From rocks to jazz: Jazz musician Camille Thurman finds her voice at Binghamton
A Q&A with a geological sciences alumna who found her path in the arts
Music came effortlessly to Camille Thurman ’09. At age 5, she picked up the violin, followed closely by the flute and alto sax. When the opportunity for a full scholarship to a summer music camp came up, specifically for tenor sax, her mother urged her in that direction, leading Thurman to discover what would become her signature instrument.
Thurman would go on to attend the LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts, seemingly on a trajectory for a musical performance career. But a feeling of dissatisfaction during her final two years of high school and a newly discovered interest and aptitude for the natural sciences would take Thurman in a different direction, to an undergraduate degree in geological sciences at Binghamton University. Still, there was always music.
“After arriving in Binghamton, I joined the Harpur Jazz Ensemble, led by [Director of Jazz Studies] Michael Carbone,” says Thurman. “I really credit him with getting me back on my instrument, because by the time I got to college, I wasn’t really playing anymore, I was just kind of done. But he encouraged me and gave me a safe space to learn. I honestly could not have imagined the path of my life without Mike in it.”
Harpur Perspective caught up with Thurman in Montreal, where she is an assistant professor at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, and splits her time between touring and her New York City home.
Q. Were you always interested in jazz? What other music did you listen to growing up?
A. My parents listened to all kinds of music. My father listened to Chaka Khan and Mariah Carey; my mother loved Anita Baker and jazz. My grandmother listened to gospel, and my uncle was into R&B and hip-hop. I was listening to everything.
Q. You have an extensive background in music and performance, even attending a high school for performing arts. What made you decide to pursue an undergraduate degree in the natural sciences?
A. In my final two years of high school, I experienced some difficulty and sexism within the program and wasn’t even sure I wanted to continue playing. I was always interested in the natural world, and after I aced my Earth Science Regents exam, I thought, “I guess I’m good at that, so let me give that a try.” I took an Earth science class during my first semester in college and I loved it, so I decided to pursue a degree in geological sciences.
Q. Why Binghamton?
A. You know, Binghamton is “the secret” among educators. My mother was a schoolteacher and her friends were all educators, and they all recommended Binghamton as the school of choice for teachers’ kids. My mom said, “OK, that’s where you’re going.”
Q. Had you considered a career other than music?
A. Before my junior year, I was all set on becoming a geologist. I was going to explore the world, climb volcanos, collect rocks and do all kinds of great things. But Mike [Carbone] encouraged me to make use of my musical talent. He brought in Tia Fuller, a saxophonist with Beyoncé’s all-female touring band, and between the two of them did a kind of intervention and helped me to come to terms with who I really was. Even though I loved science, at that point I was ready to admit my real true passion was music.
Q. When did you add “vocalist” to your résumé?
A. I started singing publicly after I came to Binghamton. I always sang, but it was a bit of a secret. I wanted to be taken seriously as a player first and not have it assumed because I was a lady that I was the singer. Mike Carbone and another mentor, [bassist and vocalist] Mimi Jones, pushed me to sing and play. They knew I had something unique and really encouraged me to express the full range of my gifts.
Q. How does it feel coming back to Binghamton to perform or teach a master class?
A. It feels like coming full circle. I went to college to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. And Binghamton was that place where I found it. So, to come back having worked that out, happy with my choices, is so rewarding. And being able to share my experience with students means everything.
Q. Can you share a highlight of your career so far?
A. I performed for two seasons with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and was the first woman to do so full time. And performing around the world with my band as the headline artist at prominent jazz festivals and venues; that’s an accomplishment and something I’m proud of.
Q. What’s life as a touring musician like?
A. Currently, I am teaching at McGill University, so I am juggling teaching and a touring schedule. But I’m pretty much on tour most of the year. While you miss a lot of holidays and special family events, I love it. I absolutely love it. You get to see the world. And it’s just a beautiful gift that I am honored to have and share with people. When you are in the moment, making things happen on stage, it’s just so thrilling. It’s the most rewarding thing in the world.