Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education

25/06/2025

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education A new report from the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and researcher Lara Pellegrinelli finds that male jazz faculty outnumber their female counterparts six to one.

By

Tori Donahue

June 25, 2025

A new report from the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and Lara Pellegrinelli studies the gender gap in jazz education.

Kelly Davidson

The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice has released the results of its first-ever study, Jazz Counts: Measuring the Jazz Faculty Gender Gap in Higher Education, in collaboration with researcher Lara Pellegrinelli.

Drawing from the websites of over 200 educational institutions, Jazz Counts reveals that male-identified jazz educators outnumber their female-identified counterparts by a factor of six. Women are underrepresented across all faculty ranks, administrative roles, popular jazz instruments, and in academic areas that include music history, theory, and composition. The research design and original dataset upon which the research is based was created by Pellegrinelli in collaboration with students at the New School in New York City.

Read the report

Download the full report, Jazz Counts: Measuring the Jazz Faculty Gender Gap in Higher Education, the study's key findings, and graphics toolbox. Jazz Counts: Measuring the Jazz Faculty Gender Gap in Higher Education' is an important piece of research that informs a key issue in the world of jazz education-gender representation, said Pellegrinelli. Until now, there has been almost no statistical data that allows us to measure the participation of female-identified artists in jazz. I am proud to present the first-ever study examining this topic and am grateful to the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice for making its publication possible. I hope the leadership at institutions of higher learning will use the report to help create greater equity in the field.

The study found that, out of 3,014 jazz educators representing 222 educational institutions across 44 US states and the District of Columbia, only 15 percent were identified as female, with eight percent of jazz instrumental faculty identified as female. Among those female-identified jazz faculty members, almost half (49 percent) are vocalists.

At schools with more than 30 jazz faculty members, the representation of female-identified educators ranges between six and 32 percent; 35 percent of schools employ no female-identified faculty members at all. Upon analyzing jazz department websites, the researchers did not encounter any jazz educators who identified as nonbinary. The data was collected during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Lara Pellegrinelli

The majority of female-identified faculty members serve in adjunct positions. These roles are best represented as assistant professors (18 percent) and their numbers decrease in tenured positions, such as associate professor (17 percent) and professor (10 percent). Women occupy 16 percent of administrative positions, and only six percent are directors of jazz programs in more than 100 of the schools represented in the Jazz Counts study.

In the classroom, female-identified faculty are slightly more likely to teach performance than academic subjects. Women comprise less than 13 percent of those teaching music history and appreciation, composition and arranging, and theory, while 13 percent teach courses that explicitly address improvisation.

The statistics presented in the Jazz Counts study offer jazz scholars a material foundation for the ongoing conversations around gender justice while providing a model for further studies in the emerging field of data humanities. The research is intended to help administrators understand how gender impacts the production and reproduction of knowledge in jazz education, a professional area critical to halting women's erasure and disrupting systemic inequalities.

The data suggest a need to address departmental hiring practices, the use of adjunct and part-time labor, and decision-making around course assignments in music departments. The institute intends for this study to also serve as a reference for high school educators and their students, who may take faculty-gender balance into consideration when deciding where to continue their jazz studies.

Jazz Counts serves a critical role for those teaching, performing, and passing the genre on to the next generation of students, said Terri Lyne Carrington, founder and artistic director of the Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. We are so grateful to have partnered with Lara Pellegrinelli and her students, who have done the legwork to determine obstacles women are facing across jazz positions in higher education. We hope that the study will drive action to address the stark inequalities we currently see and help to create a more inclusive jazz education community.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Image by Maddie Ross, courtesy of Tape Op magazine

Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on any budget.

Latest

Antonio S nchez '97, who delivered the keynote address at Berklees graduate commencement on June 26, was nominated for an Emmy Award this year for his work as a composer on Apple TV+'s The Studio.

Elizabeth Friar

Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2025 Emmy Awards Twenty-three Berklee alumni received nominations across categories in sound mixing, sound editing, and composition.

Cole Haden BM '19, lead singer of Model/Actriz

Photo: Scott Kowalchyk 2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert The Brooklyn-based band made up of Berklee alumni made their television debut p
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/study-reveals-stark-gender-ga...
See more stories from berklee

More from Berklee

28/08/2025

Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Education

Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Educatio...

28/08/2025

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces Center Stage Performances for 2025-2026 Season

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces Center Stage Performances for 2025-2026...

27/08/2025

Lara Pellegrinelli Named Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Visiting Scholar

Lara Pellegrinelli Named Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Visiting S...

25/08/2025

The Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program Enters Year Three

The Berklee-Spelman Exchange Program Enters Year Three The initiative celebrates the contributions of African American women to jazz and contemporary music. ...

23/08/2025

$2.2 Million Donation Fuels Next Phase of Berklee Bridge

$2.2 Million Donation Fuels Next Phase of Berklee Bridge The anonymous gift will amplify the impact of the student success initiative built to support student...

22/08/2025

This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs

This Berklee Program Turns Class Projects into Career Breakthroughs Experiential Design Lab students take on creative briefs from Red Bull, Disney, and more, ...

19/08/2025

Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer?

Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer? Professor Joe Bennett comments on why this year doesnt have a clear song of the summer. By Tara Bellucci August 19, 202...

18/08/2025

Berklee Announces Fall 2025 Signature Series

Berklee Announces Fall 2025 Signature Series This year's concerts feature Sasha Berliner, Samora Pinderhughes, and Rakim, alongside tributes to Bob Dylan,...

18/08/2025

Dorico Music Software: Tips for Switching from Finale

Dorico Music Software: Tips for Switching from Finale Professor Lee Abe explains the music composition software and how it compares to the now-sunset Finale. ...

