Katie Carson is a vibrant young trumpet player and educator based in Cincinnati, Ohio. She performs regularly across Ohio and northern Kentucky, focusing on jazz, contemporary, and Afro-Latin music. She is the brass teaching artist at MYCincinnati, a free, El Sistema inspired, after school music program for students living or attending school in Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood. Katie holds a bachelor’s in music education with a concentration in jazz trumpet from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, from which she graduated cum laude in 2021. The relationship between performance and education has always been important to Katie as she continues to hone her skills as a professional musician and educator.

Katie’s passion for Afro-Latin music has been a guiding light for years. She is a member of La Fórmula Music Productions, a collective of artists dedicated to performing the music of Latin America. She plays trumpet, transcribes, and orchestrates music for the big band, which is Cincinnati’s largest Latin band. Katie also performs bachata, mariachi, and Cuban son with La Fórmula. Katie can be found playing salsa with Columbus-based band Al Son del Iya as well. Every chance to play Latin American music gives Katie opportunities to expand her musicality and nurture her love for learning about music from Central and South America.

Katie enjoys marrying jazz harmony with hip-hop grooves and pop energy in her jazz fusion quartet “Microbat”. The freedom inherent to a quartet setup allows the group to stretch their improvisations into new territories, exploring the unique energies of each song. She is energized by the musical diversity of Microbat, which plays Remi Wolf right after Pat Metheny, and tops it off with original compositions and arrangements. Microbat performs regularly throughout the Cincinnati area and is working on recording music for the indie video game “The Murder on Hemlock Drive”.

Katie is passionate about being the best possible teacher for her students at MYCincinnati and in her private studio. MYCincinnati provides free music education to students in Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood. Katie’s position as brass teaching artist allows her to grow the program while teaching and learning from her students, ages 8 to 18. She focuses on instilling a love for music alongside deep-seated self-compassion and discipline, leading to students who can achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Katie is continuing to play with Cincinnati-area jazz, pop, funk, and Latin bands, as well as fostering a love of music in her MYCincinnati and private studio students. She’s also working on developing Bachata La Fórmula by expanding repertoire and recording their debut original. She is looking forward to many more years of playing, teaching, and learning music!