Sigma Alpha Iota

14 Fall 2023 • sai-national.org Yes women can be conductors. I am not against them conducting. But I simply don't like it." "Players will look at her and be distracted from the music." "e essence of the conductor's profession is strength. e essence of a woman is weakness." "Women shouldn't expect to get far." "Orchestras react better when they have a man in front of them." "…seeing a woman on the podium… well, let's just say it's not my cup of tea." "To be honest about it, we don't think women should conduct." What is astounding about these quotes is that they are sentiments publicly shared, with some being from less than 10 years ago. In the 20th century, women were barred from being in and directing some ensembles, and a century later, women are still being criticized as leaders in the music industry. Statistically, 71.4 percent of band directors are male, 63.6 percent of orchestral directors are male, and 65 percent of conducting masters students are male. Overall, 86.9 percent of conductors are men, while only 13.1 percent are women. Only seventeen years ago in 2006 did the U.S. finally break the glass ceiling and hire the first female conductor of a major orchestra when Marin Alsop was hired as the director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Even then, she was still met with retaliation. I'm sure as you're reading this, you're not surprised or foreign to these facts - at clinics, festivals, and in music publications, we are oen reminded that there is still a large gender gap in the music profession, especially in music leadership and direction. ere are many opportunities specifically for female conductors, yet the overall percentage of female conductors has stayed consistently between 8 to 13 percent since 2010. We know this is an issue that has been a hot topic for a long time, so the big question is not why is this happening anymore but how do we make the conducting profession equitable even aer all of the work that has been done? Obviously, creating more opportunities for female identifying conductors opens more doors, but how can we sustainably reduce the gender gap seeing as there has not been any growth in the past 13 years? Just like any major movement, education, visibility, and advocating are of the utmost importance. It's one thing to say "this is important," but waves can be made when we can say "this is important and here's why" and make it a continued effort, not a trend. is goes for all directors and musicians, because hopefully we recognize that the minorities in any field should not have to be the ones to consistently fight for basic respect and recognition. However, women are fighting that battle by sharing their own research, data, solutions, and personal anecdotes. Reading and sharing articles and publications by and for female conductors is a great start to encourage the conversations that need to happen to bridge the gender gap and encourage other women to feel empowered to be a part of these discussions and share their stories. A few notable female directors that have written such articles include Dr. Pamela Klena, Dr. Courtney Snyder, and Dr. Jill Sullivan. I have been a middle and high school band and choir director for only three years and am finishing my masters degree in Instrumental Conducting. As a female conductor and music educator myself, I WOMEN IN CONDUCTING A d d r e s s i n g t h e G e n d e r G a p Cducting Province Officer Ashley Matse presents at the Chi C Province Day on April 30, 2023. Province Officer Ashley Matse presents at the Chi C Province Day on April 30, 2023.

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