Chelsea Ursin, lead singer and bassist of DIY Boston Band, banana, sings her own written lyrics at a house show.
Photo by Emily Kidd
Women and the music industry
The majority of music we hear has been shaped by men. Where are all the women?
By emily kidd
“There was this one instance a couple years ago where my coworker told me at the end of the night because he didn’t want to upset me, that a crew guy saw me walking up to the trailer and said ‘Oh great. We have a woman on the crew,’” Stacey Heath, a current stage tech and Jill of all Music Industry Trades, tells me over the phone. She then quickly corrects herself on the recalled quote, “Oh no- he said, ‘We have a girl on the crew.’ And my coworker said to him, ‘You don’t know what you’re in for.’”
In the age of #MeToo, light has been shed upon the issue of gender inequality within the entertainment business, but there’s improvement to be made in closing the gender gap, particularly within the music industry. The gender divide across all regions of the music industry is roughly 70% male to 30% female.
Only 6% of music producers in the U.S. and Canada are women. It’s hard to break the industry entrance barrier. The women who do make it face objectification, an internal struggle of finding time to devote to both their craft and outside relationships, and various stigmas regarding what it means to identify as female within the industry.
“Boys Clubs” and The Entrance Barrier
Low visibility, a lack of female encouragement towards tech, and the “Boys Club” phenomena each contribute to the friction that women looking to enter the industry feel. Boys Clubs are groups of men within the music industry who consistently hire and collaborate with each other, making work entry at studios and labels difficult for newcomers. Because much of the knowledge gained within the industry- whether it be for production, sound engineering, talent or management- is fostered through mentorship, it’s hard for women to find someone to show them the ropes as it appears to be a trend that men hire guys they feel that they “vibe with.”
Though mostly prevalent in recording studios, women across the entirety of the music industry will have to deal with the pressure of fitting in with the guys and “bro culture” at some point. Chelsea Ursin, a bassist and frontperson heavily involved with Boston’s DIY (do it yourself) music scene, constantly felt like she had to play and write the same music as fellow rockers. For most of the beginning of her performance career, she was constantly trying her hardest not to stand out as feminine in fear of standing out in the wrong way.
“It [fitting in with the guys] even affected my dressing. I wore only boys clothes and pants and I wouldn't even say I was trying to be genderqueer or anything, I just didn't want to seem girly or feminine in a bad way I guess. And it's funny because now that I’m older, I'm into dressing more feminine and being OK with having lyrics that are more about dealing with shitty boyfriend issues and typical girl stuff. I would have never done that when I was younger.”
And just because you’re keeping up with the guys; whether that be out-drinking them at the bar or out- shredding them on the guitar doesn’t mean you’re really in. There’s an edge to being treated like “one of the guys” as well. “Guys are guys around you,” Stacey Heath says, “and so they’re gonna talk about women and their parts around you, kinda forgetting that you’re there. I’ll have to say, ‘Hey guys can you not talk about someone’s tits in front of me? That’s not cool like, you know I’m here to work.’”
Ania Grzesik, a sound designer for TED Podcast, mentions her experience with missed opportunities due to Boys Clubs.
“There are Boys Clubs and I have been left out of them. And that blows. And I had to learn how to get past that,” Ania said as she recalled a story where somebody above her was making some hiring decisions at the company she worked for. Locked out of a position where the man hiring ended up giving the positions to some of his buddies, Ania’s work dried up at a place where she was once in a position of working consistently.
women in the u.s. music industry
graphics by The Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship and Women In Music
Low Visibility
As much as Boys Clubs may get in the way of female success throughout the Music Industry, low visibility may be the biggest hindrance in encouraging young girls to get involved with music. Across all aspects of the industry; including the technical side of things like music production and audio engineering, the business management side, and even the performance side, the under- crediting and under- appreciation of women may encourage the misconception that women can’t or aren’t allowed to occupy these spaces. While backlash against this under- crediting has been publicly brought to attention with movements like #GrammysSoMale after the 2018 Grammy Award Nominations list was unveiled, and while there has been improvement within the award organization in regards to the 2019 Grammy Award Nomination list, women and girls still take overall low visibility to heart, sometimes without realizing.
Julie Kathryn, a NYC- based music producer and electronic musician with the performance persona I AM SNOW ANGEL, says the first obstacle she encountered in the industry was low visibility. “I think the first obstacle was that I didn't even realize I wanted to be a music producer because I didn't know any women who did it. Every music producer I met was a man so without the visibility of women who were doing this, it didn't even occur to me that I could do it or would want to do it or would be good at it.”
