Female Conductors in a Male Dominated Industry

    This week's topic, female conductors, was an issue that I would have never imagined to exist or know about. It is just another small example of the bigger picture in women's careers. Orchestral conducting is one of the most male-dominant industries, so dominant that there have roughly only been 10 female conductors in major orchestras ever. This is due to the tradition the orchestra was built on along with other commonly seen gender stereotypes. Being a conductor demands presence and authority, two traits commonly attributed specifically to men. Despite these being key skills in conducting, there is no real difference between when a male or female conducts an orchestra, it all comes down to stereotyping. Similarly to conductors, the musicians themselves used to be dominantly men. That is until the 1950s and 60s when blind auditions were introduced to remove any biases. Unfortunately, there is no valid way to perform a blind audition for conductors, making it much more challenging to remove biases. Not only is finding a job conducting more difficult and a woman, but being educated is also a challenge. At one point, women were not allowed to study some musical roles such as conducting and were limited to instruments like the piano. Now, women can choose what they want to study, but many professors are more willing to educate a male looking to become a conductor. To even the playing field, organizations such as the Hart Institute, offer women-only conductor courses that are only a few weeks long. Through these programs, women have to opportunity to network within the community while building their resume. I think if women are able to use programs like these to find more early career opportunities, they will be able to prove themselves in the eyes of the orchestral world. This will be the beginning of the walls for women to be broken down. 

The World of Female Conductors

While many industries have made progress in integrating women into the workforce, others remain overwhelmingly male-dominated. The world of orchestral conducting is one of them. Historically, the image of a conductor has been almost exclusively male, yet gender makes no difference to those being conducted. 

I find it very interesting that if you take a look at the music industry, most famous singers and artists are female, yet there are very few women who take on the role of producers. In the world of major orchestras and classical music, the same issue occurs, with women making up around half of the orchestra, yet only a small fraction become leaders or conductors.

Marin Alsop is a trailblazer and made history as the first woman to conduct a major American orchestra when she became the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2007. Despite her talent and accomplishments, she has spoken openly about the barriers she faced, from being dismissed early in her career to encountering outright resistance in competitions and job opportunities. She was even asked in an interview, “do you know how to cook?” Today, she proves that she does not need to fit the molds of domesticity, and actively mentors the next generation of women conductors.

Women in conducting are still vastly underrepresented. While there are more opportunities now than in the past, many competitions and conducting programs still impose age limits, often capping eligibility at 35, which disproportionately impacts women who may take career breaks for family reasons. However, programs like the Hart Institute for Women Conductors in Dallas, Texas, have began to provide support and career opportunities for female conductors. This residency, hosted by The Dallas Opera, offers training, networking, and mentorship for women in classical music. 

Dr. Yen’s accomplishments are no small feat, with her PhD in choral conducting and 25 years of experience, she has become a role model in an industry where most men are looked upon. I believe that dedicating yourself to a career you are truly passionate about can bring you happiness, but what if you are entering this career knowing there are so many obstacles, including being a female, keeping you from the highest and most distinguished roles? If I find the time to speak with Dr. Yen again, I would ask her what keeps her passionate about her work and how she defines success in an industry where recognition often comes much harder for women.

Women Conducting: A field for men...

 Conducting an orchestra is nothing short of a challenge; doing so as a female is even more significant because there is limited opportunity. As Dr. Yen put it in class, conducting in the orchestra is a very male-dominated field. There are many reasons, but the one that sticks out to me is that the position is characterized as a power, leader, and an authoritarian. It also involves physical gestures, which historically were seen as male roles. Over time, there has been a development in rules and norms, but back in the day, there were roles that excluded women because some instruments were seen as not feminine, which limited their ability to play. A good word to title this is gatekeeping because men do not want to share something that they enjoy and limit their chances of having a job, the same way someone wouldn’t want to share their food if it was really good. Another reason that has been seen is that male teachers at universities and colleges tend to want to form a male prodigy.  

Women also are held to a higher standard with fewer opportunities, especially in early-career positions, however, times are slowly beginning to change. This is a common theme throughout women's rights because as a bigger spotlight is shined on issues like these, more people feel obligated to make a change, such as the Hart Institute. Hart Institute in Dallas is only for women conductors for a few weeks to build a stronger resume and get some practice. In order to shift to more equal opportunities, some institutions added something know as bling auditioning. This concept about not knowing which gender was producing music or singing was interesting and resonated with me because in APES, we have done something similar for experiments as well as Psychology to rule out one factor, bias. Bias at Govs, whether it is in a small-scale experiment or the community, is very significant and can be shared with others, whether intentional or not. I feel like keeping your own personal bias to yourself helps grow a community and culture into something more inviting. I feel like the orchestra conducting industry should follow this belief and we would see a much more diverse and inviting community that would grow exponentially, I bet. 

Female conductors

     In history, there has only been a small number of successful female conductors. In recent days, female conductors have become increasingly popular in an industry historically dominated by men. For centuries, the role of a conductor has been seen as a typically male-operated position. However, recently, many women, such as Marin Alsop, have proved these stereotypes wrong.

    Marin Alsop, who was the first woman to lead a major American orchestra, led the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. After doing further research, I discovered that Marin's family was a very musically involved family, with her dad being a violinist and concertmaster of the New York city Ballet Orchestra. Her mother was a cellist in the same orchestra who had been playing instruments since she was young. Her mother started out at Yale and later transferred to Julliard to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in violin. Marin served as the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2007-2021. She also held a position at São Paulo State in the symphony orchestra. 

