Women In Jazz
Introduction
Women have been major contributors to jazz since it’s emergence in the late 19th century, yet have all too often been forgotten in history. A lack of female historic role models, as well as several other major factors, have contributed to a disturbing under-representation of women in jazz. It is without question that the achievements of women in jazz lack the celebration that they deserve and are constantly over shadowed by their male counter parts. In the present day, the art form of jazz continues to be male-dominated, as proven by a shockingly low numbers of women holding teaching positions in jazz or even pursuing it at a post-secondary level. Whether it be through modern film depictions of jazz, such as La La Land (2016) and Whiplash (2014), the gender imbalance of top jazz education institutions, or the lack of initiative from the industry to address the issue, the number of women jazz musicians - particularly instrumentalists - continues to be devastatingly low. What is it about jazz that lends itself to be a male dominated craft? Is how we raising our girls having an unconscious impact on their pursuit of this art form?
History
Early 1900s
The earliest women in jazz were primarily pianists. This is because the piano was thought to be an acceptable instrument for women to play
1920s
The post-suffrage world of the 1920s saw a rise of women in jazz and the development of the flapper persona. Jazz created jobs for women and musicians such as Bessie Smith and Lil' Hardin began to pave the way for those who followed them. The end of the 1920s was a period called the Jazz Age, an era where jazz became popularized throughout the United States by the middle-class white population, although jazz music came from the traditions and ideals of African Americans. The post-suffrage world of the 1920s saw a rise of women in jazz and the development of the flapper persona.
1930s
The Great Depression caused many women to lose their jobs to men. Women were often seen working as pianists for male instrumentalists and jazz bands. Although some women were beginning to be recognized for their contributions to jazz, sexism was still very much alive and well in the industry, as proven by Downbeat magazine's article "Why Women Musicians Are Inferior", published in 1938.
1940s
As the men were sent of during World War II, women found greater freedom as jazz instrumentalists. Employers were forced to expand their hiring pool as many of the men who were involved in the entertainment industry were off at war. All women big bands, such as the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, were formed at this time.
1950s
Men returned from war to their regular jobs and many women were expected to return to being full-time housewives and mothers. However, television brought new employment opportunities to some.
1960s and 70s
The 60s and 70s brought on the Second Wave Women's Movement. Women in jazz understood the importance of documenting their history. Several Women's Jazz Festivals developed and all-women groups returned to popularity. However, sexism in the jazz world was still prominent.
1980s to present
Many well respected women have permeated the jazz world as masters of their instruments. However, overwhelming evidence suggests that jazz is still a heavily male dominated art form with the gender gap being very present to this day.
Lack of Female Role Models
One of the leading contributing factors of the low numbers of women in jazz would certainly be in the lack of female role models. This is particularly evident for instrumentalists, and less apparent for vocalists and pianists. Female jazz musicians are dramatically underrepresented in jazz history books, repertoire selection, and media depictions of jazz. Whiplash (2014) and La La Land (2016) are both culprits of this, as they perpetuate jazz as a male dominate art form by rarely, if ever, casting a women as a jazz musician. However, one can say that this could be an entirely accurate representation of even today's world of jazz. The birth and popularization of jazz was a transformative process for America, because it broke down certain racial barriers as the white populations adopted the traditions and ideals of African Americans. Jazz was a vehicle for moments of equality in America, white and African American musicians were sharing the stage, sharing ideas, and sharing the art form. You would think that perhaps jazz would have offered the same opportunity to acceptance and freedom when it came to gender differences, yet it fell short of this. As a result, the contributions of women to jazz failed to be documented and this fact still has an impact on the jazz world to this day. As young girls and women begin their music careers, they are rarely exposed to historic musical literature that was composed and recorded by women, making it subconsciously difficult for them to visualize their own contributions to the music. Not only is there a lack of historic female role models, but there is a massive shortage of women who are hired as professional jazz performers and educators. The numbers are particularly low in post secondary institutions, having a discouraging impact on the involvement of women who are enrolled in these programs.