While it may appear that women make up a substantial part of the performance side of the industry, there is still a fairly large gender imbalance especially within the rock and rap world. A six year analysis of Billboard’s year- end Hot 100 chart shows that of the top 600 songs between 2012 and 2017, only 22.4% of the 1,239 performing artists were female. Even lower, only 12.3% of the 2,767 songwriters credited were women. With rap, there is an issue of pitting female rappers against each other and encouraging competition to hold the coveted #1 spot; perpetuating the idea that if you are not the top female artist you are void. On the other hand, males within the rap and hip hop community engage in healthier competition and frequent collaboration. When it comes to rock, women who attempt to enter the genre end up facing the stigma that women “can’t rock, only pop,” due to their feminine energy, leading the public to label them as pop artists out of the gate (Lieb, “Gender, Branding, and the Modern Music Industry”).
In relation to rock and an issue across all music genres; low visibility of female instrumentalists, particularly guitarists, has been an issue in the past. It is a frequent trend that girls or women who enter guitar shops are frequently intimidated or spoken down to by salespeople. Whether this is intended or a reinforced subconscious thought that women do not play the guitar, care for tech equipment, or know anything about music production- it is common trope that various female artists speak of.
Chelsea Ursin, who has her own experience with this dilemma aims to make the rock world more inclusive to all genders with her involvement in Girls Rock Camp; an organization that teaches young girls and women how to play an instrument, how to songwrite, and the process of collaborating in a band. A bassist teacher and band coach, Chelsea says that encouraging young girls to be fearless with the guitar builds her own confidence in her playing skills as well.
Despite frequent “mansplaining” by showroom clerks, recent Fender market research has shown that over half the purchasers of new electric guitars are women, so it should only be a matter of time before representation within the industry at large begins to reflect that. Women like Pamela Cole, co- owner of “Fanny’s House of Music” in Nashville, Tennessee are working to empower girls and make the guitar buying experience more welcoming to everyone.
Women in the u.s. music industry
Graphics By The Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship and Women In Music
women in the u.s. music industry
graphics by The Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship and Women In Music
Chelsea Ursin’s Band, Banana, setting up equipment before a gig.
photo by emily Kidd
Statistics and Graphic by Women in Music
Performance
It is possible to “make it” though it is much harder for women than men within the industry. Whether a woman is occupying the spot as the top female rap artist, is shredding the guitar, or is a pop icon; image is something women performers will always have to worry about. This image can pertain to their physical look and aesthetic, the vibe they give off, or the genre of music they create.
When it comes to lyrics and sound, much of women’s rock, indie, noise, and experimental music is seen as softer. It is a generalization that women’s music focuses on lyrics while men’s music focuses on sound, beat and rhythm. Chelsea Ursin, who so badly wanted to make as heavy music as the boys, was self conscious for a long time about her lyrics sounding too feminine. Ursin would purposely try to write more generic songs until she realized that no matter what, she would be pigeonholed into the band “with the girl frontperson” on many lineups.
“There's this thing about confessional lyrics where it's seen as feminine if you say ‘my heart's been broken and whoever was a dick to me!’ and I have songs like that but I'll add really heavy parts to it because I want to slap people in the face with it instead of being sad. Taking my sadness and being like- rahhhh! But I still think about this when I'm writing songs- about being too ‘feminine’ or something. But I also want to say 'fuck you' to that at the same time.
Kristin Lieb, author of Gender, Branding, and the Modern Music Industry discusses the “Life Cycle” of a female pop artist. With the previous rise of MTV, then YouTube, and now various social media platforms; there is immense pressure put on women artists to equate an image to their sound. Unfortunately, because sound is more crucial to a man’s career in any genre, while looks are more important to a woman’s career in the pop genre, men can sustain their music persona and relevance longer. Due to the fact that a woman’s looks are so emphasized, they are constantly in the public eye which puts pressure on them to change their persona and vibe in order to stay relevant. For instance, many female artists follow the path of “Good Girl” then the “Temptress” and then the “Diva” or the “Hot Mess.” Taylor Swift is a good example of an artist who started out as Good Girl, became a Temptress, and is on her way to becoming either a Diva or a Hot Mess. If the artist can persevere through the challenge and criticism of being a Diva or a Hot Mess, they may become a “Survivor”, a “Comeback” or a “Legend.” Miley Cyrus is a good example of a Comeback/Redemption story after her time as the Hot Mess, Lady Gaga is a good example of becoming a Legend after her time as either or both the Diva or the Hot Mess, and Amy Winehouse is an example of an artist unable to bounce back from being the Hot Mess (though it is arguable that with her death, she has been given the Legend status).
Ania’s advice? Weigh whether the specific job you’re stuck at is worth pursuing or get crafty and leave it behind as there are plenty of other outlets of the Creative Economy that are in need of people who specialize in music. “Screw those Boys Clubs,” Ania advises, “Make a Girls Club.”
