A woman in jazz
Conversation with a newcomer to Latvia: Volha Zaharova on musical reality in neighboring countries and her journey to Latvia
Last winter, I noticed an interesting lady on social media who invited me to be friends on Facebook. She caught my attention because she played a large saxophone very well (no sarcasm here; it’s just a rare occurrence in Latvia). I didn’t recognize her, so I started investigating who she was. She moved to Latvia two years ago and was looking for like-minded people, other jazz musicians. Some time passed, and I decided it would be interesting to meet her. It’s always interesting to meet new musicians, and seeing a woman with a baritone saxophone is quite unusual. I invited her to join me for a jam session, and then we arranged to meet for a cup of coffee. In our conversation, I discovered that Volha is very open and positive, with an interesting life story, so we decided to meet for another cup of coffee to conduct an interview. During this conversation, we discussed both her life story and touched on current topics, so to speak, the role of women in instrumental music.
Welcome to Latvia! Let’s start from the beginning. Who are you?
My name is Volha or Olga Zaharova. I am a baritone saxophonist. I was born in Belarus, where I lived for some time, but I started playing the saxophone in Moscow. A year and a half ago, I moved to Latvia, where I currently reside. I am learning the Latvian language, attending jam sessions, etc.
And where exactly in Belarus did you live?
In Minsk.
And you mentioned that you started playing the saxophone later, in Moscow?
Our family moved to Moscow in 2001, where I completed a children’s music school as a violinist; then, my mom wanted me to continue, but in jazz. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out because the jazz violin teacher started drinking… The next attempt was drums. But then the quartet suddenly needed a saxophonist, and the teachers came up with nothing better than to train me as to become one. Asked me to learn quickly. By the way, it wasn’t a music school but a jazz studio.
Well, in a music school, I can’t quite imagine such a situation… [laughs]
Yes, and I loved playing so much! Generally, beginners are given an alto saxophone to play, but if you insist, they’ll give you a tenor. I didn’t really get along with the tenor, but I liked the alto. Later, I joined a wonderful music school in Moscow with a very strict but very good teacher. Zhanna Ilmer she can teach a lot.
Did she yell a lot?
She did yell a lot and was very strict — if you were one minute late, that was it, goodbye. Despite that, she is a wonderful teacher; she is very demanding. Zhanna established a saxophone quintet, similar to «Supersax,» with two altos, two tenors, and a baritone. Since I was the tallest girl, I was given the biggest sax. Another teacher, Yevgeny Grechishchev, gave me recordings to listen to from Gerry Mulligan, and it was love at first sight. I started trying to learn all that on the baritone saxophone. It was very cool in a way – jazz and Gerry Mulligan on the one hand; on the other hand — Zhanna Ilmere, who constantly pushed us to play very precisely and bebop-like. It was in that ensemble that my saxophone skills in playing and general instrument mastery grew. Later, I had a little argument with Zhanna, and she said that my saxophone days were over and expelled me from the school! Although I was to blame for that… I had a side job and was late for a concert, so I arrived late. I was detained at work, in some filming, or something else… Then I talked to Grechishchev, who suggested just enrolling in a music high school. I prepared thoroughly and entered the Gnesin Jazz High School with the highest grade. There, I studied very well, founded my band, and started playing with one of the best blues musicians in Moscow, Mikhail Mishuris. It wasn’t the usual blues but something closer to New Orleans, where there were many wind instruments, organs, pianos, and improvisation with a Dixieland touch. The musicians had to know the entire repertoire because only the soloist knew which composition would be next, announced the title, and everything had to be played instantly. Of course, on one hand, it was just a blues with 12 bars and three or four chords, but in reality, it could be 8 bars, 16 or 32, and the blues could also not be square, and the harmonies could be this way or that, so you had to know all the «licks» and always be ready. Sometimes, we played a completely new piece, and then my task was to quickly come up with parts for other wind instruments and make harmonies because I was the leader of the wind instrument section. It was very cool and always interesting because no concert was ever the same.
