Women in Music, the Challenges and the Triumphs

I am a musician in Austin, TX as well as a therapist, and I was asked to write a blog about the challenges women face in music. My close friend asked me about my experience playing fiddle in an all-male band. My cheeks burning with frustration, I told the familiar tales of being talked over, not being passed solos, and one man putting his hand on my waist in an uncomfortable way. Women should be able to feel safe, heard, and given SPACE on the stage. When I play music, it feels like everything is coming together in exactly the way it needs to. My fiddle rings out and intermingles with guitars, keys, thumping bass, and subtle beats of the drum like raindrops in the air. Women in music deserve to do what they were creatively born to do without having to jump through the discriminatory hoops of male dominance in the music industry. 

The Research 

It is hard to quantify the struggles of female musicians because so much of the challenges go unreported. There is fear of retaliation from the men in the industry, being so tired and beaten down by having to work so hard to scaffold gigs together, and not having a place to report the sexism. A survey was done in the UK to further examine the challenges that women face in the music industry. This was called the UK Musicians Census. The finding we 51% of women have been discriminated against dur to their gender, and 33% have endured sexual harassment. It was also found that female musicians are paid less and have shorter careers.

In another survey conducted by Be The Change: Women Making Music, identified that main challenge for women in the music industry as sexual harassment, followed closely by misogyny, male dominance, and women finding it harder to gain recognition for their music than men. In this study, 401 women creators were surveyed from around the world, many of them independent, and not signed with labels. The survey was distributed by major music organisations, including PRS Foundation, British Council, Help Musicians and Musicians Union. Women stated that they had to work twice as hard to build a career in music, and 81% of women who participated in this survey reported that navigating the music industry is harder for them than men. 

In March 2021, only 23% of the Grammy nominations identified as women. Since this was reported, The Recording Academy, closely associated with the Grammy Awards, has pledged by 2025 to double the number of female voters. It also pledged to “improve the participation of women in the music business.” Recently, the chair and interim president and chief executive of The Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr, released a statement saying, “While we are hopeful that we will still see benefit from that effort, we haven’t seen enough progress to date.” 

*Research reports from the Egalitarian news article, “Why is it Harder Being a Female in the Music Industry?” and from the UK Parliament Report "Misogyny in Music”

A Wide Impact

When any group of people is discriminated against, this can create some form of trauma, big or small, for the people affected. Trauma can collect in the body, and cause the “freeze” sensation, or the inability to move forward because so much is blocking the way. There is higher burnout for women with careers in music. In short, when waves keep crashing on you, you will eventually have to return to the shore. The waves of sexism can feel unsurmountable. 

What Can We Do to Move Forward?

While the rooted solution has to do with changing the systems we live in, there are things women can do individually to protect themselves and build strength to deal with some of the situations as they come. Here is a pre-show ritual I recommend to help create strength for dealing with the challenges of misogyny in music:

The Power Circle: Pick a color that makes you feel strong and powerful, and imagine a circle on the floor in front of you that is filled with this color. Notice this color and concentrate on the tone and the richness. Do this for 30 seconds to a minute. Now step into the circle. Slowly visualize that this color is coursing through your whole body, removing tension and creating confidence, courage, and free flow. Focus on this for as long as you need, and when you open your eyes you will be surrounded by this forcefield of color you have created.

Women are a powerful force in the music industry. The challenges are vast, but we need women to keep playing and singing for the creative health of the world. Visit my therapy for women page to find out more about therapy tailored to women, and to work with me on processing these specific challenges.