this is me.
my Bio.
Lexi Hamner, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and versatile producer, hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she began her music studies at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Lexi, also known as Lexicocoa, has 16 years of experience playing soulful trombone and has been singing since age 4. She has written and composed music since the age of 12. Her musical abilities led her to study with the likes of Peter Norton, former trombonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the illustrious director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis. Throughout her middle and high school career, Lexi performed and competed nationally and internationally at the Verona International Choral Competition Italy, Festival Disney, and Disney Music in the Parks. She has also participated in masterclasses with Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, Evelyn Glennie, Todd Stoll, and Steven Turre, among other established artist. During her summers, Lexi participated in the ‘Summer Jazz Academy’ curated by Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Lexi graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music as a Presidential Scholar and Sarah Vaughn scholarship recipient with a B.A. in Songwriting. During her studies at Berklee, she was instructed by Tia Fuller, the world renowned jazz saxophonist & composer, who taught her to step outside her comfort zone & stand in her own power. One of Lexi's most significant experiences was stepping into the world of flamenco during her sophomore year in Berklee's study abroad program in Valencia, Spain. Since graduating, Lexi was chosen as one of the inaugural Next Jazz Legacy awardees of 2022 with New Music USA, where she was mentored by Terri Lynne Carrington, Bobby McFerrin, and Tia Fuller. As part of the grant program, Lexi was given the opportunity to participate in Tia Fuller’s 2022/2023 "Intersections" tour. When Lexi is home in Cincinnati, she plays as 2nd/3rd chair in the Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra, which she has played in since 2021. She teaches ‘Black Music of America’ to 4th-6th graders in conjunction with Cincinnati Public Schools & instructs jazz trombone at the ‘Cincinnati Jazz Academy’. Lexi now tours with Janelle Monae as the lead trombonist. In the fall of 2023, Lexi played in Janelle’s National U.S. tour, “The Age of Pleasure.” As of this summer, she has opened with Janelle Monae for COLDPLAY’s “Music of the Spheres” World Tour. As Lexicocoa continues to grow in her artistry, she hopes to be so genuine that she inspires people to explore beyond the mundane traditions of music through her sound.
"Jazz & Gospel were the perfect genres for me to express my life experiences. I found much joy in creating songs that articulated my interpretation of the world and my place in it. Each note, dissonant chord, & lyric meant true liberation to me. With gospel, I wrote about my spiritual journey, my battle with self-doubt & finding my purpose in life. But with jazz, I added the theory of chord changes & instrumental improvisation. Through exploring both realms of music, I found my own distinctive sound. The culmination of playing Frank Ticheli & Pat Metheny in the classroom, singing "Pie Jesu" the requiem in the choir, and praising God through the Clark Sisters & Walter Hawkins songs in church, and hearing Take Six & Mint Condition at home made me that curious musician I was and still am today." - Lexicocoa
