In a world of jazz traditionally dominated by men, a Merion Station nonprofit is working on changing the narrative, writes Eva Andersen for CBS News Philadelphia.

The Key of She Jazz recently hosted its yearly jam session and conference at the University of the Arts to provide a safe and empowering space for young women and nonbinary jazz musicians to show off their talents.

“I think it’s important to be able to have a place where women in jazz can come together without the pressure or the eye of a man,” said Gabby Andrade, a sixteen-year-old Alto Saxophonist.

A recent Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice study that analyzed over 200 colleges and universities over the 2021-2022 school year found just 15 percent of jazz faculty identified as female.

That gender disparity is one of the reasons why Saxophonist Olivia Hughart continues to host the annual event.

“It’s so important to have these spaces where we are highlighting women and nonbinary people and students in jazz, because it creates this unique space that doesn’t exist anywhere else, especially in Philly,” she said.

Read more about the Key of She Jazz at CBS News Philadelphia.

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