Meet Amy Rowe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Rowe.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started learning piano at age four and was classically trained through the age of 18 with Akiko Hasunuma. Learning piano and Japanese language were two things I was not allowed to quit until I graduated high school. There were many times I wanted to quit piano growing up, but after falling in love with jazz, I could never imagine quitting. It was 2007 when I heard about the passing of Oscar Peterson and that urged me to listen to his music. I listened to his album Night Train and fell in love with the sixth track “Easy Does It.”

I went to Citrus College in 2007 and started my transition from classical to jazz. That was a very difficult transition, but in hindsight, learning jazz made me understand classical music better. I joined the ensembles at school and studied with my first jazz piano instructor, Joe Bagg. I was introduced to a lot of jazz recordings and also fell in love with the song “Celia” by Bud Powell. Through an experience of rebirth in 2008, it became clear to me that I must pursue jazz to fulfill my purpose in this lifetime.

I completed my undergraduate music studies at Cal State Long Beach. When I transferred to Cal State Long Beach, I was so new to jazz and didn’t pass the audition to be a jazz major. That was probably a good thing because it pushed me to learn independently outside of the institutional program. I accidentally missed my college graduation because I missed the last flight home after performing at the Emerging Artist Showcase for the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 2011. I remember trying to finish writing my thesis (on women in jazz) the night before flying out to D.C. I barely got any sleep and while rushing to pack in the morning, I realized I didn’t have a suitcase. I ended up throwing my clothes in a trash bag and checked that in for my flight. I’ll never forget arriving in Washing D.C. for the first time with a trash bag full of clothes to play at the Kennedy Center. (I have always made sure to have a suitcase on hand since then).

Between the years of undergrad and grad school, I had suffered the pain of tendonitis and carpal tunnel in my wrists from playing piano. It was significantly getting worse until I couldn’t play for more than 30 minutes without being in pain. It was around 2014 at its worst state, and I was devastated at the thought of having to give up playing due to the physical pain. I thought my music career was over. It was through regular chiropractic adjusting and yoga that I was able to revert the symptoms; that process took about two years until I was no longer in constant pain. Since then, I have completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training in Vinyasa Flow and 300-hour in Yoga Therapy. This has transformed my life into being in touch with my mind, body, and spirit and keeping my body/muscles balanced so I can play piano without injuring myself over the long term. I can now play for hours without any pain in my wrists; it feels like a miracle!

I promised myself during undergrad that I would not go back to school to do my master’s unless I got a full scholarship. It seemed like an unlikely thing to happen, so I was not planning on going back to school. After my undergrad, I learned more about being a musician in one year in the real world than I did in four years in school. I studied with Tamir Hendelman for a handful of years and am lucky to also have had musical guidance from Jeff Hamilton and Benny Green over the years. It was during this time that I was out performing when I was offered the opportunity to do my master’s under a full scholarship at Azusa Pacific University. Well, I guess unlikely things can happen, so I completed my master’s in 2016.

I participated in as much as I could with jazz-related programs, competitions, jam sessions, performances, and attending concerts. All of these things helped me grow in different ways. Musically, I would not have been able to learn the intricacies of being a musician and bandleader without my mentors. They have given me the courage to pursue my passion and the support to keep at it. Being a late bloomer to jazz has allowed me to come into it with more life experiences to express through music. I released Be, my debut trio album of original compositions, in the fall of 2022. The album features Ahmet Türkmenoğlu on bass and Christian Euman on drums. This is just the beginning of my body of work, and I am excited to see where this journey of music will lead me.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth a lot of the way, but these challenges have made me a stronger person. The main struggle was the actual transition between genres- classical to jazz. Learning how to read chord charts and improvising was a big challenge; I was only used to reading music that was printed on a page. It takes a long time to learn a language, let alone become proficient.

A major obstacle that I dealt with was the physical aspect of playing an instrument and overcoming tendonitis & carpal tunnel.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a musician and specialize in jazz piano. I also teach at Cypress College and Pasadena Conservatory, as well as my private studio. As a musician, I perform regularly in different groups as well as a record for various projects. I also arrange and compose, but I mainly only do that for my own music. I am most proud of my recent debut album called Be, which is my first trio album of original compositions. I think what sets me apart from others is my versatility in music and in life. Although my specialty is in jazz, I can play in different styles and have the skills to compose, arrange, and perform… and cook a damn good meal!

I think another thing that sets me apart from others is my secondary passion- health & wellness. It was through my journey of recovering from tendonitis & carpal tunnel that I realized how important health is for a working musician. I prefer to take a ‘whole’ approach to my playing and teaching, which is inspired from my practice in yoga. It’s not only about the mind, body, or spirit, but rather, the balance of all three. I completed my 500-hour yoga teacher training and teach ‘Yoga for Musicians’ on the side, a project I created to bring wellness to the music community. This caters to musicians and is specific to instrument since every instrument deals with a different set of physical issues. In addition, I also completed a certification in nutrition in 2022. I strive for my music to be a reflection of who I am and who I continue to evolve into. There’s a lot of depth to being a human on earth. People often ask me how I am so happy all the time; the truth is that my happiness is as deep as my sorrow but I’m grateful to be able to pursue my passion and experience the adventures of life.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
This is an interesting question. Over the next 5-10 years, I see the industry of jazz itself being similar to how it’s been the last 10 years. Musically, I think there will continue to be big shifts, changes, and trends depending on the musicians that are coming up. That will change depending on what is considered popular music at the time and how that reflects in the music. I am curious to see how the musicians I know today will continue to evolve; that has been a very interesting thing to observe in my peers. For jazz, I think there will eventually be more female musicians.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amyrowemusic.com
• Instagram: @amyrowemusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyrowemusic/

Image Credits
Eric McQuesten Roy Kim