| School | Number of Men Professors | Number of Women Professors |
|---|---|---|
| Capilano | 21 | 3 |
| Vancouver Community College | 12 | 2 |
| McGill University | 32 | 6 |
| Humber College | 60 | 4 |
| University of Toronto | 25 | 1 |
Gendered Instruments
The majority of women that have been recognized throughout history for their contribution to jazz have been either vocalists or pianists. This is because being either a vocalist or pianist was deemed acceptable if you were a female musician. Both of these roles align with the traditional view of what a women should be - perhaps more subdued, or offering the women to be retain a physically appeasing position while performing. This is in contrast to other instruments found in jazz, particularly the brass instruments, that tend to wield much louder and more aggressive roles in the musical literature. The issue of gendered instruments belongs to a much larger systemic issue of sexism. From a very young age, girls are celebrated for fitting in, encouraged to follow rules, and praised for remaining quiet. Our boys, on the other hand, are encouraged to stand out, be bold and aggressive, as "boys being boys" are. These gender roles are engrained at such a young age that it comes to no surprise that they have impacted instrument choice. Kathleen M. MacKeage explain in Gender and Participation in High School and College Instrumental Jazz Ensembles (Tucker, 2002, p. 978) that "while jazz has become an accepted part of instrumental music programs in both high schools and colleges (Mark, 1987), few researchers have studied the gender of the participants in these programs. In a study conducted in 39 New Jersey high schools where girls accounted for 48% of all band membership, 26% of jazz ensemble members were girls (Barber, 1999). In her 2001 study of middle and high school jazz festivals, Steinberg found that only 30% of paticipants were girls."
Improvisation
Improvisation is a defining aspect of jazz and exists when a musician essentially makes up melodic lines or parts on the spot, usually within the constraints of an established chord progression or scale. Improvisation is often done as a solo, meaning that the focus of the performance at that moment is entirely on this on individual. In jazz history, it was often times the ideas that musicians brought forward in their improvised solos that really pushed the boundaries of the art form. Often times, jazz musicians would even solo together on stage, trying to outdo one another in an almost battle of some sorts. Because of these factors, improvisation requires a certain level of aggressive playing, boldness, and fearfulness that is often encouraged in boys and men. Other forms of performing art, such as comedy, also struggle with being male dominated as they demand a similar level of assurance as jazz improvisation. A study done by Erin Wehr-Flowers explored the confidence levels between male and female jazz instrumentalists when it comes to improvisation. In his article Gender and Participation in High School and College Instrumental Jazz Ensembles , Erin explains ). "Typical instruction in jazz improvisation requires a student to begin to try improvising in front of other students. Such a setting is accompanied by the attention and judgment of those students. This setting might induce anxiety that hinders learning and creativity, particularly for young women and girls who perceive jazz as an inappropriate field for members of their sex. Ellen Rowe, currently chair of the Department of Jazz and Improvisation Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, remembers her personal experiences of not being able to handle the attention involved with soloing, stating that young men are encouraged to seek attention, whereas women are not given the tools of confidence or self-esteem to handle such attention."
Tokenism
Women who work or study in male-dominated field are often categorized into one or more of the following roles, as suggested by Erin L.Wehr's "Understanding the experiences of women in jazz: A suggested model"
Mother
The "mother" is seen as very caring, empathetic, and maternal. They tend to be "rewarded for their service rather than their professional contributions"
Pet
The "pet" is that token female who is seen more as a little sister and rarely taken seriously. A women who is perceived to fit into this role would not be seen as competition against her male colleagues.
Seductress
The "seductress" is a sexualized and praised for her physical appearance rather than her ability. The men in the group may become competitive over her.
Iron Maiden
The "iron maiden" is the woman who is perhaps aware of the above categories, and takes on a strong-willed persona in order to avoid being placed in one of them. As a result, she is desexualized and could face exclusion.
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References
Baber, Katherine. "Manhattan Women": Jazz, Blues, and Gender in On the Town and Wonderful Town. Vol. 31, American Music, 2013. Madura, Patrice Dawn. “Relationships among Vocal Jazz Improvisation Achievement, Jazz Theory Knowledge, Imitative Ability, Musical Experience, Creativity, and Gender.” Journal of Research in Music Education, vol. 44, no. 3, 1996, p. 252.
Mckeage, Kathleen M. “Gender and Participation in High School and College Instrumental Jazz Ensembles.” Journal of Research in Music Education, vol. 52, no. 4, 2004, p. 343.
Wehr-Flowers, Erin. “Differences between Male and Female Students Confidence, Anxiety, and Attitude toward Learning Jazz Improvisation.” Journal of Research in Music Education, vol. 54, no. 4, 2006, p. 337.
Penno, Anna. “"As long as I get to be me": The formative experiences of early career female jazz instrumentalists.” ProQuest Dissertations Publications, 2013.
Wehr, Erin L. “Understanding the experiences of women in jazz: A suggested model.” International Journal of Music Education, vol. 34, no. 4, 2016, pp. 472–48