There are simply not enough women playing jazz or enough women in jazz programs. In my time at WVU, even when I thought the numbers were good, I have done the math and the number of women in my program have only amounted to 5% of the number of total participating students. This research project provides some disturbing data about the low number of women in middle school, high school, and collegiate music programs.
I think about this problem often and I talk to all of my students about it as well. I have talked to colleagues and have come up with a list of things that educators need to do to improve the number of women participating in jazz.
What we can do to have more women in jazz?
Start students playing jazz at a younger age
We need more middle school jazz bands. Why do educators wait to start jazz in high school? Educators need to start jazz groups in middle school when we have the highest number of young ladies playing musical instruments.Normalize having young women play all of the instruments
Educators need to encourage young women to play to bass, drums, or brass instruments. The instrumental sections within a band should not be dictated by gender.Hire more female teachers/professors
Specifically we need to have people who are not males at the front of the classroom. These teachers are role models for students.
Feature female guest artists
This seems like an obvious thing to do, but what percentage of school concerts feature female guest artists?Actively encourage female jazz students
Feature women playing solos in concerts. Create opportunities for female students.
Don’t have a locker room atmosphere in jazz rehearsals
Police the language that men use in rehearsals and do not allow for aggressive behavior. Create an atmosphere of respect that is welcoming for all students.“Best of” lists need to include women — celebrate female artists
How many times do we see a “best of” list that does not include any female artists? Actively avoid celebrating ONLY male musicians.Mentoring
I am a big fan of the Women in Jazz Organization, which mentors young women and non-binary students, and have had students from WVU participate in the past. These are valuable connections that students can have. There are of course other mentoring opportunities at the school or community level.
I hope we can all do our best to increase the number of women playing jazz in the future. Let’s work together to make this happen!