15/08/2025

Arlen Borrego Miranda Awarded 2025 Prodigy Scholarship by Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation

Arlen Borrego Miranda Awarded 2025 Prodigy Scholarship by Latin Grammy Cultural ...

14/08/2025

Graduate Spotlight: Sofija Zlatanova

Graduate Spotlight: Sofija Zlatanova The educator, who grew up in North Macedonia, shares how her Berklee journey went from viola performance to music educati...

12/08/2025

KPop Demon Hunters Is Coming to Theaters

KPop Demon Hunters Is Coming to Theaters Assistant Professor Claire Marie Lim discusses the Netflix film and K-pop trends ahead of the one-weekend-only theatr...

07/08/2025

Berklee City Music Students Receive Scholarships, Awards at Concert

Berklee City Music Students Receive Scholarships, Awards at Concert This year, 17 students received scholarships, housing awards, and aid to attend Berklee Co...

06/08/2025

Boston Conservatory Dancers Light Up Coldplay's Gillette Stadium Shows

Boston Conservatory Dancers Light Up Coldplay's Gillette Stadium Shows Fifteen commercial dance students and recent grads performed as planet operators ...

01/08/2025

Boston Conservatory Grads Costar with Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara for One Night Only

Boston Conservatory Grads Costar with Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara for One...

31/07/2025

Ozzy Osbourne Was Master of His Own Reality

Ozzy Osbourne Was Master of His Own Reality From being the founder of heavy metal to a foul-mouthed reality TV star, the Prince of Darkness built a legacy on ...

31/07/2025

Lucy Khadder Named 2025 Jimmy Lyons Scholarship Recipient

Lucy Khadder Named 2025 Jimmy Lyons Scholarship Recipient The valedictorian from the Oakland School for the Arts will perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in...

31/07/2025

Berklee Songwriters Win 2025 John Lennon Awards

Berklee Songwriters Win 2025 John Lennon Awards Chloe Southern BM '22 and student Julia Kirkwood honored by the BMI Foundation for standout original songs...

26/07/2025

Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association Celebrate First-Ever Concert at Brighton Music Hall

Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association Celebrate First-Ever Concert at Br...

25/07/2025

That Great Gretsch Sound: The Iconic Gear that Made Music History

That Great Gretsch Sound: The Iconic Gear that Made Music History From the Beatles on Ed Sullivan to jazz drumming evolution, Gretsch has been there. Listen t...

25/07/2025

Berklee Partners with Playing for Legacy for 2025 Summer Program

Berklee Partners with Playing for Legacy for 2025 Summer Program Students from around the world gain real-world music industry experience through hands-on art...

24/07/2025

Allison Miller Named the 2025-2026 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies

Allison Miller Named the 2025-2026 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar in Jazz Studies The three-time Jazz Journalists Association Drummer of the Year nominee will ...

23/07/2025

The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained

The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained Berklee faculty explain what you need to know about the now-confirmed AI band with over 1 million stream...

18/07/2025

Berklee Singers Wow the Competition on Netflixs Building the Band

Berklee Singers Wow the Competition on Netflixs Building the Band Netflixs new music competition show features two Berklee artists looking to make their pop b...

17/07/2025

Berklee Wins CASE Award for Standout Digital Campaign

Berklee Wins CASE Award for Standout Digital Campaign The Alumni Affairs team's Variations Signature Series earned recognition for offering an authentic p...

17/07/2025

Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2025 Emmy Awards

Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2025 Emmy Awards Twenty-seven Berklee alumni received nominations across categories in sound mixing, sound editing, and compositi...

11/07/2025

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...

03/07/2025

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Alpert Visiting Artist

Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...

02/07/2025

Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Education Accessible

Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Ed...

30/06/2025

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy. By Colette Greenstein June 30, 202...

27/06/2025

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora Joseph Capalbo BM '12 and Lyusi Simon BM '16 share how their collaboration spanned...

26/06/2025

Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74 Million in Financial Aid

Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74...

25/06/2025

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education A new report from the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and researcher Lara Pellegrinelli finds th...

25/06/2025

Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards

Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards The performance is part of Berklee's Summer in the City concert series. By Kelly Won...

19/06/2025

Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair

Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair The violinist, violist, vocalist, and Berklee professor is the first Black woman and youngest per...

18/06/2025

Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers

Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers Created by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainm...

13/06/2025

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz Association

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz A...

13/06/2025

On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release

On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release The Visitors, composed by Corea and performed by vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Kirill Gers...

11/06/2025

Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer

Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer Student dancers and musicians from Boston Conservatory at Berklee will debut a new work by choreographer K...

10/06/2025

Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts

Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey honored Gibson as the inaugural Poet Laureate for the state in...

10/06/2025

Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast

Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast Whether you head east or west, Berklee offers aspiring songwriters the chance to...

07/06/2025

Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art

Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art Ray Seol's cross-cultural production Another Season draws from personal grief...

05/06/2025

Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement

Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commence...

04/06/2025

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC A veteran arts and education leader, Becker brings a strategic vision for academic innovation and commun...

03/06/2025

Antonio Snchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Graduate Commencement

Antonio S nchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Gra...

03/06/2025

Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84

Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84 Alf Clausen '66 won two Emmys during his 26-year career on the iconic animated series. By Tara Bellu...

30/05/2025

How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts

How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts At Berklee's first AI and Music Innovation event, artists and educators explored how ar...

30/05/2025

The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls

The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls The producer whos worked with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Roots, and Common, joined a panel on camp...

23/05/2025

Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensive Program in Mexico City

Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensi...

23/05/2025

Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate

Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate Photographer Matthew Ryu shares a look at Berklees 2025 commencement from a graduates POV. By Ma...