Music and Gender
- Jan 15, 2020
- 2 min read
For me, gender has never been too extraordinary of a factor in my musical life. I did note a few differences however – that mostly girls would sign up for choir, for example, so my director would always try to recruit more men. She always joked that the strategy was to point out how many pretty girls they would be working alongside. In general, the boys in the choirs I participated seemed to be goofier and more laid back in their approach to music; they were often the troublemakers during rehearsal. However, they were still wonderful musicians, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with them.
I did notice some small differences in musical tastes growing up. I was never sure what those differences were, though; I just knew that boys did not enjoy listening to Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift, or The Jonas Brothers. That music was decidedly for girls. I didn’t particularly care enough to ask the type of music they were interested in at the time.
Nowadays, my musical taste is so blended with my friends and family of all genders that I am not sure there is a distinction. I have quite honestly never thought about this topic and currently can’t think of many ways it has affected me. Maybe that’s just because of how introverted I am; throughout my childhood, I was very shy and kept mostly to myself. I didn’t grow close to that many people or learn about their interest in or experience with music. I know that my sister and I are more into alternative rock, while my dad listens almost exclusively to classic rock, but I attribute that to more of a generational and cultural divide than one of gender.
Now that I think about it, however, I think there is a difference to be said between male and female performers – at least, in the country music industry. Yes, groan all you like; I’m not too big a fan of country music, but I did grow up hearing it from my mother. Female country artists like Miranda Lambert sing songs of empowerment – chiefly, leaving or murdering their abusive husbands. Meanwhile, men sing about meeting girls in a bar, or asking them to ride their big green tractor, or getting drunk in a bar… Honestly, remembering that dynamic was a little shocking. I had always noticed it, but never really thought about it. I can honestly say I enjoy country music by women more than those by men; the themes of taking the lead in their own lives and not dealing with anyone treating them badly really appeal to me, though I might not always like the style the song is written in.
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