International Women's Day: Why aren't there more women in classical music?

I will be honest and say that I didn't know that today was International Women's Day until I got on my laptop and saw the Google Doodle for today. But anyway, since it is today, I'd like to take this occasion to address a relevant topic that I've been thinking about for a while: Why aren't there more women in music?

At first it's not quite so obvious: you look around any music department and see plenty of female students. You can see plenty of women playing in an orchestra and hear their voices on the radio. But let's look at a typical evening at a symphony orchestra concert: Who is the conductor? Who is the concertmaster? Who are the guest soloists? Who are the composers on the program? In most cases, these roles are filled by men.

These questions have always been tucked in the back of my mind, but they only really came to the forefront when I started taking conducting courses. It started to trouble me that in my search for videos of professional conductors, while I have watched many very talented men conduct, I found very few female conductors. There are hardly any major orchestras who are led by women. It wasn't until 2007 that a woman, Marin Alsop, became the first female conductor of a major United States orchestra. She also became the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the BBC Proms, but that wasn't until 2013.

This is not new information; in the classical music world, women tend to be very underrepresented. And not just as conductors. Most flute students have noticed that while there are plenty of female flute students out there in the world, it seems that the majority of the well-known flute soloists who we listen to and revere are men. This goes for any instrument. Same with composers. Yes, there have been a handful of wonderful women composers who have made significant contributions to the classical music world (who we should take an extra moment to acknowledge!), but that's just it - a handful. What about now, in the 21st century? A 2014-2015 survey of orchestras in the U.S showed that of the works written by living composers that were performed in that year, only a mere 14 percent of these pieces were written by women.

The question is, why are these numbers still so low?

I don't think there is any one simple answer. There could be any number of factors. There are historical barriers to women's achievement that, sadly, have not completely disappeared. It could be the view that a conductor is traditionally a masculine role, and we as a society are afraid to challenge that idea. It could be that because there are so few models of women leaders in music, fewer women envision themselves as a soloist, the conductor of an orchestra, or the composer of a large work. There are also the remaining social stigmas placed on women who appear too confident or too powerful. There are invisible but strong barriers that prevent women from achieving musical leadership, even subconsciously. Ideology is powerful and tough to shake.

So, how can we change that? It is not going to be easy. While I know it may be a sensitive topic for some, I think it is an important conversation for all musicians and teachers to have. Women's contributions to music should be celebrated alongside those of men, and we should hope to see many more of them in the future by supporting them in the present. As a future music educator, I think it is crucial that all students are able to see themselves in any career that they choose to pursue.  I believe by bringing this topic, and other similar issues, into discussion, we can begin to hear the voices of many musicians that may otherwise remain silent. ♫

Practicing when you don't have time to practice...or do you?

When I first started my student teaching semester (which I will say was absolutely fantastic, but that's a story for another time), I was worried that I would not have as much time to practice flute as I have in past semesters. I have heard so many stories of music education students who stop playing when they start teaching. Yes, teaching is an enormous time commitment, but playing the flute is the reason I want to be a music teacher in the first place. Was that just going to disappear?

Well, as it turns out, they were right about one thing. I DIDN'T have much to time play. I used to be able to find at least an hour, maybe two, in my crazy music student schedule to practice, and that was great. But when you teach, you teach the entire day. After school, chances are you need to do lesson plans, or have errands to run, or you're just too physically tired to spend an hour or more practicing.

But, what I found out as the semester went on is that even though I didn't have as much time, it was still entirely possible to practice. And the best part? I actually felt like I improved more this semester than I have when I did have two hours to spare.

Why?
I think it's because when you have less time, you figure out how to use it wisely. Some days I had maybe 20 or 30 minutes to play. That's okay, because you can actually accomplish a lot in that short amount of time if you use it effectively.

Say you have 30 minutes. Where is your time best spent? The answer is different from everyone, but this is what helps me:

5 minutes of a tone warm up. Whatever that means for your instrument: long tones, harmonics, octaves, slow scales, breathing exercises, whatever warm ups give you the best possible sound.

10 minutes of scales. It doesn't matter which ones. Major, minor, chromatic, etc. Pick a few each day and cycle through them so that you play each one at least once a week. Change the articulations and tempos. Use different scale patterns.

10 minutes of arpeggios. Major, minor, 7th chords, anything. Mix up the articulations and patterns here, too.

5 minutes playing a piece. Any piece. As long as it is musical and your best playing. And have fun with it, that's why we play music in the first place. :) I found that if I was stressed, just taking out a favorite piece and playing through it was a good way to relax.

(Oh, and try to play something every day. Playing 10 minutes almost every day is more effective than one hour one day a week.)

An even better way to practice while teaching is to play for the students! I planned a lot of lessons at the elementary where I played flute to teach dynamics or style. And when I taught at the secondary level, I would play for or with the students whenever possible to model how to practice. It's so important for them to see a model of how to be a good student and a good musician. I also got much better at playing from memory and transposing this way.

