Who We Are
Founded in 2023 by Catie Hickey, Brass Beyond NFP is a network of music professionals committed to the artistic growth of pre-professional female and gender expansive students.
What We Do
Our programming focuses on reaching musicians through a network of educational opportunity. Now in its third year, the Windy City Trombone Retreat hosts collegiate students from across North America for four days of ensemble playing, workshops, and mentorship. A highlight of the retreat, the gender friendly Jazz Jam provides an opportunity for young jazz musicians to play tunes with an all-femme house rhythm section.
Where We Are Going
With a seed grant from the Paul R. Judy Center, we are expanding our outreach to serve high school students through the statewide Side by Side project. This event will feature clinics by female and gender expansive professionals and a mass brass ensemble performing arrangements designed for differentiated instruction. We also aim to expand our summer retreat programming in future years to serve other brass instruments including tuba, euphonium, horn and trumpet.
Our Team
Catie Hickey
Catie Hickey (she/her) is a trombonist, educator and arts advocate based in Chicago. Committed to expanding the role of the 21st century musician, she is the founder of Brass Beyond NFP, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for female and gender expansive brass musicians through workshops and performance. An in-demand educator, Ms. Hickey currently serves on the faculties of Loyola, DePaul, and North Park Universities.
As a performer, Catie's professional experience spans almost every situation where a trombone can be welcomed. Catie gained her road chops touring with the Foothills Brass Quintet from 2010-2013 (ask her about Saskatchewan). Putting her master's degree to work, she has performed with the symphonies of Calgary, St. Louis, Rochester, and Culiacan, Mexico. At home in the Midwest, she performs in theater pits throughout the Chicago area with the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208, and with her Southeast Asian brass band Butter Chicken. In addition to co-founding Taller de Trombones Panama, Catie is a frequent guest of Trombonanza, Urubrass and many other brass workshops in Latin America. She is a graduate of Eastman School of Music (Bachelor of Music, Jazz and Contemporary Media/Applied Trombone) and Rice University (Master of Music, Trombone Performance).