Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Why We Dont Have Famous Female Composer In History ?

Hildegard von Bingen. Would she have been able to compose or even get the education if she had not been a nun?

It should also be noted that creating an artistic work, or performing brilliantly is one thing. Getting that artistic work shown or read or published, and then out to the public - ditto for performance - is another. There is a business end of it, and willing partners who will help make it happen. That's where society comes in. And that may include access to education and training.

I wonder why are there more men Pope than women. Maybe men are better than women at religious stuff...

I find that, if not correctly position, a question can lead to any kind of silly conclusions, delusions, discussions etc... Even if the original question could make sense under a certain light.

And I am happy to see that there are at least a few answers that really make sense and try to build/explain something, keep up the good work.

they are not famous

And that's a different problem, isn't it?

There are many excellent female composers who have written a great deal in the last hundred years, yet their works remain relatively unknown. In the last few years, I've performed music by Dring, Decruck, van Appledorn and Zaimont, and I regularly use music by Telfer, Rahbee, and Louie in my teaching.

One thing I've noticed is that it often takes some leadership and strong teachers to get things moving. The RCM syllabus in Canada has been very proactive about promoting the music of Canadian composers, and it's really helped bring the music of Canadian women to light.

I wish teachers here in the states were a little more proactive about modern music. A lot of teachers still think Bartok is modern and Muczynski is cutting edge.

Let's not discuss something in the past (different conditions). Let's talk something far more smaller scale such as song writing, arranging, conducting, etc. For the last 50 years, it seems that men have dominated the top positions, such as John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Marvin Hamlsich, etc, etc.

Have there been a big name female arrangers, conductors, song writers, etc, etc. I cannot think one.

Don't women have the same freedom to sit and write a 2 ot 3 min songs? Women have exactly the same opportunities. But they still do not produce music at the same level as men. What is missing in this equition?

No, on both bolds, sadly. And I said earlier this thread is a proof of that!

BTW:

Lady Gaga,
St. Vincent
Badi Assad

to name a few successful creators in the pop industry.

As for singer-songwriters:

Dolly Parton
Joan Baez
Petula Clark
Joni Mitchell
Loretta Lynn
Madonna

And many of the women associated with Lilith Fair.

Could you please elaborate what prevents women from having freedom to write pop songs. It is not like a 40 min complex music. It is only melody and chords.

What kinds of things that prevent women from having the same opportunty as men? Women can promote her work or performance abilty via Youtube. For example Valentina Litsissa. She promoted herself via Youtube.

These days, women can become a CEO, so I do not believe women do not have the same opportunity, especially writing songs. If the songs are good, people will listen and buy, regardless the artist female or male.

That Island in the Stream song was not written by Dolly Parton. It was by Bee Gees.

The mentality of various people (including members in here and in this thread), perhaps?

And to think that me and Kreisler both provided names of VERY successful female creators! Are you sure you got that?

Social reasons and the mentality of various people (including members in here and in this thread), perhaps?

Considering that you actually believe that women cannot be successful as composers, what else is left to say? You simply cannot accept this as a possibility, right?

I mean what is it that you don't get? You don't accept the fact that women can be as good as men in composing. This alone creates the problem: Your reception of what women can do is heavily biased!

What were the different conditions? It was only posted so you could make fun of another poster for his profession?
I just want to clarify your argument:
1) In this thread you said that as a general rule, composers aren't real musicians because they only started doing so as a result of lack of talent at performing.
2) Here, you're saying that female performers (such as Valentina Lisitsa) are able to freely market themselves so find just as much success as men. Yet you fault them for not doing the same with composition.

I can only conclude from your two statements that there are fewer famous female composers because fewer failed at making it as performers than men. Or did you have a different train of thought? Please enlighten us. If you're only saying these things to be deliberately argumentative and belittle others, then maybe it's time we started to ignore your posts so that the discussion can be more constructive.

If RS wants to know why more women didn't compose he only needs to look at recent history. The lastest wave of the Women's Liberation Movement is only 50 years old. It is still in its infancy, as evidenced by the reactionary, chauvinistic comments in this thread. Women in western culture are still fighting for equal opportunities. Sadly, there are still many cultures where women are completely oppressed.

Ronald, you want to hear what kinds of things prevent women from succeeding?? Here are some of my experiences: In my 20's I was denied access to adacemic scholarships in a male dominated field because I was female. I remember being told by the high school guidance counselor: "You don't want to take physics. There are only boys in that class and you wouldn't be comfortable there." I remember being told I had to sweetly provide coffee for my boss' visitors even though this was way out of the purview of my job and my desk was completely on the other side of the building. There were men much closer. I remember asking why I was assigned to demonstrate something at an electronics convention in another city when I did not have the skills. I was told point blank that it was because I had big breasts. This was not that long ago.

Women have been and still are being denied opportunities and education. Saying there are fewer famous women composers because they lack potential is small minded and ignores the fact that women were denied education and opportunities. It will take time for women to take their rightful place beside men in all fields. There are fewer famous composers because society denied them the ability to step forward. (I suspect many men deny women's potential out of fear they will be surpassed. Women are not looking for dominance. We just want equality.)

Whoosh!

WHAT AN AWESOME THREAD!!!!!!!!!

And most of Petula's big hits were written by Tony Hatch.

I agree with what you say about education, work etc.
However, it is just writing music. The products will speak by itself, there are place to advertize. In the corporate world the situations are different. The majority needs to like you as a person in order for them to hire you.

Music is different, if you perform well, you will win the competition. I do not see the analogy between academia, corporate world and writing music or playing music. Again the products speak.

A corporate atmosphere is representative of the atmosphere in all of society. You can pretend that the musical world stands outside of prejudice but it doesn't. You can't advertize if you husband holds the purse strings or refuses to let you publish. If you were not married society assumed there was something wrong with you. If you were a performer, it was assumed you were a prostitute. Imagine having the talent but being forced to damage your reputation or hide behind your husband's trousers (or change your name to a male one.)

As you say, "let the products speak": One of the reasons women are now taking their rightful places in world class orchestras is because auditions are conducted behind a screen!

I guess I'll ask again. Please tell me WHY Ron.

Asking once again...please tell me WHY.

There are many things in our life that functions very similar to corp life. My sister is a professor at a medical school in Southern Calif, she told me that it is very difficult for a white female to become a faculty there, but it is easier for Asian female. The reasons is that white females are hard to control them. It is better to have Asian female faculties (easy to be controlled). The hardest is for Asian male to be faculty member of this medical school.

I agree with audition. The physical look and charisma of the artist are one of the major consideration. If they (the men) do not like you, how great your performance, you will not be hired.

Composing is totally different. Society does not pay attention to the composers, as long as the music sounds good, they buy. I do not know who Michael Buble was, I heard his music first and like it. I careless whether the composer male or female. I am not convinced about your argument stating that women have many restrictions in music composing industry.

Again product speaks louder than the creator.

Diane Warren is probably the most successful songwriter in the world alive right now, with over 80 Top 10 hits, and a career that very few men in history have ever even come close to matching.

Anyway, I hope you realize that with every post, you're providing the women's rights movement with evidence that men have absolutely no intelligence at all.

Thinking about it a little more, I would add Linda Perry to the list of songwriters with numerous smash hits in the last 10 years, and above and beyond even these, I'd add Carole Kaye, who composed and performed the bass lines on just about every single hit of the '60's and '70's.