Gender Discrimination in the Music Industry: Pop Stars, Composers and Orchestras - Essay Example

Gender Discrimination in the Music Industry: Pop Stars, Composers and Orchestras Introduction The Music industry is known for its youthful, reckless and glamorous culture. But the billion dollar industry, like any other business is also made up of tough work, careful planning and some traditional methods of implementing the strategies. These traditions unfortunately have not been very generous towards providing equal opportunities trod both the genders. Biasness and discrimination, whether intentional, institutional or otherwise has been a part of the industry and music history on the whole with the more ‘elite’ options being denied to women for a long period. Even with the introduction of emphasis modern instruments in the western world, women were dictated as to the instruments they could play and the positions they could realistically have in the musical society. Even in the Victorian era documents it is evident that “women were simply not included in the questions musicologists and historians were asking” (Reynolds, 2009, p2). Today’s modern world celebrates female artists, at least in theory. We have millionaire pop artists, inspired classical composers and generations of girls enrolling in music programs. But the decades of societal constraints placed upon them have led to a misbalance on their participation and nurturing in the arts of music. Even in studying, music the social constructs still divert girls towards certain lighter instruments and downplay their abilities to master other popular, or economically stronger instruments or forms of music (Reynolds, 2009, p and Phelps, 2010). Women constitute a significantly smaller part of the classical music scene than men and in the popular music arena they are faced with issues of sexism and ageism not leveled against their male counterparts (Lindvall, 2010). Some have described the modern music industry as “celebrating a bullying culture against women (Smith, 2013). Heritage of the Classical Music Most of the notable female names in the classical music before the 19th century are of those who had used their male connections to get a foot into that world. Clara Schumann is alleged to have her compositions performed under the name of her famous husband Robert Schumann (1810-1855) as the audiences wouldn’t have accepted her work otherwise (AP, 1987). The men of power in the industry did not think that women had the necessary intellect or physical capacity to lead an orchestra or play the more strenuous instruments. Women were considered a distraction and somehow these sentiments have continued to exist well into the 21st century. In the 1970s and 1980s the orchestras adopted the novel technique of blind testing new recruits to their ranks. The policy was adopted to overcome possible hiring gender biases in the process. The results, shown by various researches, indicate that the blind screen increases the probability that a woman will be advanced out of preliminary rounds by about 50% (Goldin and Rouse, 1997). Approximately 30% of the increase in number of women serving in orchestras today can be attributed to the blind screens. The reason such a step was necessary was because social differences still exist and so does the “old boy network” that is the basis of all new recruits and promotions within orchestras. As most prominent conducting positions are occupied by men, they choose to favor their own gender (AP, 1987). Recently, an expose by CBC music, compiled the data on the Canadian orchestras; citing that some of the most prominent orchestras have the smallest number of women concerto soloists with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal having the fewest with only three women invited on stage next season (Morreale, 2014). Perhaps the blind screen tests are not working, or perhaps they are purposefully being ignored (Phelps, 2010). Comments and actions from the industry’s prominent participants have indicated that there is still level of resentment and bias against females, especially in the upper echelons of the classical musicians. Yuri Temirkanov director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic callously remarked that conductors need strength and “the essence of women in their weakness” (Morreale, 2014). While the number of women in orchestras over the world in increasing and their contribution as conductors and composers being recognized. There are still subtle social obstacles in their way which negatively impact their professional growth and economic choices in the long run (Phelps, 2010). As Mélanie Léonard former associate and resident conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra explained "It’s never something people will admit to your face. If there is a disadvantage, it’s a silent threat,". (Morreale, 2014) Composing for Modern Girls   There are legions of young girls interested in music, both classical and modern. The internet has made it easy to listen to their voices and their struggles and their love for the craft. At the University of British Columbia’s School of Music, 67 per cent of first-year students this year were female, while at McGill’s Schulich School of Music, 48 per cent of this year’s first-year students were female. (Morreale, 2014). Female students make up more than 50% of enrollment in music programs in college freshmen years, unfortunately by the next year about one-third of them have moved to other educational ventures (Reynolds, 2009). Girls are often disappointed after enrollment with low number of female’s role models and