Music and Gender
- Jhelani Jordan
- Jan 16, 2020
- 2 min read
Throughout my life, gender has played a large role in music, however it's always been a very subtle and inconspicuous thing. In books I would read and shows I would watch, women were usually playing instruments that were deemed softer like the flute. Boys and men however, would play instruments that were loud and large, like the tuba or the sousaphone.
To go even further with this; there was a boy in my high school band, he was pretty smart, very lanky and wasn't what society would expect a guy to look and act like. He also played the flute. I remember a few people would joke about him being effeminate partially because of how he looked, but often they would link it back to his instrument.
At one point in my life, I did wish I had played a "prettier" instrument like the flute because it was often associated with "prettier" girls. However, that train of thought was quickly abolished, as I really enjoyed and was good at bass clarinet.
Apart from band music, I noticed that there are expectations for what kind of music men and women listen to. This is a time where people are more aware of their sexism, so it's not as prevalent in today's society. However, growing I noticed that was expected of girls to like pop and only pop. Men were to like everything except pop. Women specifically were usually attacked by male gatekeepers whenever they expressed interest in anything like Metal or Rock, but were also attacked by men for liking pop. It was very difficult to find music that enjoyed without being criticized for it, which is why I am into so many different types of music now. I could apply this to other parts of life unrelated to music, but that would take many paragraphs.
At the end of the day I am aware that all kinds of music can be enjoyed regardless of gender and I refuse to let society dictate what I like.
I discovered this video while looking at some of Velvet Brown's performances. It's a group of female tuba players, and they're all amazing. (Please excuse the profanity in the beginning).
So here's my Velvet Brown story: Last spring, I was called at the last minute--like, four hours before the concert---to sit in with the Greenville Symphony and sight-read the 2nd oboe part. And the soloist was Velvet Brown. She played the John Williams tuba concerto, which was awesome, but then she came back out and did two encores. The first was basically her improvising some fast and funky jazz, which was cool, but then she did a slow folk ballad. I honestly don't remember what it was, but it left everyone in tears. It was gorgeous.
It's such a shame that people make fun of others for doing something they enjoy. I hate that music is so gendered and that people feel the need to share their opinions on it.
I have experienced so many men that acted as gatekeepers to music, especially when I was in high school. They were the type to make women feel embarrassed for liking almost anything, and if you were not an expert on a particular genre, you were deemed unworthy to listen to it at all.
I was always looked at differently because I enjoyed rock bands, usually more so than Taylor Swift most of the times. Interesting how people try to make music more feminine or masculine.
-Kathleen Holcombe