DOUBLE BASS DAY
Our first ever Double Bass Day took place on 1st June 2025 in partnership with the Royal College of Music Sparks Department and we had a whopping 16 young musicians, 3 tutors, and 4 RCM student helpers! It was a joyful day of ensemble music making, learning about how to take care of your body as a double bass player, a discussion about careers and studying music, and a mini-concert at the end of the day which featured the junior and senior groups, the RCM students, and tutor Rosie performing an original piece complete with spoken work and percussive bass playing.
ADVOCACY
Roundtable Discussion
We hosted a roundtable discussion at Wigmore Hall where we presented current data on the gender divide in UK orchestras and conservatoires, discussed the nuanced issues female instrumentalists face, and talked about what more can be done moving forward.
Click below to download a pdf of the data slides and a summary of the event.
February 2024
THREE IN A BAR
PODCAST
Letty and Beth spoke to Seb Philpott and Verity Simmons from Three In A Bar about all things GALSI, the freelancing life, and of course, plumbing.
8 March, 2022
BOLD AS BRASS
PODCAST
Beth and Letty spoke to Melissa Brown from the Bold As Brass podcast about GALSI's origins, championing women, and dream projects.
April 2022
MTA podcast
Rebecca and Letty spoke to Patrick from the Music Teachers' Association Podcast about the need for GALSI and what can be done to support school-aged students.
Jan 2023
ABO PANEL
Letty and Beth led a panel discussion on gender imbalance in brass and percussion at the Association of British Orchestras Annual Conference
Feb 2022
LATE NIGHT JAZZ
GALSI x Laura Impallomeni in the Elgar Room
at the Royal Albert Hall
For our second collaboration event with the RAH's Late Night Jazz Series we invited jazz trombonist Laura Impallomeni and her quintet. They played Laura's brilliant and interesting compositions and Laura chatted to us about her unconventional career path into jazz.
Jan 2024
GALSI x Colectiva in the Elgar Room
at the Royal Albert Hall
The wonderful team behind the Royal Albert Hall's Late Night Jazz series asked us to curate an evening celebrating gender inclusivity in jazz and we invited the formidable, all-female and non-binary Latin/Jazz band Colectiva who absolutely tore it up and answered our and audience questions with such thoughtfulness and candor. The night was rounded off with a DJ set from the amazing Guinny.
May 2023
GALSI x Musicians' Union
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Together with the MU's EDI Committee, we held meet-ups in London and Manchester for women and non-binary people in brass, percussion, double bass and/or any instrument in which artists are a gender minority. They were informal socials where musicians could meet new people, see friends, and make connections, and a member of the MU's EDI Committee spoke about the work they are doing in this area.
July 2024, and March 2025
NEWS
Founder Beth Higham-Edwards received the Guildhall Future Funds award for GALSI to workshop and establish its first project:
two workshop days for young female and non-binary percussion and brass players, aged 8 - 19.
Watch this space . . .
Feb 2022
GUILDHALL FUTURE FUNDS AWARD 2021
GALSI LAUNCH
November 22nd, 6-8pm
Royal Overseas League, Overseas House, London
Our launch featured performances and thoughts from Imogen Whitehead, Jane Salmon, Rosie Bergonzi and Elaine So, panel discussions led by Beth Higham-Edwards and Letty Stott and a special guest performance from trombonist Helen Vollam.