Reset...

I know in the Dayton metro area, female side "persons" are a very rare breed. I don't know of any female guitarists or keyboard players. I knew of one drummer about ten years ago but I believe she's either in a nursing home or possibly has passed away. There's a killer Trombone player I'm aware of, but never use and there are several harpists in Dayton who work a lot on the Wedding circuit.

If I think of singers, then the list is longer than all the above combined. I would be able to find a quality female singer more easily than I could a male vocalist.

How is it in your areas? How many kb, guitar, etc. females are you aware of?

If several people geographic regions report roughly the same things, that female kb players are rather rare in most places-then I suspect I'll have found the answer to my original question.

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Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 01-09-2010).]

Aside from classical music performed by symphony orchestras where strings dominate (slight edge in female players), I would guess from my own half-century of experience in music, that female instrumentalist make up no more than 2% of professional musicians working in 'pop' music. Probably no more than 50% of that number are keyboard players and of that number, only 10% (I'm being generous here) play arranger keyboards. Using those figures, we would need 1000 active male posters to produce one single female poster. Add to that the fact that the average female poster would never involve themselves in most of the bulls**t that permeates this board, and it's a wonder we see any female posters at all. Just my take on it. Is that on-topic, Bill?

chas

Sure, Chas...Thanks for getting us back on track.

I tried to search some of the American Federation of Musicians website for some demographic data, but couldn't find any...I think it would support your last post.

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Bill in Dayton

Hi Guys,
strangely enough, hubby was tv channel surfing New Years Eve, when we came across a Symphony Orchestra playing a New Years Eve Concert. I asked him to leave it for a moment, just wanted to check how many females. The camera was doing bit of wide pan. Would have been at least 60 to 80 Orchestra members, strings , horns etc we only spotted 1 female.

Thought it might have been an all male orchestra, but no. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to find out what Orchestra it was, hubby's not into Symphonies, but he did help me play , spot the female member. haahaa.

best wishes
Rikki

That's interesting, Rikki-thanks for sharing that...

Thinking back to my High School days...we always had more girls than boys enrolled in those courses. All the choir, band, orchestra teachers were male. In college, 3 males and 1 female were in the department. Currently for our daughter's HS, the two band director-asst., chorus teacher and orchestra teacher are all female.

My thought is that more females tend to fill teaching positions, than men...but men prevail in live performance...

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Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 01-09-2010).]

I think that this pinpoints the issue exactly. Society does encourages people to/away from activities based on sex. It is stupid but it is a fact. I'm sure there are many men that would be proficient in making teddy bears but they have never been encouraged to do so ... actually strongly discouraged. This starts at an early age even in school where males and females are encouraged or discouraged from taking certain courses. There has been a move to change this but it will take a long time before old attitudes die.

And men will post even when they have nothing to share but feel compelled to engage in d*** waving confrontations. It says a lot about female intelligence that they always refrain from getting involved in these childish and destructive interactions. Some men just can't control themselves and have their buttons pushed far too easily. Women just don't want to play this futile game.

I have never had to ban a woman from this forum.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 01-10-2010).]

My take on this women vs. men idea is pretty simple - the two sexes approach communication differently, for the most part. Even though both might excel in playing, some women aproach music differently also. I don't feel that a woman would want to (generally) participate in this type of forum. If there were a similar forum populated by a majority of women I'm sure you would find the topics, comments and replies much different than the men's. Sit down and listen to a group of women have a gabfest, then move over to a men's group and hear the difference. Topics, approach, style are vastly different. JMHO.

Sexism is taught both at school and at home. And once the brainwashing's been completed deprogramming starts but with far less effort. Hypocrisy at its best!

Regards

Taike

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Bo pen nyang.

I think it still boils down to child rearing... In pretty much ALL societies across the world, the female parent is stuck rearing the children, even if the male decides to try something as foolish as trying to make a career playing music fulltime! Women, at least, have the sense to know that the child is going to need at least ONE full time parent, and should they decide to make music their career, it's going to be only the tiny, lucky few who will be able to rely on their male partner to raise the children while they go out at night (and day!) to play music...

Hi Nigel,
let's face it, most men wouldn't admit to owning one, let alone create them.
As you said, we're stereotyped.

Strangley enough the "Teddybear" was named after President Roosevelt.

Elvis Presley owned a teddybear called Mabel. Poor thing was eaten by it's guard dog Barney, back in 2006. The then collector wasn't too happy. Mabel was valued at $75,000. ouch.

best wishes
Rikki
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Nigel:
[B] I think that this pinpoints the issue exactly. Society does encourages people to/away from activities based on sex. It is stupid but it is a fact. I'm sure there are many men that would be proficient in making teddy bears but they have never been encouraged to do so ... actually strongly discouraged.

[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 01-11-2010).]