Latest news with #GirlTalk
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Philadelphia jazz singer reclaims the mic with new lyrics and a modern message
Meet Lora Sherrodd: the jazz musician putting a fresh spin on an old genre Meet Lora Sherrodd: the jazz musician putting a fresh spin on an old genre Meet Lora Sherrodd: the jazz musician putting a fresh spin on an old genre This Jazz Appreciation Month, a Philadelphia jazz artist is putting a fresh spin on an old genre — using her lyrics to speak directly to today's women. Singer, composer and arranger Lora Sherrodd is currently crowdfunding for the 2026 release of her jazz album, "The Boss," which reimagines jazz through a modern, female perspective. While sticking to the traditional musical structure of jazz, Sherrodd writes entirely original lyrics — ones she says reflect her own life and the lives of women she knows. "I fell in love with jazz really young," Sherrodd said. "I was 12 when my mom was in a swing band — I would go to her rehearsals." Sherrodd grew up watching her mom play bass, and she later studied jazz professionally in college and graduate studies. But even as her musical skills developed, she says she didn't always have the tools to tell her own stories on stage. "Most of the music that we sing in jazz is written by men, from a male perspective," Sherrodd said. "Even songs about love are written from a male gaze." Much of the jazz vocal canon includes songs about longing for male affection or lyrics Sherrodd finds outdated — like the 1960s tune "Girl Talk," which describes women chatting about dresses, hair, and men, with lines like, "The weaker sex, the speaker sex, we mortal males, behold." "For me, I don't really connect to the lyrics, so it's not something I want to be a part of my set," she said. Instead, she began writing her own songs — including the empowering title track, "The Boss," inspired by the Girl Scouts' "Ban Bossy" campaign. Cody Cooper "At the time, I was the only woman in my jazz program, and that feeling is always there — am I being bossy, or am I just running rehearsal?" Sherrodd said. Another track, "Une femme d'un certain âge" (French for "A woman of a certain age," a term used to describe older women) is a love letter to getting older, with lyrics like: "Pepper and salt don't only season a plate... I can't wait to be a woman of a certain age..." In "Twenty-Something," she tackles the pressures placed on young women. "They keep on asking me questions… when will you marry, have some kids…go start a family..." Across all nine tracks, Sherrodd keeps the swing, harmony and form of jazz intact — but rewrites the message. "We're still swinging, we've still got the harmony, we've still got the forms," she said. "I love the genre. And that's why I want to make it relatable." Jonathan Lane Sherrodd is currently crowdfunding the album, which she hopes to release in 2026. Her message to jazz fans — and to the genre itself? "I'm the boss." Sherrodd's fundraising concert takes place Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Black Squirrel Club in Fishtown.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Clay-Chalkville teachers spreading word about Teen Violence Dating Month
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Clay-Chalkville High School teachers Emily Florence and Caitlyn Buie are starting the conversation about teen dating violence in hopes to prevent it with the 'Girl Talk' organization. 'Girls they just really don't know where to start their relationship. They're looking to each other, and that's not really great guidelines, looking at different teenagers with relationship advice, so getting the conversation started with an adult is very important for them,' said Florence. Florence and Buie addressed the topic among students during a school assembly, inviting former Birmingham Police Chief Annetta Nunn to also be a part of the conversation as she has worked alongside victims. 'This was formerly what I did when I worked with a domestic violence organization, and it's important because we know that this type of behavior, it begins usually between the age of 12 and 18, and as we ask those young people at the beginning of class, we asked them, 'How do you learn about what is involved in dating, what do you look for in dating,' and often there is no instruction,' said Nunn. Nunn said that instruction starts with awareness. According to research from the Love and Respect Organization, one in three teens will experience abuse of some kind in a relationship. Knowing the signs is the first step of getting help. 'Someone who does not respect you, you're afraid of them, it's like you're walking on eggshells,' said Nunn. With teens as the target audience, Florence and Buie said they hope to keep the conversation going, not just at Clay-Chalkville, but also at other schools. They say they're already hearing the discussions in the hallways. 'As a female teacher here, you see a lot of needs here within our girls, so we just thought that a Girl Talk organization would be super beneficial for our girls here,' said Buie. 'It definitely makes me feel good. It makes me feel good that the students are now more knowledgeable and can now look for those signs when they're in those types of relationships.' If you or anyone you know is in an abusive relationship, call the Birmingham YWCA's 24-Hour Crisis Line at 205-322-4878. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
