Lulu Fall, who has been singing since she was 8 years old, decided to try drumming when she was in the eighth grade.

"So many people told me that the drums weren't ladylike, so eventually, I quit," the jazz studies senior said.

She said she wishes someone would have told her that instruments don't connect with a specific gender — music is about how passionate someone is about the instrument or songs.

Fall is a vocalist for the Women in Jazz concert, which will promote women's involvement in the arts and music performance in celebration of Women's History Month.

The show is at 8 p.m. tonight in room 103 of the Music Practice Building. It is presented by jazz students, Assistant Professor of vocal jazz Sunny Wilkinson and the MSU Women's Resource Center. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

This is the fourth annual Women in Jazz concert, and this year, the guest artist will be Brenda Flowers.

Flowers is a trombonist and vocalist from Dayton, Ohio. She has performed with musicians such as James Williams, pianist Mulgrew Miller and Maria Schneider.

"She came highly recommended by other faculty members," Wilkinson said. "She comes with a great professional reputation."

The students will perform about seven to nine songs with Flowers. After the concert, the group will host an open discussion with the audience.

"We hope to get the women's point of view in the jazz experience. We will be exchanging stories and giving words of advice to the younger players," Wilkinson said.

The students have been busy during the past few weeks sending out postcards to schools in the area, trying to encourage young girls to attend the event.

"This is a great opportunity to be a role model for some younger girls who want to get involved with jazz," said Sarah Slonim, a jazz studies and comparative cultures and politics freshman.

Some girls might not have the opportunity to see other girls involved in jazz, said Slonim, the group's pianist.

Mentoring is a central theme of the concert, Wilkinson said.

"The young girls may see the show's performers as role models. We have a graduate student who our students look up to. Then we have Flowers who could be a role model for everyone," Wilkinson said.

Fall said students draw inspiration from many famous jazz performers, and named Ella Fitzgerald as a significant source of inspiration for her.

"She is eclectic with her music," Fall said. "She puts feeling and energy into anything she sings.

"That's what I want to do when I sing, I want people to feel touched and connected whether it's a song about something silly or serious."

Slonim said she is influenced by Ingrid Jensen, a Canadian trumpet player.

"She has a lot of respect for her music and how she carries herself," Slonim said. "She doesn't let anyone treat her any differently than men."

A lot of people say jazz is a man's genre of music, Fall said. There aren't many women in the jazz program, she said, and it's important for people to know they can do anything, regardless of whether they're a man or a woman.

"I'm so passionate about the music," Fall said. "I want people to know that they shouldn't feel limited by what other people say or think, or what they see on television."

Fall said that she is more relaxed in front of a large crowd than a small group. But the positive side of performing in an intimate setting is that Fall feels she can connect with people on a more personal level and influence women.

"This is an opportunity for us to celebrate women in jazz and women's history month," Wilkinson said.