Destiny Diggs Reflects on Being a Black Woman in Today’s Jazz Industry

Destiny Diggs, a 24-year-old jazz musician, has spent her life believing that her music could serve as its own form of activism. Primarily an upright and electric bass player, Diggs studied at the Manhattan School of Music and recently graduated from the Herbie Hancock Institute. Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in West Orange, she tells her story through the music she creates.

“I like to think of my music as a reflection of myself and what I’ve been through in my journey through music and in life,” Diggs said.

Diggs spoke with Isabella Appell about maintaining confidence as a woman in a male-dominated industry and how her music has inspired both herself and others to keep moving forward.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

What does jazz mean to you, not just as a genre but as a way of being?

Destiny Diggs: For me, jazz and all forms of black music, because I play hip hop and r&b, it reflects down from when blues started. It reflects soul and emotion and something you can actually pour into, which I find with classical music, it’s more written down. You have to follow a structure but with jazz, it’s a little more freeing, and you’re able to express yourself. 

IA: How do you navigate spaces in jazz that haven’t always made room for you?

DD: Growing up, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by women that looked like me, and played music that I was looking up to. Some of my biggest mentors are women in jazz. It wasn’t really a struggle until I got to college, and then I was the only woman in the whole jazz department. I feel like I navigated those spaces through having my mentors and finding men that are supportive and aren’t feeding into the things that aren’t progressing as a genre. 

IA: What do you hope your music teaches people? What message are you hoping to project while you’re playing?

DD: Just that it’s possible–that it doesn’t always have to be serious, it doesn’t always have to be emotional, it can be fun. A lot of my music reflects what’s happening in society, even today or back then. I just want people to feel a sense of relief and healing whenever they leave my concerts. 

IA: What do you carry from the women who came before you, in your genre of music or even people close to you, that helped you pave a place for yourself in the industry?

DD: The biggest advice I’ve gotten from all of them is to keep going. I’ve come to them when I want to quit or when I can’t do it anymore. If something happens, they’ve all been through it and have been through worse than us. They say just to keep going because you have something to say, your voice is important, and people need to know what you’re feeling.

IA: As a big mental health advocate, how do you take time for yourself, especially as a musician when you can’t just stop everything you’re doing?

DD: I think a lot of times in the jazz community, or music in general, when you’re focused on a specific career path, you just want to keep succeeding. You get so honed in that it’s hard to even find the time for that stuff because it feels like if you’re not focusing on your craft, you’re lacking. I’m still trying to find the balance–take time off, once a week, do no gig. I gotta work, I gotta pay rent, so I’m trying to find the balance. I haven’t found it yet. 

IA: When you’re performing, what part of yourself do you feel most connected to?

DD: I’d say my vulnerability and letting go of my brain for however long that is because I feel like I’m a lot in my head most of the days. Getting on stage, I get to actually express my feelings, which is different for me. 

IA: If your younger self could hear your music today, what do you think she would say about it?

DD: She would be so, so proud. It’s crazy. 

IA: How is your music a form of activism? 

DD: As a black woman playing a male dominated instrument, I’d say that in itself is a form of activism. In terms of charity work, I’m trying to gear up for some extra stuff to give back to the community and people that come from situations like me. I do a ton of charity concerts for homies from Ukraine and helping people out that are dealing with issues I typically wouldn’t know anything about. 

IA: Are there any other messages that you hope your music will do for people?

DD: I hope to be a healer through my music and inspire the next generation to be able to keep going, despite anything they’ve been through. Especially people that were either adopted, people that came from urban neighborhoods, people that didn’t have resources, etc. I just want to be a mentor and inspire more people.