Draft:Nora Germain

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Germain studied from a very young age until she was 15 at Suzuki Strings of Madison, a classical violin school co-founded by her mother.{{Cite web |title=Faculty - |url=https://suzukistringsofmadison.org/about-ssm/faculty/#maria-rosa |access-date=2025-03-16 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Mrs. Maria-Rosa Germain {{!}} People |url=https://dev.suzukiassociation.org/people/maria-rosa-germain/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Suzuki Association of the Americas |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=More About Emerging Jazz Violin Player, Nora Germain |url=https://www.violinist.com/blog/RMChaffee/20152/16556/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Violinist.com}} Her father was a violin luthier.{{Cite web |date=2015-01-07 |title=Violinist Nora Germain to Perform at Dizzy's : Presidio Sentinel |url=https://presidiosentinel.com/entertainment/violinist-nora-germain-to-perform-at-dizzys |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=presidiosentinel.com |language=en-US}} Both her parents were classical violinists in the Madison Symphony.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Jed |date=2020-05-25 |title=Jazz Violinist Nora Germain |url=https://www.acousticult.com/interviews/jazz-violinist-nora-germain/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=AcoustiCult |language=en-US}} Germain studied jazz violin starting in high school at Idyllwild Arts Academy, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, and Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California.{{Cite web |date=2017-02-09 |title=Alumna, jazz violinist Nora Germain authors new book |url=https://music.usc.edu/nora-germain-writes-a-book-based-on-her-life-as-a-musician/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=USC Thornton School of Music |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Fessier |first=Bruce |title=Jazz in the Pines puts emphasis on arts academy alumni |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/people/brucefessierentertainment/2016/08/17/jazz-pines-puts-emphasis-arts-academy-alumni/88876704/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Women in Jazz |title=Nora Germain: Go For It: Surviving the Challenges of Becoming an Artist {{!}} Women in Jazz Media {{!}} New Releases |url=https://womeninjazzmedia.com/new-releases/2024-04-29-nora-germain-go-for-it-surviving-the-challenges-of-becoming-an-artist/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=womeninjazzmedia.com |language=en}} She has produced and released numerous recordings as a leader including Little Dipper, Go For It, (recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana), Variations on a Violin, and Postcards from Violin Mountain.{{Cite web |last= |title=Little Dipper |url=https://www.thestrad.com/little-dipper/3564.article |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=The Strad |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gama |first=Raul Da |date=2017-04-03 |title=Nora Germain: Go For It |url=https://jazzdagama.com/music/nora-germain-go/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Jazz da Gama |language=en-US}}{{Citation |title=Variations on a Violin by Nora Germain on Apple Music |date=2023-05-19 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/variations-on-a-violin/1687270318 |access-date=2025-03-23 |language=en-US}}{{Citation |title=Postcards from Violin Mountain by Nora Germain on Apple Music |date=2024-10-20 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/postcards-from-violin-mountain/1775801078 |access-date=2025-03-23 |language=en-US}} She has worked with Jon Batiste,{{Cite web |title=Skylark (feat. Jon Batiste) - Nora Germain: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts |url=https://www.shazam.com/song/1512575504/skylark-feat-jon-batiste |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Shazam |language=en-us}} JMSN,{{Citation |title=JMSN - Live Atwater Village |date=2020-01-20 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/14779600-JMSN-Live-Atwater-Village |access-date=2025-03-16 |language=en}} Postmodern Jukebox,{{Cite web |title=This "Old Fashioned" Remake of the "Family Guy" Theme Will Make Your Day {{!}} Postmodern Jukebox |url=https://postmodernjukebox.com/blog/old-fashioned-remake-family-guy-theme-will-make-day/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=postmodernjukebox.com}} Lewis Capaldi,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=kwOaqwIyKas&t=0s |title=Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved (Live on Ellen) |date=2019-10-09 |last=LewisCapaldiVEVO |access-date=2025-03-16 |via=YouTube}} John Altman,{{Cite web |last=ljazzn |date=2015-06-29 |title=REVIEW : Nora Germain at Pizza Express Dean Street (also available as video-stream) |url=https://londonjazznews.com/2015/06/29/review-nora-germain-at-pizza-express-dean-street-also-available-as-video-stream/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=London Jazz News |language=en-US}} Jacob Collier,{{Cite web |last=ljazzn |date=2015-03-12 |title=NEWS: US Violinist Nora Germain to make UK debut (Pizza Express Dean Street, 1st April) |url=https://londonjazznews.com/2015/03/12/news-us-violinist-nora-germain-to-make-uk-debut-pizza-express-dean-street-1st-april/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=London Jazz News |language=en-US}} Casey Abrams, Dee Dee Bridgewater,{{Cite web |title=LADIES WHO JAM: WOMEN IN JAZZ feat. DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER |url=https://purchasing.sandiegosymphony.org/6672/6673?queueittoken=e_safetynet~q_a96d3486-b400-4183-bf36-adf803b81a9d~ts_1742151323~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_55118b831a5424d30e42d77374cd2e6b3f8d402c97f86aba6a37b153df00d573 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=San Diego Symphony |language=en}} KNOWER,{{Citation |title=KNOWER - Knower Forever |date=2023 |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/3347422-KNOWER-Knower-Forever |access-date=2025-03-16 |language=en}} Clayton Cameron,{{Cite web |title=Beverley Church Hogan: 90th Birthday Concert {{!}}{{!}} with Special Guests P (...) at Catalina Bar and Grill |url=https://dola.com/events/2024/12/8/beverley-church-hogan-90th-birthday-concert-with-special-guests-patrick-barnitt-and-maya-proulx-tickets |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=DoLA |language=en}} and Sam Smith,{{Cite web |last=Jazz |first=All About |date=2018-09-18 |title=Rising Stars: Wondrous Woman article @ All About Jazz |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rising-stars-wondrous-woman-nora-germain-by-jeff-fitzgerald-genius |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=All About Jazz |language=en}} among others.

