We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Blosser & Ashley Killam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie & Ashley, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
We met through volunteering with an international music group and noticed the lack of diversity in the music that was being programmed. With our combined music education background, we knew there was a lack of beginner, intermediate, and advanced solos from composers of historically underrepresented backgrounds, so we started Diversify the Stand as a business, raised $13,000, commissioned 12 composers, and printed a book with 12 new works for trumpet and piano.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Ashley and Carrie spent lots of long zoom calls together trying to figure out ways to make a positive impact in the trumpet and music education community. We decided the best way to make change was to take a big step forward and make a physical/tangible book with photos of the composers on the front to show students who wrote their music. The goal is to have students represented in the pieces they are performing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to donors for our first book, the 12 composers who wrote solos: Marcus Grant, HyeKyung Lee, Karen Amrhein, Alonso Malik Pirio, Gala Flagello, Rylee Short, Lara Poe, Gina Gillie, Devin Clara Fanslow, Yukiko Nishimura, Zoe Cutler, Angela Elizabeth Slater. Additionally, Lauren Bernofsky, Eris DeJarnett, AND WE WERE HEARD, and all the amazing volunteers who have helped Diversify the Stand get off the ground!

Website: https://www.diversifythestand.org

Instagram: https://instagram.com/diversifythestand?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diversifythestand

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_iBR0lUUf795fNxL0Ua_8A

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