- Joined
- Oct 9, 2011
- Messages
- 39,861
- Reaction score
- 7,852
- Location
- Turkey
- Gender
- Female
- Political Leaning
- Other
The Season of My Denial and Evasion lasted nearly two decades — from the age of 18 to 36. During this season, I wore pants for premieres of my music, while performing as a pianist and teaching, for all important composerly things. I hated the “What’s it like to be a woman composer” question at pre-concert talks, on panels and in interviews. If I couldn’t evade this question, I rattled off something dismissive: How could I possibly know any different? That’s like asking me what if I had grown up in Alaska. I refused to enter any competitions exclusively for female composers or to have my music presented at women-only concerts.
Last spring, there was a flurry of activity in the online new-music community with an article on the Web forum NewMusicBox titled, “The Woman Composer Is Dead.[/SIZE]” The article’s extensive comments section has a wealth of opinions on whether or not the “woman composer” label is useful. I sent the article out to my students and colleagues, as I do with any articles I hope will foster healthy dialogue. I received an exquisite e-mail in response from William Bolcom — one of my former mentors — which beautifully outlined in depth the history and dissonance of the female composer. Bill wrote about those who would rather class themselves as “composers who happen to be women”; about our country’s current society, kicking and screaming, finally having to admit women to full citizenship; and that one’s gender or group is as relevant, or as irrelevant, as one needs to make it to write what one wants to write.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/taking-off-my-pants/?hp
Last spring, there was a flurry of activity in the online new-music community with an article on the Web forum NewMusicBox titled, “The Woman Composer Is Dead.[/SIZE]” The article’s extensive comments section has a wealth of opinions on whether or not the “woman composer” label is useful. I sent the article out to my students and colleagues, as I do with any articles I hope will foster healthy dialogue. I received an exquisite e-mail in response from William Bolcom — one of my former mentors — which beautifully outlined in depth the history and dissonance of the female composer. Bill wrote about those who would rather class themselves as “composers who happen to be women”; about our country’s current society, kicking and screaming, finally having to admit women to full citizenship; and that one’s gender or group is as relevant, or as irrelevant, as one needs to make it to write what one wants to write.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/taking-off-my-pants/?hp