Theresa May: A Trumpeter For The Community

As a woman who sees “competition” as the “complete stark opposite of what [music] means” she was a natural choice for the Global Fund for Women’s international collaboration of the world’s top women brass musicians to highlight Women’s Rights and the Global Fund for Women. Theresa May, the trumpet player for Mourning [A] Blkstar, was featured among 81 musicians representing 31 countries. As an ensemble of women, their notes rang volumes in a male-dominated Brass World-- the global collective of musicians playing brass instruments (i.e. french horn, trumpet, trombone and tuba). 

Divas Through the Decades for the Global Fund for Women (A Seraph Brass Project)

May was braced for the Brass World’s patriarchal ways thanks to her father who plays trumpet and leads a band, as well as her mother who is a retired police officer. 

“I started playing trumpet because my father is a trumpet player. So, he was my very first teacher.”

Her family surrounded her life with music bringing her a source of joy and community. As a child, May attended church at the Salvation Army which has a brass-heavy band. In the band being a good musician was just an expectation, as the band was full of talented musicians. She learned alongside them and stood at 1st chair through among her peers from elementary school until her time at Shaker Heights High School.

Next, she took her talents to new heights with 2 degrees in Trumpet Performance. May studied music therapy for 3 ½ years. After years of practicing, she realized her trumpet was calling her but the guitar and piano were not. She spent her last semester of undergrad studying Trumpet Performance. However, her resilience would not let her stop there. Then, she went to get her Masters in Trumpet Performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She spent 5 hours a day practicing while working 30 hours a week at Office Max. Additionally, she grew knowledge through rigorous studying in music history and music theory. 

The Global Fund for Women not only chose May for her musical talents but her commitment to equality and standing up for others. She has been teaching music since she was 14. Her experience teaching trumpet in the teen training program at the Cleveland Music School Settlement led to her becoming a freelance teacher for middle school and high school students. On the other side of May’s musical life, she continues to stand for her community in Cleveland as a part of Mourning [A] Blkstar. For almost 5 years, she has contributed her talents to the musical amalgam that stands up for equality with every note. From the magazine covers to the world renowned collaborations, May admits that going through it together has been her favorite part. 

“We have been in the band 4 to 5 years--just going through that journey together. My favorite part as a musician is collaborating. Being in that collaborative space with 7 other people, to create something so magical [...] You don’t get that often.”