While I was studying, I actively promoted my band called «Solo C,» and we did tributes to Mulligan. I found a cool trumpeter, and we transcribed the arrangements exactly as they were, sometimes with solos and sometimes without. These tributes went pretty well. There was a lot of work, although without «a lot of work,» one couldn’t make a living for long. We had a lineup without a harmonic instrument — saxophone, trumpet, double bass, and drums. Later, I tried to enter the Gnesin Academy, but Alexander Oseychuk quickly rejected me. Because I was a girl.
Why is that?
His relations with the female gender didn’t go well… The only female student he had was Zhanna Ilmer, and that’s it. No more girls afterward. He thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen. I don’t really get angry about it anymore, but then I saw another interview he gave, where he was asked, «What is your opinion on women in saxophones?» And he said — what do you think, how can a woman and jazz be combined? A woman is meant for children, why should she be where she’s not needed? And then my hands started shaking. Then I calmed down again. And most importantly, he says all this calmly in all the interviews, and everyone reacts to it absolutely normally.
Because he has a status?
Yes, exactly.
Do many agree with him?
It doesn’t seem that way to me. I had another funny incident with him… There are many stories about him, but with me, it went like this— a trumpeter from my ensemble studied at the Gnesin Academy and asked to accompany him in one of his exams playing a composition from our tribute. I came, and we started playing. There was the jury, and all the musicians were wonderful. Oseychuk wasn’t at that exam. Suddenly, the door opens in the middle of the piece, and he rushes in. He starts yelling—how dare you include a saxophonist from a different academy in the ensemble! We have a baritone saxophonist in our school, so let him play! By the way, at that time, I was studying at the Maimonides Academy.
But doesn’t the Gnesin regulation allow students from other universities to comp the exams?
Of course, it doesn’t prohibit that. The trumpet teacher persuaded Oseychuk to leave the room, but he kept interrupting the exams, returning in the middle of the piece. Eventually, others couldn’t take it anymore and gave in, asking me not to play.
And it’s not personal against you; it’s against your gender?
Yes, we’re not even acquainted…
And everything is fine with Zhanna?
Yes. He’s retired now, and Zhanna teaches in his place; now, girls can learn saxophone at the Gnesin Academy as well.
It sounds very unfair.
Well, it is. Afterward, teachers came to apologize to me, but well… It’s complete madness.
Was it only about the saxophone or also with other specialties?
Only the saxophone and only in jazz. A very interesting choice. Obviously, women in jazz don’t seem to fit him. But I, on the other hand, am very glad that I enrolled at Maimonides, where his students taught — the famous Bril brothers, Dmitry Mospan, Ivan Farmakovsky, and Ivan Avaliani. I finished the academy during the COVID time. All exams were recorded…
That sounds terrible…
With a specialty, you could figure something out, play with a backing track, or something like that. But with an ensemble… Everyone sent their parts, and we tried to glue it all together. During COVID-19 in Moscow, people weren’t allowed to leave their homes. One dog for the entire staircase. Once a week, you could get permission to go to the grocery store. We spent four months at home, with no concerts and complete zero. But teaching saved.
You know, experiencing restrictions during COVID, I don’t think teaching a specialty subject really works as it should. It’s fine if it’s a theoretical subject, but a specialty like playing and singing…
I also thought it would be difficult because I had many beginners. But it turned out that if I knew where things could go wrong, I could catch on even through videos and correct them. The hardest thing with beginners is rhythm. A metronome can help, but convincing beginners to play following a metronome is unrealistic.
Well, nobody likes the metronome.
Yes, but in the case of remote lessons, you can play with a metronome or not play at all. Students had to count for themselves, activating their brains. The teacher would count out loud and show where to play slower. The metronome won’t wait. If a person is good with rhythm, they learn faster. If necessary, you can try playing together, showing what can be done.
How? Doing that in video format is extremely difficult.
I participated in the testing of the «2Saxy School by Grace Kelly & Leo P» school — wonderful! They play the accompaniment; you take turns playing. They hear what you’re playing on their side, and you hear everything; it’s all good. If the internet is good, then it’s fine. And I’ll repeat—teachers always hear mistakes.
