Music and Gender
September 21, 2024
Throughout history and even in my own experiences there have
always been societal stereotypes in musical preferences of different genders. Most of society believes that young girls only want to
listen to popular boy bands and pop, while males are more acceptable to listen
to country and rap music. I have dealt with this firsthand, because I have
had a friend who only listened to boy bads. She told me that the genres of music
I listened too were not feminine enough. Of course, I do not mind listening to boy
bands occasionally, but that is not my favorite, nor would I want to listen to
just that all the time. I have also seen this happen with boys liking pop music
which is mostly expected for just women to listen to.
There are also ways that music can have different gender
standers when it comes to playing instruments. I have noticed just by listening
to music and when doing research that women are usually expected to play
instruments like the violin and the flute while the tuba and percussion is more
expected for males. I have been to many concerts, and I can’t name one time I’ve
seen a women playing the tuba. Not because it doesn’t happen, just because it’s
more uncommon. It is also more common for males to take the on leadership
position of a band and play the drums.
One of my all-time favorite percussionists is Bobbie Hall. She began
playing and breaking social expectations when she was just a teenager. She made
many records with some of my favorite singers such as Bill Withers and Bob Dylan.
She was known as The Queen of percussion. She performed for other musicians
in her later years such as pink Floyd, Stevie Nicks and Bob Seger. She was a
backbone for women’s movement in the musical world and gave many girls someone
to look up to because this was very uncommon.
In this video it shows how great of a drummer Bobbie Hall is
and why I have always loved listening to her preforming.
These women faced many sexist challenges, and they helped pave the way for women today
I love the Go-Go's, and I totally agree they were so unique and different for their time in the best way possible! They paved the way for many women after them to be brave and do something unexpected. I have heard of Bobbie Hall before, and that video was super cool! She definitely defied gender norms and was absolutely amazing at what she did, and I also love the bands she performed with!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I've never heard of Bobbie Hall, I know so many artists she's performed with! She seems like such a passionate woman and powerful player. Also, the Go-Go's are so iconic, I love them! Their music always puts me in a good mood. Especially in rock (although their music is more pop-y), it's so hard for woman to become as mainstream as they did!
ReplyDeleteNorah, I liked how you started the blog off with typical stereotypes and giving some background information on societies music interests. I agree with everything you said, how males are more accepable to listen to country and rap and women to pop and boy bands. I can't yet figure out why that is but that is something that interests me a lot. Also, I have listened to the Go-go's before and I like the vibe and the style they have. It makes me want to get up and jump and scream.
ReplyDeleteHi Norah, I am so glad someone else knows about The Go Go’s! I totally agree with you by saying they broke a lot of social norms. I love how they were brave enough to be different from other women and sing and make music even though it was challenging. What I also noticed in this song was it highlighted the talent of female musicians but also serves as an anthem for empowerment and breaking gender norms in the music world!
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ReplyDeleteHi Norah! I like how you mentioned that your favorite band The Go Go's didn't let society tell them how to act. Even though they were criticized they didn't let that stop them. Pushing through adversity like that can pave the way for younger generations to have the same fight as them.
ReplyDeleteBobbie Hall stood out to me the most from your selections. Her work as a percussionist, especially collaborating with legends like Bill Withers and Bob Dylan, is so inspiring. It’s incredible how she defied societal expectations and became a key figure for women in the music industry. I also loved your mention of the Go-Go's—they broke barriers in a male-dominated space, and their bravery really paved the way for future generations of female musicians.
ReplyDeleteHi Nora! I love that you wrote about this personal experience to open ur blog with because I can totally relate to listening to "out of the ordinary" genres of music. You also helped me learn about Bobbie Hall and I think that is actually very fascinating.
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