March is “Women in History” month and as I was researching women in music history it was absolutely fascinating. There is a lot of fantastic music out there by both men and women (plus those that don’t identify with either gender). So, why should we specifically include female composers in our repertoire rather than just looking for great music?
The quick answer is that it’s too easy to fall into routines, mindset patterns or even ignore our blindspots (which since we are “blind” to them is understandable). Here are 3 surprising, non-music reasons to include more female composers in your studio.
Students Need Role Models
Developmentally children go through stages when they tend to gravitate more towards a particular parent or mentor. When our twins were younger, they went through a stage where they were highly protective and would glare at any male that dared enter the house. From the safety of behind my legs, of course. Thankfully, the delivery people and others handled it well. This was followed by a stage where ‘Mommy’ was to blame for everything. Daddy could do no wrong and Mommy … well, Mommy was just a ‘girl’. Even with my husband doing his best to point out why this wasn’t the case, I was so relieved when this stage ended.
Fast-forward to now and while adolescence has the boys looking towards their dad (same gender), they also see me as a strong female role model of what is possible for women to achieve. Not only can women play video games, but we can run our own businesses, present at conferences, and write music. Plus, I had to smile when one of my sons excitedly informed me he had found my (promo) picture online when working on a school project.
Our students need musical role models that they can relate to. And, that changes over the course of their development.
When we make a point to include female composers, we make a point of increasing the diversity within our studios. And, we let our students know we care enough to give them role models they can aspire to.
An Under-Represented Musical Canon
I have a feeling this next statement will resonate with a lot of teachers. Growing up, I rarely (if ever) played music by female composers. Having said that, we weren’t having a widespread conversation about diversity and what that looks like in music either. My piano teachers taught me amazing music and built a love of piano playing that continues decades later. That’s nothing to scoff at. It’s something to celebrate!
But, when I look at the female composers my students have easy access to in method books or online, it’s hard not to feel a little jealous.
While great strides have been made to close the gender gap in the repertoire, there are still an overwhelming number that do not include music history’s female composers.
Have you noticed that the majority of female composers shown in method books are from the mid-to-late 20th century to now? As an industry, we are working towards closing this gap. But, unless we make a point to include female composers from each musical era this gap will persist. Click below to get ideas for including more music history during upcoming group lessons!
Lack of Diversity in Public Performances
There is something about going to the theatre. Dressing up (though it’s not always required), hearing the symphony or orchestra warming up, and listening to live music with incredible acoustics makes for a wonderful way to spend a few hours. At least in my humble opinion.
But when I think about the composers that I’ve heard, it’s been all male. That isn’t to say that there might not have been works by female composers. Sadly, I hadn’t thought about specifically seeking out those performances and so I wasn’t aware of them if they were even there.
The statistics support this unfortunate story. The number of pieces performed by major orchestras in the U.S. ranges from 0% to 13%, depending on the year. (Read NPR’s interview with Jennifer Higdon to find out why this is.) The years that orchestras have only male (or those that identify as male) composers featured can be due to many reasons, but there is one likely reason. They didn’t make a conscious point of including female composers on the roster. Or, composers of colour or composers that are just starting out or … the list goes on. See how easy it is to forget?
There is a reason why students look to modern music for role models. It’s not just the sound of the music. It’s the ease in which they can find performances (both live and online) to people that look and sound like the people they want to become.
When I stream music, it’s great to hear the sheer number of not only female musicians, but female composers! While I may not like everything I hear, gender equality is much closer than when I listen to classical music. Unless I make a point of searching out classical women composers. The same holds for our students.
An Easy Way to Include Women Composers
Part of encouraging diversity in our studios is giving students access to the musical role models that best represent the person they aspire to become. And, that means including a wide variety of music and music history beyond the original classical canon.
Did I miss a reason to include female composers in repertoire?
Let me know in the comments!
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