Well, it’s good that you know where the problems could arise, but still, video and audio don’t give you the full picture. It’s good when you have a soundcard, a microphone, and everything else, but if it’s just a computer and a regular computer microphone—well…
Yes, that’s why I currently like to combine online lessons with face-to-face ones. Online lessons make you think for yourself, while in-person lessons give you the opportunity to see the whole picture. But I’m still surprised that online lessons can be so useful and interesting.
And how is that school doing now?
Very well, they have another young teacher, Michael Wilbur. You can participate in lessons on various topics; everything is very interesting.
What was it like after graduating?
Alongside my studies, I continued developing my original music and collaborating with other ensembles. Suddenly, the workload increased in the third year when I lost weight and dropped thirty-five kilograms. I was granted a residency at Andrey Makarevich’s «Jam Club.» A very nice place; they allowed me to do whatever I wanted there. I created projects with poetry, jazz, and theater; authors wrote plays, and we combined them with jazz standards and other compositions where music was integrated into the performance. For example, one of the characters could be a saxophone. We did various interesting projects. I participated a lot in big jams, such as «Women in Jazz,» with enchanting female saxophonists.
After graduating from the academy, I continued developing my project and played with Georgy Garanian’s orchestra «Melodiya.» I also played in several funk collectives. I also started playing with the «Ногу Свело» [Nogu Svelo!] group. However it didn’t really work out anywhere properly because when I finished the academy, it was COVID, and when the pandemic ended, the war began.
Hold on, we’ll talk about that later, but I would like to clarify what a residency in Moscow really looks like.
I played all the time and organized my concerts.
So, can we say you had first-hand experience organizing concerts?
Yes, I could host many concerts and implement all kinds of ideas. Plus, I had regular brunches on weekends and occasionally duet performances with pianos on weekdays. We put together a few beautiful programs. All in all, I lived in the club.
Alright, I understand that. Now, tell me, how did a jazz saxophonist start playing with «Ногу Свело» [Nogu Svelo!]?
The group was looking for a baritone saxophonist, posted an ad on the internet, and someone forwarded the ad to me. I applied.
Well, that’s cool, but «Ногу Свело» [Nogu Svelo!] is essentially punk, and you are a jazz saxophonist.
They play rock, indie, ska, and various combinations of styles, with lots of improvisation. They have a very cool brass section.
To be honest, I’ve never listened to they music…
Initially, the group only had a trombone; later, they added a trumpet, but in 2019, they took a baritone saxophone for one concert, and Maksim [Pokrovsky, the band’s leader] really liked it. They decided to include a baritone player in the lineup and started the search. I sent my CV, they sent tasks, I prepared, and then I came for the audition. The audition was on my birthday, and as a special gift, they accepted me into the group!
How lovely!
Yes, it was really delightful! The band has a wonderful brass section — you must constantly think about the parts, transcribe something, arrange and rearrange; it’s very interesting work. Playing in this style is actually not that simple — you need to have a specific tone with a very light touch, everything needs to be precisely played, and you need to know how to create all kinds of decorations.
So not boring at all, then!
Absolutely! And now we play in an American lineup (only Maxim and I remained from the Moscow lineup). Maxim moved to America a while ago and formed a second lineup there. Currently, out of the Russian-speaking people, it’s just the two of us, a sound engineer and occasionally a guitarist. But the other American musicians transcribed all the songs; they knew very well what they were singing about and sang along the backing vocals! Those musicians are actually very talented, and they work with famous performers in New York. For example, the drummer plays with Leo P (I’m a fan…), which is really cool! The world isn’t that big, after all…
What about the musicians who stayed in Russia? Did they stay due to political beliefs?
It varies. Each has its own reasons, including political ones. Most choose to remain silent. They have families with children, they’re afraid, and they find it challenging to start a new life in another country. They continue working there, and we don’t really communicate.
How is Moscow now in terms of the political situation? Have there been changes after the invasion of Ukraine?
Musical Moscow split up. One group of musicians doesn’t play with the other due to political beliefs.
What does that look like?
Musicians who do not support the war gradually leave Russia. There are fewer of them now. Especially at the beginning, two years ago, they stopped playing with those who support the authorities. But it didn’t really impress anyone. There are many musicians in Moscow — okay, this one doesn’t want to play with me, I’ll take someone else. If you declare your anti-war stance, you won’t perform in some clubs and play in certain ensembles. But if you stay silent, you have a job. In other words, those who could leave did it straight away in 2022.
