come into your power

Playing with joy and confidence, standing in my own shoes, speaking my mind and diving deeply into my music and creativity - it sounds so simple.

But it’s been a long journey to clarity, courage and authenticity.

Coming into my power as an artist, teacher and as a woman has awakened in me a deep desire to help others do the same - especially women.

That’s why I created a program called COME INTO YOUR POWER. With ten women on board, we started our talks in October 2022. At each meeting, we choose a topic like blasting toxic mind-sets, letting go of the desire to be liked or freeing ourselves from perfectionism. I share some tools and strategies that have helped me and then we dive into soul-stirring dialogs and heartwarming exchanges.

“I just want to find joy and not think about proving myself every time I play."
“I don’t want to judge and doubt myself and build the courage to play exactly the way I want to play.”
“I want to feel free to create and not worry about whether people like me or not.”

These are some of the common concerns women express when we first start talking. I know them well. I, too, felt pressured to prove myself. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to impress people and be accepted. With all the best intentions, our parents raised many of us to be good girls—to be nice, cute and quiet and to fit in. But how can we be courageous and authentic when we are too afraid to rock the boat?

In our talks we cultivate a deep appreciation for ourselves and other women and their music. We unravel the toxic mind-sets that have held us back. We share a deep desire to change the world. For women and men.

I am immensely proud to take a very active role in the empowerment of women, to help them blast the good girl mind-sets, free themselves from perfectionism and expectations, define and live by their own standards of excellence, say yes to themselves, strengthen their self-confidence and let go of the need to be liked.

In my course COME INTO YOUR POWER (in English and German) as well as in individual sessions, I help women musicians - from students to seasoned professionals, amateur musicians and teachers - to find self-confidence, clarity, courage and joy.

Would you like to join?

I invite you to meet with me on Zoom for a personal conversation to find out whether COME INTO YOUR POWER is right for you.

CONTACT

COME INTO YOUR POWER

CLARITY

Know what you want and how to express it
Blast toxic mind-sets that get in your way
Connect to yourself and your desires
COURAGE

Say YES to yourself and build self-confidence
Set boundaries and define your own values
Feel good when you play and fly with it
AUTHENTICITY

Let go of the need to for approval and validation
Free yourself from perfectionism
Dive into your music and discover what touches you

musician

As a member of the WDR Big Band I have performed and recorded with Joe Lovano, Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ron Carter, Joe Zawinul, Maceo Parker, Vince Mendoza, Mike Abene, Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, Patti Austin, Dianne Reeves, Take 6, Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Jazzmeia Horn, Dave Weckl, Mike Mainieri, Billy Hart, Al Foster, Roy Hargrove, Peter Erskine, Cora Coleman, Eddie Daniels, Miho Hazama, John Reilly, Steve Swallow, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Benny Golson, James Moody, Dick Oatts, Myra Melford, Marquis Hill, Ambrose Akinmusire, Nicholas Payton, Will Lee, Ada Rovatti, Adam Nussbaum, Dennis Chambers, Christian McBride, Fred Hersch, McCoy Tyner and many others.
bandleader

I have been leading my quartet KLARO! since 1993 and joined forces in 2001 with my husband, NY drummer Drori Mondlak. Together we have produced 9 albums, we play 30 to 50 concerts every year all over Europe and have collaborated with David Friedman, Rainer Böhm, Cary DeNigris, Hans Glawischnig, Hans Vroomans, Steve LaSpina, Boris Kozlov and many others.
KLARO! has performed at The Kennedy Center, Jazz@Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland, Salzburger Jazzherbst, Jazzfest Vienna, Grazer Jazzsommer, Sziget Festival Budapest, Düsseldorf Jazzrally, Jazzahead, Europhonics, Cube 521 Luxembourg, Jazz Rally Luxembourg, Dürener Jazztage and many more.
groundbreaker

When I joined the WDR Big Band in 2004 as the first woman, the media attention was dazzling. A woman? In the WDR Big Band?!
It was groundbreaking.
All I ever wanted was to play my horn and not deal with the incessant question, “what’s it like to be the only woman in the band?”
Over time, I’ve come to embrace the opportunity this extraordinary position affords me.
I want to contribute to the empowerment of women.
What is more beautiful than the magic of bringing all our unique gifts together and collaborate as equals?
educator

I am a professor for jazz saxophone at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. I’m also the creator and director of the Folkwang Jazz Mentors for Women program.
I have been a mentor in the Women in Jazz Organisation WIJO mentors program in New York. These encounters inspired me to build the program at Folkwang University.
I’ve also coached the BuJazzO (German National Youth Jazz Orchestra) and given workshops at universities across Europe.
I have created a series of explorations to help musicians explore the flow state. I call this In The Moment - The Beauty of Flow ©.

empowerment teacher

A deep longing for empowerment has driven me to unravel my conditioning. As a girl, I was taught to observe, be nice and pleasing. What a contradiction to the spirit of jazz!
Freedom! Strength! Joy!
Jazz keeps challenging me to grow, to stand up, speak out, and to empower myself.
I am deeply grateful for the trust the women in my empowerment courses place in me.
mountaineer

What do mountains have to do with mentoring?
My passion for hiking and climbing grounds me, feeds my soul and fuels my thirst for adventure. Taking one deliberate step after another is much like letting the music take me from one note to the next. The sense of presence and aliveness is addictive, just like the state of flow.
It is these qualities I aspire to pass on through performing, teaching, and mentoring.
new yorker

Fifteen years on the New York jazz scene had a profound impact on me. The leap from my idyllic home in the heart of the Austrian Alps was as daunting as it was inspiring. It propelled me to become the best musician I possibly could. It revealed a courage I didn’t know I possessed. It connected me with the deep respect and love I have for this magnificent art form.
And I had the opportunity to play with and learn from some of the giants of our music.
communicator

Learning how communicate clearly, speaking up and out, taking space and owning it have been some of the most crucial skills for my own progress.
Speaking with firmness and clarity is not something I was taught as a young girl.
Today I understand the value of speaking my truth and listening. Give and take, speak and listen. Just like a good jazz solo.