south florida
Dr. Joan Cartwright Editor-in Chief
since 2007
www.wijsf.org
From the Editor If three is the charm, then this issue is magic! Throughout my career, I sang with the bass player. Kim Clarke was one of the first bassist I recorded with. That demo got me many gigs and we remain friends and colleagues in the world of Musicwomen. It is only fitting that Kim is featured in this issue about Women Who Pluck Strings. Among these gifted string players is Karen Briggs, a world-class violinist whom I met with Jazz in Pink led by our star contributor Gail Jhonson. I first encountered Karen in a YouTube concert as the Lady in Red with Yanni. I was rapt by her pizzazz! When she traveled to the Alabama Women in Jazz Festival, I had the privilege of meeting her, after a mesmerizing performance with Jazz in Pink. Each of the women featured in this issue has stardust on her dress tail. They have weathered the storm of the male-dominated music industry to emerge as sirens of hope and joy. The year of the pandemic, 2020 presented insurmountable challenges for people, worldwide. Musicians had to throw on their amazing technicolor dream coats and wave their wands to make music through Zoom, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Gayelynn McKinney’s suggestion that she has Tales from the Dusty Trail catapulted us into a column that will have a long-lasting shelf life in this publication. We will gather more of these anecdotes for future issues. Meanwhile, enjoy the short tales told by Radha Botofasina, Gayelynn, and me. Then, Lydia Harris’ Health Corner has tips on staying alive and well. I have no doubt that the 2021 issue will provide our readers with hours of discovery about some of the finest string instrumentalists in the country and the world. Enjoy the read and join us in our quest to promote women musicians, globally, by sharing Musicwoman Magazine with a friend. Sincerely,
Dr. Joan Cartwright Editor/Publisher
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