Even if we don't think we have time to practice, we can still find a way to keep playing. The most important thing is to never stop playing music. ♫

Community Shows are the Best Shows

I absolutely love my small rural town community. I feel extremely fortunate to have grown up in a town that values the arts. Not just music, but theatre and dance as well, and in particular, the success of our growing community theatre program.

For the past two months, I've had the honor and privilege of working as the orchestra director for Ellington Community Theatre's summer production of The Music Man. It was such a wonderful experience; this show includes some of the best songs that I've heard in a Broadway show, and I feel so lucky to have been able to get to know this musical and conduct the pit orchestra performances. It's incredibly well written both narratively and musically. I don't think there's a more perfect show for community theatre than this one; it is entertaining, funny, thoughtful, and romantic, but at its heart, it's a story about how the joy of music can bring a community together.

It's about a town whose citizens are so stubborn that, as they say,"can stand touching noses for a week at a time and never see eye to eye," but as soon as they hear the promise of a band in town, all of that stubbornness begins to melt away. Men who used to argue amongst themselves begin to sing together. Women stop gossiping and turn to dancing instead. A boy who is too shy to leave the house or speak to his own family because of his speech impediment gains the confidence to speak, sing, and make friends because of his excitement of learning to play music. And even though Harold Hill started out as a greedy salesman and never intended to make the band a reality, the newfound strength and pride of the River City community makes it happen and transforms the town forever.

Music builds community. That's ultimately the goal that I'm striving for as I begin teaching (while I hope to be a bit more knowledgeable and qualified than Harold Hill when teaching children how to play music!) It's all about bringing the excitement of the arts to a community and using it to bring the entire town together.

And this show did just that. It is just incredibly heartwarming to see so many people from the community - those I went to high school with, their siblings, neighbors from down the street, friends of my parents, and the teachers who have had such an important influence in my life - all working together to create art and tell a story. And most importantly, having fun! It's been less than a week since we closed, and the cast is already excited to return to the stage next year. It's that kind of spirit that I love about this community, and I really hope that I'll have the chance to be a part of this wonderful program again next summer. ♫

Just Play

Home for the summer now, and honestly, I could not have asked for a better semester. I've grown so close to my friends and learned so much that I was actually sad to leave.

But one of the most important things that I kept getting reminded of this past year goes along with something I wrote about back in January: so many of us forget why we're in music.

You're in music school. Yes, it's school, but look around you: as a music major, you spend 12 hours a day (sometimes more) surrounded by other people who sing and play instruments at a college level, and want to get better at performing just as much as you do. So why are you not taking advantage of this?! Find a friend who's sitting out in the hall, go on IMSLP, print out a duet, and read it! Play duets, trios, quartets....transpose parts if you have to, but just get out your instruments and play something. Most likely, you'll never be in an environment like this again, so use this opportunity to make the most of it.

Or, just improvise something! We need more of that in our music programs. The ability to improvise shows a real level of creativity, musicality and understanding that many college programs don't stress as much as they should, and it has so many benefits - listening improves, intonation improves, internal rhythm improves, expression improves...and it's tons of fun! You make friends while becoming a better musician. Isn't that why you're here? So when you have a spare 15 minutes, take advantage of where you are and just make music.♫

For the Sake of Learning

Heads up, education majors! This is super important!

About two weeks ago, I attended a lecture (hosted by GIML) by Dr. Dina Alexander on "Inspiring Intrinsically-Motivated Students," at RIC. I honestly feel like it changed how I am going to look at teaching and assessment forever.

Dr. Alexander's presentation was really fascinating! The information was well-organized, well-presented, and addressed on one of the biggest challenges that teachers face: getting students motivated to learn.
Getting students motivated in music class seems like a no-brainer, but for some reason, many students still are not. If you're in band or chorus: shouldn't you enjoy practicing? Music is fun, right? So why don't the majority of students practice?

It's been awhile since I took my educational psychology class, but it's starting to come back to me now. Just to catch you up if you're not familiar with these terms:

Extrinsic motivation: students are motivated by external factors, such as working towards a material reward or avoiding punishment

Intrinsic motivation: students are motivated by internal factors, such as the joy of doing a task or the drive to improve one's skills

Dr. Alexander explained that psychologists have done experiments to see how the two different types of motivation affect student performance. Here's one that she explained that stuck out to me:

A group of children was divided into two groups, each child in a separate room. Each was told that they would be testing out puzzles for a toy company. One group was told to complete as many puzzles as they could. The other group was told that for each puzzle they completed, they would be given a cash reward (for example, $1 per puzzle). The purpose of the experiment was to see which children (paid or unpaid) would be more interested in completing the puzzles.

 

Which completed more?

 

After the allotted time had passed, an adult came into the room and told the child that their time was up; the adult said they had to leave the room for a few minutes, but would return shortly. After leaving and observing the child through the window, the psychologists found that the children who were given a cash reward (extrinsically motivated) stopped working on the puzzles and did something else for the few minutes they were alone. However, the children who were not paid (intrinsically motivated) continued to work on the puzzles even after they were told they no longer needed to!

