feeling of Elbow Room that I've not experienced in any other group before is the feeling of comfortable expression rather than impression… the love of music and the soul and the spirit just boosting out, blowing out of these instruments and coming out of people's fingers. It’s a really beautiful, expressive place”.
About Elbow Room
Elbow Room was established in 2019 as the result of a jazz workshop for female identifying musicians as part of the Ribble Valley Jazz Festival programme. Members described the group as a vital alternative to the often competitive or patriarchal atmosphere of mixed-gender jam sessions, where male players tend to dominate the stage.
Under the direction of Trish Ferrarin, Elbow Room explores an eclectic range of repertoire from jazz standards to rock-influenced arrangements and the supportive atmosphere has encouraged members to compose original music for the ensemble. The group has also collaborated and performed with professional jazz musicians Emma Johnson, Sarah Heneghan and Kathy Dyson.
Before adopting the name Elbow Room, the group was known as ‘Women in Jazz’. The decision to change the name arose because some members felt that being called ‘Women in Jazz’ felt tokenistic and led to them only being booked for International Women's Day events in March rather than being recognised as a year-round ensemble. Elbow Room was chosen for its dual meaning: having the literal and metaphorical elbow room to perform and experiment without judgment.
The need for Elbow Room
The key benefits of an all-female jazz ensemble include the creation of a safe space for musical growth, the building of individual confidence, and the fostering of a supportive, non-competitive environment. There is a significant need for spaces that cater to women who are returning to music after long breaks. Many women put their own music making on the back burner due to focussing on their (non-musical) career and/or caring responsibilities - children, elderly parents.
Joining Elbow Room provides a specific reason for its members to get their neglected instruments out of the loft and gives them the motivation to practice and develop their skills. Making music at any level has been shown to have a positive effect on your life by improving mental health, boosting cognitive function and fostering social connection. It’s never too late to join a band and make some noise!
If you are feeling inspired by this article and are interested in joining Elbow Room please contact - Trish Ferrarin trishferrarin@gmail.com and Sue Bradley subcass@gmail.com