Tia Fuller has toured the world in Beyonc 's band, performed a concert for President Barack Obama at the White House, and appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, and at the Grammy Awards. But the Berklee professor says that none of that made her as nervous as playing for her latest gig.
Fuller is the saxophonist behind the music of Dorothea Willams, a character in Pixar's new film, Soul. The character, voiced by the legendary actress Angela Bassett, is a renowned musician who leads a jazz quartet. The film, which also stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, and Daveed Diggs, tells the story of a band teacher who becomes separated from his body, then finds himself in the Great Before, a world where souls get their personalities before coming to Earth.
Soul will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ starting Friday, December 25. We recently talked to Fuller about her role in the new film. Edited excerpts from the conversion are below.
How did you get this gig? I received a call that Pixar was looking for a woman to play the saxophone for the animated movie that was coming out. I then spoke to the director at Pixar about details, and she told me that this character is a Black woman who is a powerhouse and top jazz saxophonist in New York that every musician wants to play with.
I had another performance that I had committed to at Princeton University the same weekend of the Pixar taping. But, luckily, I was able to switch it around (thanks for your flexibility, Rudresh Mahanthappa).
What does it mean to you to be the sound of Dorothea Williams music, and to be involved in this film? I am so humbled and honored to be the sound for Dorothea Williams. First off, as a Black woman, I recognize that I am standing on the shoulders of those Black women who have come before-in history and in her-story of jazz music. Black female instrumentalists who have helped shape, mold, and define what we know as jazz today, such as: Mary Lou Williams, Viola Vi Burnside, Elvira Vi Redd, Ernestine Tiny Davis, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Clora Bryant, and the list goes on and on.
Children will now grow up to see that it's not taboo to see a Black woman play the saxophone...and that jazz...is as cool as the popular music of today.
-Tia Fuller
To be the saxophonist for a Black woman in this film is to say that representation is imperative-that diversity and inclusivity amount to deconstructing marginalizing views and reconstructing a more accurate account of our strength and influence in society and music.
With this film, children will now grow up to see that it's not taboo to see a Black woman play the saxophone, or an Asian woman play the bass or trombone, and that jazz is deeply embedded into the fabric of our music history and is as cool as the popular music of today. It will also reacquaint our children with musical instruments and the importance of live music, since many schools have eliminated music programs.
When I travelled to L.A. to record for this film, Pixar hadnt yet decided who was going to be the voice of Dorothea Williams. Ironically enough, I had a chance to meet Angela Bassett on the red carpet at Clive Davis's Grammy Party in 2019. I was excited to later find out that she was the voice for Dorothea Williams, the quintessential image for a voice for a powerful and regal character. What an honor!
Is this your first role in an animated feature? What were some of the most challenging and surprising aspects of the experience? This was my first time performing in an animated film, and, to be completely transparent, of all of the playing situations that I have been in, I was most nervous about this one. You walk into your recording booth knowing that whatever you played was representing a voice for a Pixar film. And, not only was I recording with the great Roy Haynes, Jon Batiste, Linda Oh, Marcus Gilmore, but there was a room of Pixar directors listening to every note that we played to shape this movie.
One of the most surprising elements of this recording was seeing how Pixar are masters of minutia, purpose, and patience. Upon stepping into the studio, the team was so warm and inviting. As I was setting up my horn, they came in and were setting up the microphone and video cameras. One video camera on my face and body and another on my fingers. They said that they were videotaping my actual fingerings, so that the animated character will play the exact same fingerings. They did this with every single instrument in the studio, and it's amazing to see the end result.
Something else that caught me by surprise is that Pixar changed Dorothea's character and saxophone to emulate my image. Initially, they had a brown-skinned Black woman with a high bun and a bandana playing the tenor. But upon seeing the trailers, I saw the character shift to a darker-skinned mid-sized Black woman, with mid-length curly hair (how I had my hair at the time), playing an alto saxophone with a Vandoren mouthpiece and ligature. They were impeccable with details of all our body movements and motions.
It's extraordinary to know that Pixar had a diverse committee of Black artists and consultants to help construct the authentic cultural narrative of Soul. I want to thank the entire team, which included my good friend, Berklee's own Terri Lyne Carrington, as well as Herbie Hancock, Questlove, and Dr. Johnnetta Cole, the former president of Spelman College, my alma mater, to name a few.
Related categories:
News
Related Reading
Alum Notes: Spring 2020 The most recent news from your classmates.
Berklee Announces Spring 2020 Signature Series This semesters concerts highlight pop with a twist, along with the music of the African diaspora, the Middle East, and more.
Ganz , Dizi, or Sitar Thoughtfully incorporating the music and in
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Tia Fuller has toured the world in Beyonc 's band, performed a concert for President Barack Obama at the White House, and appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, and at the Grammy Awards. But the Berklee professor says that none of that made her as nervous as playing for her latest gig.
