I don't understand why the music industry is a man's industry. Anyone can do it.
When I decided to study music business in college, it wasn't because I thought I had anything to prove as a female. I chose the career path because I thought it was something I was good at. Sure, I'm a talented singer, but I didn't want to study vocal performance. I wanted to study the business.
In my music business courses, I was one of three girls in my Music Business classes, one of two girls in my Digital Audio Workstation classes and Live Sound classes, and the only girl enrolled in my Electronic Music classes and all three levels of my Studio Recording classes. When I took advanced music business classes, I was also the only girl to enroll and stick with the whole semester.
Why is the music industry so intimidating for women? People argue that women are more creative than men, but you see women who are accountants, lawyers, doctors, business-owners, bankers, and engineers. If women are more creative than men, why is music still over-populated by men?
I graduated after four years of studying music business and audio production and have learned so much about recording, engineering, production, promotion, touring, booking, management, marketing, and owning a business. Today, I currently go to concerts and write reviews. I write album reviews. I promote bands. I use my marketing skills to sell tickets and merchandise. I run a podcast show about music. I run a music blog. I know the industry.
I pushed my way through school with all the sexist jokes and rude insults, and still maintained to pass all my classes. I was the top of most of my music classes, even though I was the only girl. Guys would constantly tell me that I belonged in the kitchen and not in the control room. I was constantly harassed to clean up after recording sessions because "women clean". I was never taken seriously, because of my gender. Not because of my intelligence or my ability to produce something musical, but because of my gender.
Just recently, I posted a picture with my boyfriend, who happens to be in a band, with the caption "He is a rockstar", to which someone commented that I was a groupie. For those of you unaware, a groupie is "an ardent fan of a celebrity, especially a pop star: originally, often a girl who followed the members of a pop group on tour in order to have sexual relations with them". Whether this commenter was joking or not, the comment hurt because he was basically saying that I am only with my boyfriend because he is a musician. I know I am not the only girl who struggles with this stereotype. Many girls who have boyfriends/fiancées/husbands who are involved in music struggle with the label of "groupie", even though we genuinely love the man for everything he is outside of music. Why aren't men classified as "groupies" if they are dating a female musician?
I read this article that inspired me to share with you my feelings on the subject. If this is ranting, so be it. But it's something I have struggled with that I'm not sure most people understand.
Just to make things clear: I studied music. I passed all my classes and graduated. I am involved in the music industry. I am not a groupie. I am a woman. I do music because I love it; not because I have anything to prove to you.
