Hey all! I am a vocalist who absolutely loves my jazz. It is the genre my voice is best suited to, and I have experience in it. I am transgender, and have not performed anywhere publicly since my voice dropped, but I have a good handle on my new range now and want to get back out there. I would love to start performing at jazz clubs, but I'm not sure where to start. I know I need a portfolio filled with standards, but what else is necessary? Is it going to be an issue that I am not part of any group, and don't have people to perform with? At the very least, I do have a talented sax playing friend that could join me from time to time. I would love to go and observe for a while and figure these things out myself, but there aren't any jazz clubs near me, and I don't usually have the opportunity to check them out when I am visiting family in bigger cities. I have been to a couple in Austin (where I am hoping to perform,) but only briefly, with my non jazz-loving friends.

Any advice would be appreciated! I am totally in the dark here.