female produced music available for studying. For some reason social constraints have made the it much harder for the music industry to reach equilibrium in gender participation than the literature and the visual arts (Andrew, 2012). In the professional world the same dynamics continue; UK’s performing Rights Society of composers, songwriters and music publishers has only 14% of female members at this point. Music camps, clubs and workshops which focus on supporting female students is one step to solve this misbalance (Kravitz, 2013). If girls are presented with examples and role models for female creators in a variety of genres of music and can find female artists to relate to, it is probable that they will be more motivated to pursue a music career and confront the old boy networks and biases existing in the music industry. While performers still have to bear with a media which is more interested their appearances and fashion sense more than their musical contributions; officially the orchestra directors and conductors are stating that they are actively looking for more diversity in their artists (Morreale, 2014). Pop Music: Empowered or Exploited Speaking of appearances, dressing and attractiveness, these factors are an undeniable part of the equation making up today’s modern pop music. It is a multi-billion dollar business which is still largely controlled by males in the backstage. Only 15 percent of American label members are majority-owned by women. PRS claims that only 13 percent of writers registered are female with the Music Producers Guild having even less than 4 percent. (Resnikoff, 2013). This often results in a industry that produces music mainly targeted for its male audience and female artists are used to deliver this product in the most appealing way. The highest selling female artists are admired as much as for their looks and presentation as for their signing abilities; Charlotte Church a former British teen pop star spoke about her experiences to an audience declaring that the industry has only three roles defined for the average female singer i.e “One of the Girls’ Girls, Victim/Torch Singer or Unattainable Sexbot” (Resnikoff, 2013). All the three roles are defined in terms of their relationship with men, with the visual presentation also designed as to appeal to the same gender. There is heavy debate going on that utilizing sex-appeal and glamour is a choice that is empowering for the artists who are free to express themselves in a way that presents a lot of choice and removes societal pressure to conform to moral policing. It is also a choice that has proven to be a fast path to success in today’s visual based world (Trent, 2013). However, this visual effect is a double-edged sword as it also brings in two of the main issues confronting the female artists: sexism and ageism. A bitter reality is that female artists are usually attached with an “expiration date”, a double standard that is not an issue for their male counterparts. The trend of objectifying women in pop music is so common place that it is not something people think twice about anymore (Smith, 2013). Currently, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce and Rihanna are a few of the top grossing artists whose videos and persona are built around the idea of the empowered yet sexy yet vulnerable women. They are both lauded and criticized in the mass media for their provocative outfits and videos; but have massive followings. The same cannot be said for pop star Mariah Carey whose music career restarted after the release of her album The Emancipation of Mimi  in 2005 but the overwhelming response was focused on her videos and her dressing. A mini skirt was deemed too inappropriate for her as she had already crossed the age of 35 (Trent, 2013). This trend which could arguably be traced back to the Queen of Pop Music ‘Madonna” also provides us with another example of the limited limelight of the pop industry. While she still has devoted fans over the world the singer has been unable to have any further critical success; a lot of negative comments regarding her last album dealt with the fact that she was just ‘too old’ to be performing any more. On the other hand, younger starlets trying to imitate the industry standards are often name called and shamed for trying to act that way. The media is not a friend for these female artists. Male performers, admired mostly for their musical skills do not have to go through such scrutiny. In fact the audience is willing to forgive them of much more than just age and looks. Jay-Z’s suggestive dance moves or LL Cool J’s shirtless performance were not derided as indecent even though both performers are middle aged (Trent, 2013); Robin Thicke’s “Blurred lines” was demeaning and inappropriate in its portrayal of women yet it shot up the charts. Mick Jagger is amongst the oldest performers in the industry and though there is criticism about the performances themselves, it is not over the fact of how he looks or his age. These male artists are seldom the target of unwelcome analysis of their looks and personal lives from the media and ther audience (Kravitz, 2013). All of this is not to suggest that there are not female artists out there who are making substantive music and doing so without having to utilize their “feminine appeal”. There are many such talented singers, composers and performers, who manage to stay away from these industry standards, but the cards are stacked against them and hence they don’t often make it to the top easily. Behind the scenes One other aspect to consider when discussing the differing attitudes that