 

How does that make any sense? Shouldn't the students who were given a reward be more motivated to complete the task?

Dr. Alexander explained that according to the Self-determination Theory of Intrinsic Motivation, people are naturally curious and intrinsically motivated, but we will become extrinsically motivated when rewards are involved. By attaching a reward for completing a task, it makes the task seem undesirable, and decreases the value of the task that we are asked to do in the first place. For example: if you practice clarinet for 15 minutes, you can watch TV. That is actually sending the message, "practicing is not as fun as watching TV, so get the boring task out of the way first!"

Wow. I never thought of it like that.

She also explained that grades can become a reward, which results in students becoming extrinsically motivated to practice. They are motivated to get an A for doing the minimum work instead of aiming to improve their playing...I already knew that I would hate giving grades, but now I'm going to hate giving them even more. And since teachers are usually required to give grades for music class, we need to find ways of grading that don't diminish students' desire to learn.

The takeaway: Dr. Alexander gave an alternative scenario in which students are intrinsically motivated to improve. Her suggestions: Do not diminish the value of learning (or practicing) by giving a reward. The joy of learning music is a reward all on its own! Give students the opportunity to discover that joy themselves. Show your genuine interest in their progress and improvement over time instead of emphasizing interest in their grades, and they will be much more likely to see practicing and making music as enjoyable rather than a chore. That motivation will make a significant difference in their performance in the long run.

This workshop really opened my eyes to issues of motivation and grading, and I definitely feel like I'll be using this information to design my classroom grading policies if I have to create one when I start teaching. After all, since the goal of music education is to help students discover a love of music, we should do everything that we can to help them make that discovery. ♫

...And we're back

Hello and welcome back!

I moved back into my dorm today...time to go back to school for the spring semester.

But I'm actually very excited about this one! Even though it promises to be busier than ever, I keep reminding myself that I'm in school for music. I'm going to be a music teacher. I get to do music all day. How much fun is that?!

I think a lot of times we get stuck in the mindset of "this is school" and "I can't wait to graduate," but if we chose to go to school for music, we must have loved it enough to make that choice. Shouldn't we want to go to rehearsal? Shouldn't we want to learn new instruments? Shouldn't we want to make music all day? Shouldn't we want to learn about the theory and history behind it all? 

I think the same could be said for any student, regardless of major. Let's not forget about why we wanted to study what we are studying. Let's reignite our interest, and let school become less of a chore and more of an opportunity.

Best wishes for a great spring semester! Don't forget to have fun! ♫

(Image: http://cdn.designrfix.com/)

Guessing Games: Focusing in those late night rehearsals

An average story of most of our lives: We’re up at 8am and run to a bunch of classes, and by the time it’s 4:00 in the afternoon, the only thing we feel like doing is going home and collapsing on the couch…but orchestra is later that night and doesn’t get out until 10.

By that time of night, my mentality for playing is usually along the lines of, “Okay, I have to play this the best I can and try to play it better than last time. I practiced it a lot, so I know I can sound better here.”

Which is alright. I’m trying my best, and I came prepared.

But that’s so generic. “Play it better”? If we just try to play it “better,” what should we focus on? Tone quality? Breathing? Articulation? Dynamics? Intonation?

…All of them.

But I’ve started to think about this from another perspective: why do these evening rehearsals seem to be so tiring? Because I know that we’re only going to get through about 10 or 15 measures of this piece (that I really want to play straight through because I like it) before the conductor stops us.

Ok, we’re starting rehearsal. I already know we’re not going to play the whole piece through the first time, so let’s play a little game. Let’s play “Guess What the Conductor is Going to Say to Us Next.”

The baton is up; we’re starting at the beginning.

You know…this little fast triplet accompaniment thing we have is kind of like that other piece we played last year…then he told us to play the notes as short as we could so it didn’t sound muddy. He probably wants us to do that here, too.

Sure enough, after we play the opening a few times, the conductor says, “Flutes, can you play those a little more staccato?”

Hey, look at that. I was right!

I didn’t even have to think “Maybe I should make my articulation better here.” It just sounded better.

Since that seemed to work for me, I kept guessing and before I knew it my phrasing and intonation in ensembles was getting better. I tried to remember what things we had worked on in the past and did my best to fix them in my own playing before they became a problem.

So this little game does a few things for me:

1) it keeps me more focused in rehearsal when I’m tired,

2) it forces me to think and use what I already know, and

3) instead of trying to focus on everything at once, I focus on what’s most important for the section we’re working on, and everything else starts to fall into place.

I find that instead of thinking about separate aspects of playing, I’m listening first and making adjustments according to what I hear. It’s a reverse way of thinking that I think in the past few days has really made my playing sound better without necessarily thinking about what “sounding better” means for that piece. Even at the end of the day.

So that’s my little thought for the week. Have another good focusing strategy that works for you? Feel free to post it in the comments! ♫