The Unladylike Big Band was formed in 2023 out of a desire to see more female and non-gender conforming musicians represented in the jazz community. Unfortunately, there is still a huge disparity in the ratios of male to female/ngc in Australia and the rest of the world with only a small percentage of instrumentalists who are non-men. 

Through advocacy and projects such as The Unladylike Lab (a 2025 series of workshops and performances for high school students) and the Un-Young-Ladylike Big Band, UBB hopes to encourage and inspire a new generation of jazz musicians to explore the genre, develop improvisational skills, gain performance confidence and grow a love of jazz as a vehicle for self-expression.

About the project 

The Un-Young-Ladylike Big Band project invites high school girls and gender non-conforming students from around Southeast Queensland to come together for three rehearsals at the Brisbane Jazz Club in September and October with mentors Cassie Whitehead (saxophonist and founder of the UBB) and Kellee Green (pianist and winner of the 2025 Jazz category at the Queensland Music Awards). The project will culminate in a performance supporting the Unladylike Big Band at the 2026 Brisbane International Jazz Festival. 

Students will learn and rehearse jazz standards in a big band setting and work on improvising skills. Repertoire will be chosen and arranged based on the experience level of students that apply. 

Who should apply? 

We encourage students who have been playing their instrument for three or more years to register. Students should be comfortable reading music and have time during the rehearsal period to practise their parts between rehearsals, as rehearsals will be mostly spent working on ensemble skills such as blending, intonation and stylistic techniques rather than only learning notes. 

Traditional big band instruments are saxophone (all kinds), trombone, trumpet and rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). If you play another instrument but would like to be involved, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. 

How do I apply? 

Please click here to register your details. (link to a Google form) You will also need to submit a video of yourself playing your instrument. While this might seem a little scary, it’s important for us to hear the level that you are at on your instrument so that we can choose pieces that will suit the people in the band. 

Here is what you need to do. 

• Record your video. 

• Introduce yourself. Tell us your name and instrument, as well as how long you’ve been playing for and any other experience that might be useful for us to know (e.g. if you’re in any ensembles at school or elsewhere, any exams that you’ve done, etc.) 

• Record a short (1 – 1½ minutes) video of yourself playing a piece or part of a piece that is at your current level. This should be something you’ve been working on recently and be able to demonstrate your musical skill. It could be something you’re playing for an exam, something you’re playing in an ensemble or something you’re learning for fun. We recommend asking your teacher to suggest what to record. It doesn’t need to be a jazz piece. 

• Send an email to kelleegreenmusic@gmail.com with the video, either as an attachment or a link to download the video. Please include your parent/s as a cc in the email. 

• Video submissions are due by Friday September 4. 

What next? 

On or around Monday September 7 you’ll receive your music for the big band pieces. This will include the sheet music and recordings to listen to. 

It’s important that you practice your parts before the first rehearsal and take the music to your teacher for them to help you if you need it. 

Rehearsals 

The Monday rehearsals will be held at the Brisbane Jazz Club (Annie Street, Kangaroo Point). The Sunday rehearsal venue will be confirmed soon. 

• Monday September 14 – 5.00-7.00pm 

• Monday September 21 – 5.00-7.00pm 

• Sunday October 11 – 4.30-6.00pm 

Immediately after the last rehearsal, the Unladylike Big Band will be rehearsing and students are invited to sit in on the open rehearsal. This will be a great opportunity to hear professional jazz musicians and see how an experienced ensemble rehearses. 

Performance 

The performance of the Un-Young-Ladylike Big Band will be on Monday October 12 at the Brisbane Powerhouse, supporting the Unladylike Big Band at their Brisbane International Jazz Festival gig.  

Any questions? 

Feel free to contact us (kelleegreenmusic@gmail.com) for questions or more information. 

We can’t wait to work with you! 

Cassie and Kellee