One of Julie Kathryn’s (aka I am snow angel) first MIDI keyboards (top device) and ableton push (bottom device). midis are music devices like keyboards with a usb output that allows for connection to digital audio workspaces (systems used to produce and edit music0 on desktops or laptops.
photo by emily kidd
Proving your Worth
Remaining relevant is equally crucial to the women performing as it is to the women on the production side. Because tech and engineering are not nearly as encouraged amongst girls as boys, there’s already a lack of women on the technical side of the music industry (which includes music production, audio and sound engineering, mixing, and mastering). Because software and equipment are constantly improving, there is pressure to keep up with the latest technology. Understanding and mastering each piece of new equipment, each new technique, and each new Digital Audio Workspace update (the computer systems used to edit and add effects to music), requires hours of time and energy.
While Chelsea Ursin spoke of feeling intense pressure to be the best bassist she could be since she didn’t know any other girls playing, Julie Kathryn aka I AM SNOW ANGEL spoke of not being credited for engineering and producing.
“Sometimes when I get to a live show with my rig someone will ask me ‘Who writes your music for you?’ or ‘Who produces your music for you?’ and I don't think that would be necessarily asked of a man. When I say ‘I do it myself,’ they are very congratulatory- almost like I'm a child.”
Ania Grzesik feels the same worry as a sound engineer. “You have to try so hard. You have to try to stay relevant at all times in the industry and you can easily be left behind. I feel like I can’t say ‘no’ to things… You definitely have to stay in it at all times and can totally run yourself ragged.”
Of course, this pressure can also be viewed as positive since there is a huge push to constantly learning and becoming the best you can be. “As a woman, if you’re doing your job very well you have way more respect than if you were a man,” says Stacey Heath, “Because for men, there’s 20 guys behind them that can do the exact job but to every woman there’s only like two or three [women]. So the better you can do your job, the more respected you are which might lead you to your next gig.”
Family, Relationships, and The Industry
A combination of traditional gender roles paired with long, intensive hours at recording studios make it hard for women who have children to stay on top. Regardless of children, many women involved in recording studio culture confess that it’s hard to have a relationship at all.
A common work practice within the recording world is to keep dubbing and keep replaying until the track is clean and complete. Because of this, part of studio culture involves late night jam sessions and sleeping in studios, which is difficult for anyone with a family, but even more-so for women. Beliefs that the lady should be watching and caring for the house and children allows men to stay late in the studio. Often times mothers who happen to be sound engineers, producers, and managers don’t have the luxury of the ability to work late knowing that someone trustworthy is at home watching their kids, a luxury married men with children often have regardless of career. Because the music industry is so fast paced, as discussed with relevance, producers and engineers of all genders feel immense pressure to constantly be putting out work or learning new technology, both of which require extensive hours of isolation in a studio. Because so few women exist within this space, women that are experiencing this issue don’t have many resources or support groups to turn to.
Julie Kathryn’s (aka I Am snow angel) Digital Audio workspace (daw), an essential tool for electronic musicians and music producers alike.
Photo by emily Kidd
Carla Cifarelli Springer and Mark Springer’s basement home recording studio in new york.
photo by emily kidd
Ania Grzesik confessed over the phone as to how she was anxious about her work situation with the enrollment of her daughter in preschool this upcoming year. Ania faces the constant struggle of having to decide whether to stay in the studio later to get more work done and stay relevant or stay home but lose gigs.
Like with recording studio culture, women performers face this issue as well. In the music industry, most of an artist’s money is made from a tour. One of the most well- known business models in the industry involves an album release, then a tour, then a repetition of that cycle again with the next album.
“I worked for a woman who I briefly toured with and did sound for and it became clear to me that- I think she wanted to have a woman around because she had a young son with her that she was still breastfeeding at the time. She would be in the dressing room, which I would be walking in and out of, and I thought ‘Oh yeah. She doesn’t want a man around with this,’” recalled Grzesik.
Whether they were technically allowed to or not, The Springers- a united force within New York’s music scene- found a way to make raising their two children while managing Quad Recording Studios work. Carla Cifarelli Springer was once the manager for Jimi Hendrix’s studio, Electric Lady Studios, while Mark Springer is currently Senior Director of A&R at RCA Records. When they met at Quad Studios, fell in love, and decided to have children; they too were worried about how they would raise a family in such a fast-paced, demanding business.
While sitting together in their home recording studio, Mark kept his hands busy by gently plucking away at an acoustic guitar while Carla recalled what it was like to take time off from work. “I was researching places to take care of Liam ,my first, and was like, ‘I can’t do this.’ So my boss then was great and set me up from home. Because he [Mark] was on site, I'd go and bring the kids in. There'd be playpens with kids and clients would come in,” laughed Carla, “And no one said anything, no one cared or said ‘What are you doing here with children?’ It's really in the way you address things. If you say ‘Sorry there's a baby!’ people are going to say ‘Yeah what is that baby doing here?’ But if they walk in and you say confidently ‘Hey how's it goin? Here's my son!’ no one will question it.
MArk Springer explains how his first band formed casually with his friends. “instead of just sitting around wasting time, we decided to sit around and waste time with instruments. and since none of us really knew much, we didn’t judge each other. immediately what we did was start making noise and listening to each other.”
photo by emily kidd