Issue link: http://saihq.uberflip.com/i/1518894
10 Spring 2024 • sai-national.org Wen In Music The Southeastern Women in Music Symposium (SWIMS) is an all-female honor festival with the mission to combat inequality by providing a supportive environment where aspiring female musicians can flourish. rough hosting all-female musicians and carefully curating a concert program, we foster inclusivity, empowerment, and musical growth for young women in the music community. We celebrate the achievements of women in music, champion emerging female composers, and strive to create a space where women's voices are heard, paving the way for a more inclusive music community. Despite increases in the numbers of female band directors, the profession is still far from reaching equal numbers of men and women on the podium. Recent research has reflected on the different issues that women face professionally, including underrepresentation and lack of female mentors, imposter syndrome, discrimination, and overcoming biases from historical roles within the band community. As I reflect on my own professional journey in music education, I find it regretful that I never had a female band director to be a role model. I will always be appreciative of the male figures that took notice of me and pushed me to become the educator I am today; however, you truly do not recognize and feel the benefit of a community of supportive women until you find one. OUR HISTORY e Southeastern Women in Music Symposium originated as a Girl Scout Gold Award project initiated by my former student, Mya Foley. In the summer of 2021 aer marching band rehearsals, Mya approached me for project ideas. As a percussionist, Mya personally experienced the prevailing male- dominated landscape of the music community and recognized the need for increased female representation in both the clinicians she worked with and the composers whose music she performed. Brainstorming led to the suggestion of creating a space for women to find representation in music, and the concept of an all-female honor festival began to take shape. I Finding Empowerment and Confidence The Southeastern Women in Music Symposium