Gender and Music

 Hello everyone! 

I hope all is going well. I am beyond excited for the weekend, but before the weekend begins I wanted to discuss music and gender. 

I wanted to start off with my thoughts on the societal images and preferences within music and gender. I, for one, do not believe in separating gender based off of music genres or types. I believe that anyone can listen to ANYTHING and enjoy it because their soul and ears enjoy it, not because they are expected to listen to a certain type of music based on their gender identity. The sound of an instrument, voices, and dances are all ways that express emotions. Music is what sets the mood, what makes people able to connect emotionally when they cannot verbally or physically do so in person. SO with that in mind, let's read on to the main part of my blog. 

As a young girl, I was always interested in what the boys were doing, I wanted to be a part of their group and to connect with them. One way that I could connect with them was through our taste and sense of music. When we are younger, we are taught that even if we are a girl, or a boy, that there is no such thing as having girl things, or boy things (at least I was taught that). I grew up with two brothers, and we were inseparable. As we grew older, society and the media expected us to listen to different types of music, the music I was “supposed” to listen to was expected to be soft, slow, and higher pitch than what my brothers were expected to listen to. However, I never was the type to listen to softer music, I grew up on rock, rap, and hip-hop.

 

Another part of my life that includes gender and music was that I was in orchestra from 6th-9th grade. I played the cello, and during those years that I played in the orchestra I noticed that it was mainly all girls playing instruments, with one boy in each group. I never really thought about why it was that the orchestra consisted of more females than males, but now, as I think of it, I believe that the males within the school were afraid to be themselves without showing the slightest bit of masculinity. Masculinity plays a big role in instruments, and throughout the years of playing in an orchestra, you don’t really notice it. As you grow, and mature you start to realize that there is a barrier between music and gender (which I cannot stand), where men are expected to play the instruments with the lower pitch and bigger body, whereas women are expected to play dainty instruments that have a higher pitch.

This paragraph is going to be small, but I wanted to address my taste in music. I know in my first blog I talked about what genre of music that I listen to. I listen to grunge, alternative rock, and more hardcore songs that most typical people do not listen to. The stereotype for my favorite music is dark, brooding men that dress in dark clothing and have a “dark soul.” Back to what I believe, I think that anyone can listen to anything they like, as long as it makes them happy and soothes their soul. 

Feel free to comment, or leave questions if you want to know anything about why I feel the way I do. I know my blog was all personal, but it is easy to relate topics on music within my life. 

Thanks :)