Are there people who can’t leave?
Quite a few. They have various reasons — families, homes. Also, the impossibility of obtaining the necessary documents or finding the required amount of money. Often, musicians have to stay silent and work. Going to prison is also a very real possibility…
I can imagine that Belarus is in quite a similar situation under the Lukashenko regime. Although there are significantly fewer musicians there.
Yes, there are fewer musicians there. Also, the situation with music is quite complex. Often, a musician needs professional education to work. To perform in concert halls, as well as music clubs and restaurants. To receive payment, you must provide a report and prove you are qualified. This system is in place to help professional musicians have more work opportunities. However, there are also obstacles related to musical education in Belarus. Upon completing college and/or academy on a government scholarship, you must work for at least three years in the area they send you to. If you recall, the same system was present in the Soviet Union.
Yes, it was called an assignment or something like that.
Yes. But if you don’t want to fulfill those three years, you’d have to repay the full tuition amount to the state. And that applies to every profession, not just music. So, you might not even know where you’ll be sent, but you have to work there to avoid complications regarding education.
I thought such a system doesn’t exist anymore…
But it does. That’s why many musicians choose to study in other countries if that opportunity exists at all.
Perhaps that’s why the music scene in Belarus is so small.
It’s possible.
Did you decide to move when the full-scale invasion started?
No, actually, we decided to move even before that. My husband knew since childhood that his great-grandfather was Latvian, and he researched repatriation a lot. But the necessary documents were missing. For years, my husband searched for them in the archives. We visited Latvia several times, and we really liked it. Finally, in March 2022, he found the documents in the Latvian archives because everything is digitized! My husband woke me up in the middle of the night thrilled! We ordered a copy from the archive, began the translation process, and so on, and submitted the documents for repatriation.
How’s it going here?
I wanted to start making music immediately, but right after the move, we began touring with «Nogu Svelo!» We performed many charity concerts and filmed a video for Roman Liverov’s «We Exist.» Only in December 2023 did I start actively attending jam sessions and meeting people. It’s very interesting! There’s a completely different approach to music here; everything seems so light! In Moscow and Minsk, everything happens in a very strict manner, with serious faces, because jazz is serious music. There’s no joking around; instead, challenges are posed to colleagues to see how they’ll handle it.
Doesn’t sound very fun. Do they keep pushing all the time?
Well, it’s kind of like a competition. Communication here is playful and full of experiments; everyone’s smiling and laughing, and it’s so cool! Almost all saxophonists in Moscow stem from Oseychuk, so everyone is harshly judged with trembling eyes.
The famous tough school where music must come through pain, and if they try to break you and you don’t emerge stronger, you don’t belong in music.
Exactly.
Harsh. We touched on this topic a bit at the beginning of the conversation, but I’d like to come back and talk more about women in music. You are a female saxophonist in a predominantly male world. Okay, in Latvia, you’re not really in the «circle» yet, but in Moscow or Belarus, apart from your relationship with Oseychuk, what is the presence of women in the profession like?
In Moscow, there are many all-female bands.
Where only women play?
Yes, and in reality, many women only work in those bands. I like to refer to such formations as «Chick bands.» I didn’t come up with that term; a friend with such a band gave me the idea. So, many instrumentalists work in these groups, and it’s quite rare to see mixed-gender ensembles.
Why is that?
Because the «Chick band» is popular, it’s beautiful — girls play well, sing well.
So, you can’t really have girls showing up to the concert in training gear like guys do! [laughs]
We also tried to fight that!
What, did you host concerts in training gear?
No! [laughs] It was more about persuading guys to dress nicely for concerts; after all, it’s a stage… But returning to female musicians, it no longer surprises anyone, and everyone reacts normally.
So, have women been accepted in jazz?
Yes, it’s not as strange anymore. Men occasionally try to help out — if something’s heavy, they help carry it; it’s sweet. Both in Moscow and Belarus.
So, it’s not as tough as with Oseychuk.
Yes, he remains the only one like that for the most part. Well, a few others still stick to old-school ways, but it’s quite rare to come across them. It’s good.