Personnel Bio

MU1 Renee McGee

Musician 1st Class Renée McGee’s trumpet has brought her all over North America in the past few years as she has built a diverse musical career as a versatile trumpet player, bandleader, entertainer, recording artist, and pedagogue. A native of Stafford, Virginia, Renee earned her Master of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, where she directed the Five O’Clock Lab Band and became the first woman ever to play lead trumpet in the 7-time Grammy-nominated One O'Clock Lab Band.  Immediately prior to joining the Coast Guard, she completed a residency with the U.S. Airmen of Note and was endorsed by the S.E. Shires Company as a performing artist.  Renée earned her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina, during which time she played lead trumpet in the Disneyland All-American College Band, toured French-speaking Canada with the Montreal-based Orchestra of the Francophonie, and formed her very own dance band, South Road Swing. Renée is currently based in southeastern Connecticut, where she plays lead and section trumpet with the U.S. Coast Guard Band. Renée hopes to curate a studio of motivated and curious trumpet students over the coming years.