exist for women musicians in the industry is to understand the dynamics at work behind the stage. The industry has been reprimanded for failing to recognize and reflect the female talent behind the scenes. In UK around 66% of people working in the industry are male. Women earn less than men; they represent less than 15% of managerial positions and even when they are part of the bigger set ups as owners or CEOs, they don’t want to be in the limelight (Lindvall, 2010). Women are again seen as lacking the physical, emotional strength and social support required to function in the high stress work environment of the music industry. The overall impact of this is that the ideas and perspective of women are not given the necessary voice in the industry and this goes on to effect the artists and performers looking to enter the market. A glass ceiling prevents women from going up the ranks in the controlling positions; if this could be changed it is probable that attitudes towards female artists will change as well. Women in power behind the music scene could provide much needed fresh input for the marketing and selection of artists that could change the nature of the industry itself. Currently the old boy networks and male dominated marketing ideas favor male artists as creators and favor women artists as a ‘product’; changing the number of women supporting the industry behind the scenes could challenge this thinking. Bridging the gap Recently, a Canadian electronic artist who goes by the stage name “Grimes” posted a rant against the sexist stereotypes in the music industry which quickly went viral. The universally acclaimed artists spoke out against the media expectations raised against her stating “I don’t want to be infantilized because I refuse to be sexualized.  To my mind, what this industry seems to want from of its women increasingly are sex objects that appear childlike” (Kravitz, 2013). Women artists whether in the classical or modern music industry are under a lot of pressure to look beautiful along with being talented and conforming to set standards. They have less freedom of options and choices than the male artists and this can be highly discouraging for the younger generation of female musicians and composers. But the feminist movements are going on to answer some of these issues. The answer as many female members of the industry are discovering is to be visible and allow them to be seen as a role model for aspiring artists of the future (Andrew, 2012). Kate Nash, a former British singer-song writer was compelled to leave the industry due to the bullying she received by the media over her weight and body image, now she is back in the business as the owner of a line of music clubs for young girls where they can learn how to play instruments and write songs (Smith, 2013). Similar positive role models can make all the difference in shaping the next generation of female musicians who can hold out on their own against the industry and their male competitors. Bibliography Morreale, M., 2014. Classical musics shocking gender gap. CBC Music. Retrieved from: < http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2014/3/Classical-musics-shocking-gender-gap > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Reynolds, L., 2009. (NO?) Strings Attached: Female guitarists in modern music. ProQuest Discovery Guides. Retrieved from: < http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/guitar/review.pdf > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Resnikoff, P., 2013. I’m Charlotte Church. And This Is How Women Are Routinely Demoralized by the Music Industry. BBC 6 Music’s annual John Peel Lecture, Digital Music News. Retrieved from: < http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/10/15/church > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Trent, T., 2013. Expired: Ageism, Sexism & Women in the Music Industry. The Lava Lizard, Boiling Point, Aug 2. Retrieved from: <  http://thelavalizard.com/2013/08/ expired-music-industry-sexism ageism/#ixzz3Avot5NES  > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Andrew, K., 2012. Why there are so few female composers. The Guardian, Feb 8. Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 August 2014] AP, 1987. Women Discuss Striving For Status as Composer. NY Times, Archives. Retrieved from: < http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/01/arts/women-discuss-striving-for-status-as-composers.html > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Goldin, C., and Rouse, C., 1997. Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of "Blind" Auditions on Female Musicians. National Bureau of Economic Research, NBER Working Paper No. 5903. Phelps, A.L., 2010. Beyond auditions: gender discrimination in Americas top orchestras. Theses and Dissertations, University of Iowa, Iowa Research Online. Retrieved from: < http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/874 > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Kravitz, K., 2013. Can the Music Industry Overcome Sexism? Huff Post Arts and Culture. Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 August 2014] Smith, E.C., 2013. The Music Industry Discriminates Against Women, Chapter 10 Million – By Kate Nash. Radio. Com. Retrieved from: < http://radio.com/2013/04/24/kate-nash-music-women-discrimination/ > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Lindvall, H., 2010. Behind the music: the gender gap shows no sign of closing. The Guardian, culture. Retrieved from: < http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/may/07/behind-the-music-gender-gap > [Accessed 20 August 2014] Read More