Breaking the Brass Ceiling: An Oral History of Professional Women Brass Players

This documentation of pioneer women in brass is critical to write into history because their achievements cultivated a more inclusive professional music world. In their careers, the women in this study became the first to secure what are traditionally considered masculine positions. To collect their oral histories, the four women were interviewed in-person. These pioneer women are Carole Dawn Reinhart, Marie Speziale, Jan Duga, and Laura Lineberger. Each of these women had something that kept them pushing the boundaries and eventually breaking through, for some it was primarily the influence of their parents, for others, it was the joy of brass bands and performing on their instruments. While their stories align in many ways, their experiences differ greatly. Reinhart, one of the most prominent trumpet soloists of her time, was heavily influenced by her mother. Lineberger fell in love with the brass bands and subsequently, she became the first woman to play the euphonium in the United States Army Band. Jan Duga has been the only woman to play tuba for the United States Air Force Band and was heavily influenced by her father, a tuba professor. Speziale was the first woman to play the trumpet for a major symphony orchestra as associate principal. Their interviews give us insight into what it took to break the boundaries in the brass world and how their influence has allowed other women to follow their lead