Meet Hannah Dexter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Dexter.

Hannah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My family was always full of live music. Studying instruments was a pastime that every member devoted themselves to. I was the youngest, and looking for an instrument that wasn’t already played in our house. My parents say I always gravitated toward the low end of any recording; singing the roots or bass lines instead of the melody.

At my sister’s high school jazz band concert, I saw an upright bass for the first time and thought that it was pure cool. It took a few years for me to learn what the instrument was called, but once I got my hands on one, we were inseparable.

I got serious about music when I realized people would invite you all over the world if you were good enough. I used to skip school to practice and take gigs. I’m always studying and seeking musical mentors. I use my bass as a ticket into new communities and global adventures. It also serves as an affordable time machine into America’s great and diverse cultural history.

Has it been a smooth road?
Being a female instrumentalist in the predominantly male jazz world, I am often subject to ridicule, backhanded compliments, sexualized remarks, or I am dismissed before I have a chance to share my musical talent. There are no human resources in the freelance field, so I often feel alone with my workplace hazards.

Just last month, a club booker made “jokes” about how easy it’d be for him to murder a woman in my dressing room, and there was no one I could talk to. It is incredibly taxing and humiliating, along with all the other elements that make being an artist in this age difficult.

My career and my gender identity are constantly fighting for balance and respect from each other. But the chance to play bass and create magic is what keeps me showing up. I think of my heroes up in Jazz Lady Heaven, and they’ve been through much worse. They’re drinking schnapps and cheering us on.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
First and foremost, I play upright and electric bass. I specialize in jazz but use that knowledge as a jumping off point for any musical style that welcomes a strong and distinctive low end. I write my own music, for bass and voice, that breaks the sonic spectrum to its purest forms; high and low. I compose music for films and theater. I teach. I volunteer with my music, putting it places people forget about. I’m most proud that I have not stopped playing music!

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
I love the circles the birds trace in the sky, the wind from the ocean, the diversity of everyone and everything, the ideal biking weather, the affordable produce, the perfect sunsets, day after day.

I’m tired of the racism, inequality, charter and private schools, toast and car culture, rideshare apps, and people who pretend not to know we have a strong subway system. It’s really quite good.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/hannahrosedexter/

Image Credit:
Richard Michael Johnson and John Sanchez

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