In my Fall 2020 semester at Berklee College of Music, I had the privilege of being a part of the horn section in a Berklee Performance Center (BPC) Performance by Dreion, an upcoming artist and alumni from Berklee. This performance was my first opportunity to experience the real-life/behind-the-scenes aspect of a BPC show and the ins and outs of what it is like to participate in a huge production put on for a large audience.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I grew up in a Jamaican Christian household on a diet of Sunday morning church services. My first instrument was the bongo drums which I learned while in school at Portmore Missionary Prep School in Portmore, St. Catherine, Jamaica. After moving to Connecticut in the United States at the age of 6, I then began to play the recorder in the 2nd grade, the viola in the 3rd grade, and finally the alto saxophone in the 4th grade of elementary school.My high school experience at Robert E. Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut was the beginning of my choice to fulfill music on a serious level. I became dedicated to my saxophone practicing by committing myself to my school jazz band, concert band, and marching band. I also got involved with the local eastern regional jazz and concert band competition as well as the Connecticut all-state jazz and concert band competition each year.
These commitments strengthened my attitude towards the saxophone and gave me a sense of pride and motivation to fulfill my musical craft beyond high school. After graduating from Fitch High School in 2017, I went on to pursue a Music Education degree at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. During my first year at Gordon, I quickly came to the realization that being trapped in a solely classical music department at a predominantly white Christian school was not the path for me and my music.
Being the only Black person and only Black woman saxophonist in all of my classes and my entire woodwind department also was not the greatest. I made the personal decision to apply to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts to create for myself a broader opportunity to explore my musicianship at a much higher level.
Thankfully, in 2019, I got accepted and in 2021 was able to successfully complete a 4-year Bachelors's degree in Professional Music with focuses on Music Performance, Music Production, and Music Education in the time span of 2 years! After my education at Berklee, I’ve still realized that Black representation and Black woman representation is not the best, especially in my field.
My hope now, as a recent graduate and young Black woman saxophonist navigating the music industry, is to continue to develop my artistry and utilize my craft to pave a pathway for upcoming young Black girls in my field.
2. When and how did you realize your passion for music?
I was raised in a musical household. Almost all of my family members are musicians, including extended family. My dad is a pianist, bassist, guitar player, singer, choir director, and more. My mom is a vocalist who studied professional voice training while younger, my older sister is a singer, and my younger sister does it all including clarinet, piano, marimba, bass, and more!
My grandpa is also a musician. He is a singer and he plays the piano as well as the guitar. I’d like to say that my passion for music is very genetic! I strongly believe that my strong love for music was passed down to me from the Stanberry generation before me.
3. What fascinates you about a saxophone?
The saxophone is an instrument that carries a tone that is extremely similar to the voice. I absolutely love my ability to navigate the saxophone the same way I navigate my vocals.
One of my favorite things to do is practice playing what I can sing, whether it is a melodic idea or a riff. I also love the unique timbre of the saxophone. When played professionally, with perfect intonation, timbre, and tone, the addition of a saxophone improvisational line to any piece almost always melts my heart.
4. Which has been your most memorable performance to date?
In my Fall 2020 semester at Berklee College of Music, I had the privilege of being a part of the horn section in a Berklee Performance Center (BPC) Performance by Dreion, an upcoming artist and alumni from Berklee. This performance was my first opportunity to experience the real-life/behind-the-scenes aspect of a BPC show and the ins and outs of what it is like to participate in a huge production put on for a large audience.
I got to work alongside grammy-nominated Tia Fuller as well as other incredible musicians and dancers from Berklee and the Boston Conservatory. This experience was memorable to me because it pushed me past my comfort zone, and challenged me to become a version of myself that I never imaged becoming.
I grew musically, I learned about the backstage experience and stage presence, and I became extremely inspired to want to step on a stage like that again in the future. This performance was truly the highlight of my experience at Berklee College of Music and it is my inspiration to recreate something similar for myself in the near future.
5. What would you advise aspiring jazz musicians?
My advice to aspiring jazz musicians would be to never stop seeking your own voice. Oftentimes, studying jazz can become overwhelming because we convince ourselves that we must sound like the next sonny Rollins or the next Jacob collier, but I have found it to be extremely empowering to want to sound like myself.
Combining the language that I have gained from studying various jazz artists and utilizing it to develop my own unique sound, language, vocabulary, and phrasing on the saxophone has given me my own voice and my own messages to share through my instrument.
Jazz as a genre is created to share stories, express feelings and emotions, and define the human experience. So, the best way for you as a jazz artist or aspiring jazz musician to communicate effectively to your audience is to find out what those messages sound like from your perspective, musically, and choose to produce them wholeheartedly through your instrument.
6. Which musician do you admire the most and why?
Temilayo Abodunrin, an 11-year-old Nigerian saxophonist, is the musician I admire the most! I have the privilege of being Temilayo’s mentor. We met on Instagram in 2018 and ever since, we have created a beautiful sisterhood bond that I cherish with my whole heart.
Temilayo is a young Black girl saxophonist who exemplifies resilience, beauty, and courage through her musicianship and her personality. She inspires me every single day to be confident in who I am, to be fearless in my playing, and to be unapologetically myself.
Temilayo is the perfect example of the phrase “age is only a number.” Age does not define Temilayo’s intelligence or maturity, and it surely does not define her incredible talent on the saxophone. Temilayo inspires me to reach higher than the stars and to chase my musical goals with all of my heart because she never fails to do just that.
22-year-old Ariana Stanberry is a well-rounded Jazz & Gospel Alto Saxophonist and recent alumni of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA where she studied Professional Music with focuses in Music Performance, Music Production, and Music Education. While at Berklee, Ariana held several leadership roles including President of the Students of Caribbean Ancestry Club and Vice President of the Black Student Union.
Ariana also performed in various performances and shows with professional musicians and artists in New England, USA. Some of Ariana's accomplishments include Best Overall Soloist at the Waterford Jazz Festival, Outstanding Musician at the Berklee Jazz Festival, and Outstanding Musician & Best Soloist at the Manchester Jazz Festival. Ariana aspires to pave a way for young Black women in the woodwind music world by advocating for women's rights and equality through her artistry and her musicianship.
Interviewed By - Aliza Hussain
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