Meet Lessie Vonner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lessie Vonner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lessie, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
At the start of my journey, I was more obsessed with proving myself and constantly worried about whether I would be good enough to make it. The lack of representation and the short mindedness of a few music teachers in my past unfortunately helped contribute to this mindset. This focus on validation often threw my work-life balance off, as I tended to dedicate every waking moment to practice, performance, and networking. Over time, I came to realize that I was always good enough and worthy of my dreams and successes – that my worth wasn’t tied to external approval. This shift in mindset allowed me to embrace a more balanced approach to life, inside and outside of music. I began to explore and invest in other interests and facets of what make me whole, enriching my creativity as well as my well-being. Now, I view balance as an essential part of my artistic growth, merging both my professional and personal lives in harmony. Embracing this has not only enhanced my music but has also deepened my sense of fulfillment.

One of my most treasured pleasures is taking care of my eight-teen plants. I’ve always been fascinated by plants, and in the midst of the shutdown of the pandemic I dived more into this passion. I really enjoy the art of tending to my green children, learning how to best to create an environment for them to grow and thrive. I have learned a lot about perseverance and resilience from my plants, and I take great pride in seeing them continue to prosper.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a performer, trumpeter, and educator based in New York City, although I frequent Los Angeles quite a bit in my line of work. Hailing from Grand Prairie, Texas, I fell in love with music at an early age – I picked up the trumpet at age eleven and immediately knew that it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Fueled by my passion and the support of my loved ones, I was encouraged to pursue music education at the renowned Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City.

Having developed a skillset and admiration for many different genres of music, I currently perform in music scenes across the world with some of music’s biggest names. One of the highlights of my career is my involvement with Beyoncé’s iconic 2018 Coachella headlining performance from which I received Grammy Award recognition from the artist’s award-winning music film, “Homecoming” (Netflix). I’ve also received Grammy recognition for my work on Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s award-winning album, “Everything Is Love”, following my time on the couple’s On The Run ll World Tour.

Other highlights include my work with Janelle Monae on her iconic The Age of Pleasure Tour (2023-24), Lizzo at the Grammys (2020), Jennifer Hudson at the Apollo (2021), the Fugees at the Global Citizens Festival (2021), Ari Lennox at Coachella (2022), and Jon Batiste for ABC’s Soul of a Nation: Sounds of Freedom (2022).

Locally, I perform in various jazz venues throughout New York City with my own group, the Lessie Vonner Quartet. Additionally, I can be seen frequently with the Broadway Sinfonietta, an all-female orchestra displaying the excellence of BIPOC women musicians on Broadway & beyond.

I’ve also been a regular on the screen, having made multiple television appearances – some of which include BET’s Black Girls Rock, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve, BET’s Soul Train Awards, the TODAY Show, the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good Morning America, and the TVOne Honors.

In addition to performing and recording, I teach privately and publicly across New York City, including my work with Upbeat NYC – a program that offers no-cost music education and instruments to the youth of the South Bronx. I am also involved in the Women in Jazz Organization’s WIJO Mentor Program, designed to connect and enrich the community of women and non-binary people in Jazz. I have also recently cultivated a new workshop series, “An Introduction to Body Language and Movement for Musicians”, that debuted at Carnival Cruise Line Studios in Miami which teaches the importance of stage presence and movement while performing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
While I technically do not live in LA, I’ve certainly worked there enough to have some favorite spots! Personally, I love the vibe in North Hollywood – there’s still plenty of action happening there, but it’s residential enough for there to be plenty of horticulture for a plant lover like me to enjoy.

One spot in particular that I always hit when I’m intown is The Fat Dog, off of Magnolia Blvd – I haven’t had a bad cocktail yet, and their potato skins and caesar salad are absolute heaven!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to the book that started it all – E.B. Whites “Trumpet of the Swan”! I randomly picked it up for a book report in third grade, and I attribute this book to my first interest in playing the trumpet. I was so moved by the story of a mute swan who learned to use the trumpet as his voice that I wanted to see what the instrument was all about. It took another few years for me to receive my first trumpet (my school district didn’t let kids play actual instruments until 6th grade), but once I played it, it was a wrap!

Website: www.lessievonner.com

Instagram: @lessievtrumpet

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lessie-lessie-b9577932/

Twitter: @lessievtrumpet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lessie.vonner 

Image Credits
Myrina Renaissance Otey-Myton, Tobi Sobowale, K. Ashaunti, Afropix, and Amanda Humes