In the fall of 1979 she entered Berklee, where her student peers included future bright lights like jazz artists Branford Marsalis ’80 ’06H and Terri Lyne Carrington BM ’83 ’03H, and soon-to-be rock stars Steve Vai ’79 ’00H and Aimee Mann ’80. Hammonds chose to major in film scoring, inspired by the music of Quincy Jones ’51 '83H, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams ’80H. “I was part of the first class in that major,” she says. “I wanted to learn all about writ- ing music, hoping to become the female version of Quincy.” In 1983, Hammonds became the first Black woman to earn a Berklee film scoring degree. After graduation, she remained in Boston, singing with a local wedding band and temping as an office worker. While taking the train to New York City periodically for voice lessons, she would read the newspaper, and on one trip she spotted an ad for an administrator job at the preeminent Nor- by Walters’ talent agency. Desiring to dive into the New York music scene, Hammonds interviewed, got the position, and moved to New York. “The agency was booking Patti LaBelle [’96H], Luther Vandross, Tiffany, New Kids on the Block, and many others,” she says. “I was booking gigs, interacting with man- agers, and learning a lot about the music business.” At night, she gigged extensively, frequently appear- ing at jazz clubs such as Birdland and the Blue Note. After self-releasing her debut album, she inked her first contract with J-Curve Records. Since 1995, she has released eight albums and has recorded with jazz luminaries including Ron Carter ’05H, Dave Li- ebman, Stanley Cowell, Andrew Hill ’07H, and for- mer classmate Branford Marsalis. She also turned her attention to nonprofit arts cultural work in the city. With a like-minded friend, she launched the Harmony Program to provide free instruments and Saturday lessons to elementary school students in the five boroughs. In addition to working in the city, Hammonds did runouts for concerts and master classes. After an engagement at North Carolina Central University, an HBCU (his- torically Black college or university), Dr. Ira Wiggins, NCCU’s director of jazz studies, inquired about her interest in joining the faculty to develop their vocal jazz department. Not wanting to leave New York, she declined the offer for a full-time post, but ac- cepted a part-time position, to which she commut- ed from the city. That job would prove life-changing. “The first time I went into the orchestra room, I looked at the concert band and saw about 100 Black and Brown kids,” she says. “I’d never seen that many students of color with instruments in their hands. I cried and thought maybe this was the next thing I could do to impact the lives of young peo- ple. I thought that perhaps it was time for me to shift from New York to North Carolina. When the winds of change start blowing, you have to stop and listen. I really believe that your path is purposed, and you need to go where the path is leading.” Hammonds followed that path to NCCU, ultimately becoming a full-time professor and meeting her future husband, Fred Hammonds.
She was extraordinarily productive throughout her years at NCCU. She carved out time to complete master’s degree studies in jazz performance and voice at East Carolina University, and later earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in music educa- tion through an online program at Boston Universi- ty. Hammonds also received grants to support her composing, undertook residencies and fellowships (including two Fulbrights), and was celebrated at the 2022 Jazz Music Awards with the inaugural Jazz Educator Award. Additionally, she filled leadership roles in the Jazz Education Network, Jazz Vocal Ad- visory Board for Juilliard Jazz, and more. She also penned the score for the 2023 film The Problem of the Hero and continued making albums. Her ninth album, The Sistering , was released in March. Now Hammonds is fully engaged in applying her hard-won knowledge to Berklee’s Professional Education Division, where she has started unfold- ing her vision. “My goal is to have students think dif- ferently about this division,” Hammonds says. “We don’t want them to think the courses we teach are just requirements to get through. I want them to see what we offer here as part of the main course.” She advocates for students gaining a compre- hensive view of everything a music career entails— much as her own life experience has given her. “A musician’s income rests on four pillars: performing, recording, publishing, and intellectual property/ merchandising,” she says. “The degrees offered at Berklee bring opportunities to earn money through all of these. Adjacent to what students learn in their major, they must understand how to be a freelancer, run their business, protect their intellectual proper- ty, and expect that they will teach at some point in their careers—even if it’s from the stage. Educators are in a climate now where people outside the per- forming arts are stressing that artists need a plan B. I’m wholly against that idea. Artists need their plan A to be the focus. The Professional Education Divi- sion holds the key to that.”
Hammonds works with instrumental and vocal combos each summer at the Jazz Institute at Brevard in North Carolina.
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