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The Morning Show - With Jill Riley

Coffee Break: Instrument Virtuosos -

Coffee Break: Instrument Virtuosos

Lizzo plays flute at The Current, with Sean Anonymous and Dreamcrusher in 2013. (Nate Ryan/MPR)
Lizzo plays flute at The Current, with Sean Anonymous and Dreamcrusher in 2013. (Nate Ryan/MPR)Moran, Lydia

by Jill Riley and Rachel Frances

March 15, 2023

This week for Women’s History Month, we are putting the spotlight on the esteemed instrumentalists of the music industry. Some are classically trained, others self-taught. While many of these female artists are multi-instrumentalists as well as singer-songwriters, they typically identify with a specific instrument. For example: drummers like Karen Carpenter and Meg White, guitarists like Joni Mitchell and H.E.R., pianists like Nina Simone and Tori Amos, and violinists like Allison Kraus and Amanda Shires.

Let’s celebrate the remarkable women who are known for their virtuosic ability as instrumentalists. For today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that feature female instrument virtuosos?


Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played:
Bonnie Raitt – Thing Called Love
Tori Amos – Silent All These Years (89.3 In-Studio Performance)
Ike and Tina Turner – River Deep – Mountain High
St. Vincent – Surgeon
Lizzo – About Damn Time