Joining Lisa this week is daughter-father duo Theresa J. May and James May. Theresa is a professional trumpeter, educator, and advocate from Shaker Heights, Ohio. James May is a native Clevelander and was the founder, music director and bandleader of Gabriel’s Horns®, a 21-piece inter-generational community jazz-praise big band from 2002 -2023. Theresa and James discuss the importance of joy in musicking, Theresa’s work with Afrofuturism, and reflect on mentoring young musicians. Season 8 co-host George Blake expands on themes of autonomy, fun, and blossoming brought up in the interview.

(November 5, 2025)

Theresa is interviewed by Katie Brown of “I Care if You Listen”, an editorially-independent program of the American Composers Forum. She answers five poignant questions.

“We caught up with May to discuss genre fluidity and unapologetic Black art.”

(June 3, 2025)

After years of performing in ensembles, Cleveland trumpeter Theresa May is stepping out on her own. May joined "Applause Performances" and "Shuffle" for an in-studio performance and conversation about her new electronic music, as well as breaking barriers in the classical world. (March 13, 2025)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Theresa May and we’ve shared our conversation below.

(March 13, 2023)

“Theresa is on a mission. From her early experiences in the Salvation Army Band to her current work with the group Mourning [A] BLKstar, Theresa has always understood the power of music. After earning her master’s degree in music performance from the Cincinnati University Conservatory of Music, Theresa has made it her mission to spread the gospel of music’s ability to change the world and to be a bold voice for the underrepresented. “ (November 1, 2022)

“Musicians in America during the Covid-19 Pandemic” is a documentary project organized by the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM)…The interviews focused on the impact of the pandemic on the musicians’ artistry, careers, and communities, while also addressing alternative modes of music-making in outdoor spaces and in virtual concerts via the Internet. (October 22, 2020)

“A nosy trombonist (Melissa Brown) chats to fellow brass professionals about their careers, how they got there, and what music they'd happily put in the bin. In this episode trumpet player and educator Theresa May told us about adjusting her studies from music therapy to music performance, about deciding on, and creating, the pathway that best suits you, and she tells us all about the Chromatic Brass Collective.” (September 25, 2022)

Theresa May is a featured guest for the 2022 International Women’s Brass Conference, held May 24-28, 2022 in Denton, Texas at the University of North Texas.

Theresa May’s interview with Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Interviewer and Distinguished Scholar of African American History and Culture, and Founder of the A. Grace Lee Mims Arts and Culture Oral HIstory Project. (December 17, 2021)

“Theresa stresses the importance of organization as she describes juggling her many teaching and performing gigs in the Cleveland area. She's in high demand because of her ability to teach everything from beginning students to college courses, and her ability to play in any style imaginable--even styles previously unimagined, like in her genre-defying band Mourning [A] BLKstar.” (April 8, 2021)

Theresa May, Cleveland based trumpet freelancer and educator, spent some time talking to IWBC General Manager Lauren Rudzinskas and Navy Trumpeter and IWBC member Carrie Blosser to talk about her career, teaching, and adapting to the changing climate of Covid-19. To hear about the full interview, visit www.myiwbc.org to read the Winter 2021 Noteworthy Newsletter article. (March 1, 2021)

“I think the lack of representation and me just feeling welcomed and 100 percent comfortable in my surroundings all the time was part of the reason why I didn’t want to keep pursuing taking a bunch of auditions,” May said. (October 29, 2020)

As a woman who sees “competition” as the “complete stark opposite of what [music] means” she was a natural choice for the Global Fund for Women’s international collaboration of the world’s top women brass musicians to highlight Women’s Rights and the Global Fund for Women. (September 4, 2020)

Watch Mourning [A] BLKstar perform with EarthQuaker Devices and read about how the performers in the group utilize the different EQD pedals. (October 19, 2019)