She also released a book about her early life and creative process called Go For It… Surviving the Challenges of Becoming an Artist, which focuses on themes of musical integrity and spiritual resilience, as well as her struggle growing up in an alcoholic home. Germain was named a “Rising Star” of Violin by jazz publication DownBeat in 2023.{{Cite news |date=August 1, 2023 |title=71st Annual Critics Poll: Complete Results |url=https://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/2023/DB23_08/DB23_08.pdf |archive-url= |access-date=March 16, 2025 |work=DownBeat |pages=47}} She was also featured in the score for the Hulu original film She Taught Love in 2024, performing as a violin soloist.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7983904/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm |title=She Taught Love (2024) - IMDb |access-date=2025-03-16 |via=www.imdb.com}}

Since 2007, Germain has been mentored primarily by Marshall Hawkins, head of jazz at Idyllwild Arts Academy and former bassist for Miles Davis and Shirley Horn. Germain has remarked that Hawkins taking her under his wing was "life changing," and they continue to perform together on a regular basis.{{Cite web |last=You |first=Jazz Near |title=Nora Germain with Marshall Hawkins at The Grand Idyllwild Lodge Bed And Breakfast, October 11 |url=https://www.jazznearyou.com/palmsprings/nora-germain-with-marshall-hawkins-at-20-00-on-october-11 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Jazz Near You Palm Springs |language=en}} She was also mentored by Martin Taylor, longtime guitarist for Stéphane Grappelli.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oXAy0uHe8WM |title=Martin Taylor's Happy Hour Hangout with Jazz violinist Nora Germain |date=2023-02-03 |last=Martin Taylor MBE |access-date=2025-03-16 |via=YouTube}} Germain has noted that her musical inspirations include Hazel Scott, Ray Charles, Stéphane Grappelli, Clark Terry, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Itzhak Perlman. She records and practices violin acoustically, but performs live using an LR Baggs pickup or a single microphone. Germain was particularly influenced by Stéphane Grappelli’s 1956 album Improvisations, which features Grappelli in a piano quartet in contrast to his earlier recordings with guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Germain has performed with her own groups of various configurations in Los Angeles,{{Cite web |date=2022-05-30 |title=About & Out – What's Hot In SoCal Jazz – The Week Of May 30, 2022 |url=https://lajazzpicks.com/2022/05/30/about-out-whats-hot-in-socal-jazz-the-week-of-may-30-2022/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=About & Out - Tom Meek's Weekly Best Bets For Live Jazz In Los Angeles And Across Southern California |language=en}} San Diego, Scotland,{{Cite web |title=Shiplake College |url=https://www.shiplake.org.uk/media/news/article/1662/Lunch-and-All-That-Jazz |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=www.shiplake.org.uk}} and London. She also gives talks and masterclasses on creative mindset and musical improvisation.{{Cite web |title=Arts Enterprise Laboratory (AEL) {{!}} Idyllwild Arts Academy |url=https://idyllwildarts.org/academy/arts-enterprise-lab/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Idyllwild Arts |language=en-US}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ug6C5zoG60&t=3020s |title=Nora Germain & Miles Jensen Masterclass |date=2024-10-10 |last=CSULB Music |access-date=2025-03-16 |via=YouTube}} Germain prefers to play by ear. She regularly performs as a special guest soloist in many genres and approaches improvising from a primarily melody-based perspective.{{Cite web |title=How Nora Germain got her Jazz Violin Education |url=https://www.violinist.com/blog/RMChaffee/20151/16527/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Violinist.com}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.noragermain.com www.noragermain.com]
• [https://www.discogs.com/artist/5041008-Nora-Germain?srsltid=AfmBOoqoB0cWm6Eh0nAWakcKOswFUYqR1JpckapXs9Sgfc45cQwzlrLg Nora Germain] discography at Discogs

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{{Draft categories|

category:Women violinists

Category:Spanish jazz musicians

Category:American jazz violinists

Category:21st-century Catalan people

Category:21st-century American violinists

Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

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{{Drafts moved from mainspace|date=June 2025}}