The Challenges and Advantages of the Female Self-Accompanied Jazz Pianist/Vocalist with Kristin Sponcia

This research explores the practical and performance challenges and advantages of jazz singing and improvising in two contrasting contexts: vocalists accompanied by a separate piano player and rhythm section versus self-accompanied jazz vocalists in a solo or rhythm section setting. In each of these contexts, there are inherent challenges and advantages that affect the musical performance. I have issued a questionnaire to nineteen women who fit the description of my research parameters. Their answers plus my own personal accounts of specific challenges and advantages of singing jazz while self-accompanying on piano are discussed. Also discussed are the challenges and advantages of singing with another pianist and with a piano trio. Most of the women identified as a pianist first, vocalist second (P/V), or a vocalist first, pianist second (V/P), which may or may not have influenced what they perceive to be a challenge or an advantage in a certain scenario.