    Another female conductor who has made a meaningful impact on the conducting community is Simone Young, from Australia. Simone studied composition, piano, and conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she laid the groundwork for her career, which was marked by significant achievements. In 1985, Simone's career started with the Opera of Australia. In 1993, she made history by being the first woman to conduct at the Vienna State Opera. From 1999-2002 she served as the chief conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway. From 2001-2003 she went back home to Australia and was the Music director of Opera Australia. Then, in 2022 she was appointed chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Throughout her career, Simone has been a trailblazer by breaking gender stereotypes and barriers in a male-dominated field.

    Female conductors often bring a new perspective to classical interpretation, which fosters a collaborative environment. Their presence not only redefines the history of conduction but also shows what leadership can look like in the arts and serves as an inspiration for young musicians and conductors who see themselves reflected in these roles. The progress, which has been meaningful, continues to be gradual, with women still underappreciated and underrepresented in major orchestras around the globe. Yet, the visibility of female conductors is growing in orchestras all over the world. Global competitions, festivals, and symphonies mark a shift -- one that is reshaping history as well as the future of classical music with a more inclusive environment. 

Conductors Joe DiMella

     Female Conductors like our bright and girl boss Yufen who was brought in to educate us, especially in this case that conductors are mostly a male dominant field of work is a sight to see. I envision and imagine it as a girl taking on a coaching job on a male dominant sports team. I have seen this a couple of times and every time I see it gets me to think to myself, is she liked? Is she good at her job? And do people respect her? My mind wondered to this because it is out of the norms of a typical male and female lifestyle, and what job they should or are supposed to have. My question isn't prejudiced towards the female sex, but it is rather a justified theory on how the situation came to be and if a female conductor hones in a lot of skills.

Conductors having many planned activities and schedules yet again reminds me of a sports coach, they put their lives on the line in this one category, and they methodically plan out what's the best way to go about handling business. Not only do they do that, they also have to take charge of conducting their field of music. Since they're taking charge and command, it really opens my eyes up in the sense that they take on the Alpha responsibility, such as picking who is the right person for the job, or whether someone is playing their role to perfection or not. Typically a male would try to be the alpha, but Yufen is a female alpha and juggles the reputation and animosity of others by looking like a villain in a way. I choose the word villain because she definitely gains a lot of attention and feelings her way as she navigates a male-dominated field of work while striving to do the best she possibly can to secure her wanted and competitive job.

Being a conductor I've learned requires these sets of direction; they assume historical gender roles and traditions, institutional barriers and gatekeeping, lack of role models and mentorship opportunities, biases in perception and expectation, and limited early career opportunities. With all of these criteria I see attaining a conductor role is like being once again a sports coach, but also mixed in with a teacher's role. They have to be direct and able to adapt, also mentioning a compassionate component while they choose this competitive career path. Statistically, Out of 100 people, only 11 of them are female. To put that into a simple human mind, imagine trying to get admitted into a prestigious school in this modern-day society. It's like getting denied by every single school you want to get into, but the competition is just as good or if not better no matter how well your grades, test scores, and other things go for you.

Yufen said her hand gesture compared to a male is being judged like the odds are betting against her. When she does a sensitive hand gesture just like a male, the female will be put down and disregarded,  and the male will be given a round of applause. I put this activity of hand gestures to be compared to that of a basketball shot.  When a female hits a 3-pointer it is looked at as rubbish, but when a male hits a 3-pointer it is celebrated just because their sexes are different. 

One piece of a progressive male and gender situation is from conductor Marin Alsop, while conducting during a show, she was doing very well at her expertise. However, a question arose from a high-up audience watcher. The person watching spoke, “Is the conductor female or male.” This one piece of information shows that a female can coexist in a “male's field of work” and strive in a field that is dominated by the other sex while less is favoring your side. Both Males and Females have the great characteristics to excel. However, gender isn't what makes the conductor, it's the skill and mindset iv'e learned.

Education For Girls in Afghanistan-Joe DiMella

 When talking about empathy what comes to my mind is picture perfect definition; which is the understanding and feelings toward others. In my mind as a privileged lacrosse player in a stable family and my attendance at a prestigious boarding school, I feel as if my empathy towards the girls with no education cannot be preached in any single given way to show I care for the girls affected by having no education. The reason for this is how picture-perfect my life is while these girls are being dealt a deck of cards that most cannot bear. 

Learning about SOLA which stands for “School and the State of Women's Education In Afghanistan” it shed light on the moment as I know some ambitious females have chosen to leave the country and go to a boarding school in the United States. Comparing a 6th-grade girl's education from Afghanistan to a caucasian female here in the United States with great resources shows the sincerity of something I just came up with. I came up with a 

Scale on whether the fairness of your life scenario can be compared to one another. Pretend a female, someone who pulls into a $70,000 boarding school, driving a $50,000 car. This girl grew up in a 3 million dollar home where she also has a house in Florida and New Hampshire. She has had a tutor her whole life, she has been fed like a champion, she has been getting all the right things she needs to succeed and her parents would go to woods end to make this happen. This girl's probability, must and would seem to be head over heels greater to strive in society versus a Muslim girl who grew up in a rural area with no TV.

One thing I have learned from Doctor Quimby that makes me think is that  Islam does not ban education, the Taliban does. This is another setback from growing up in the Middle East some of these girls are looking to make an impact, while others haven't even had a thought of education because they grow up thinking being a housewife is the end all be all. I'm not judging this given scenario but I'm again putting it into perspective on how drastically different parts of the world can be as education could be prioritized for the better as a whole. 

Another example showing you're at a disadvantage starts with parenting, if your mother hasn't been educated, you're less likely to be educated in that household. Statistics if there were any in Afghanistan, would prove my claim to be 100% correct. These girls don't have cell phones while we are going on spring break trips to the Bahamas, we are the ones going to Chipotle once a week, and we are getting dropped off at our friend's house by car to have a fun outing. And lastly, they are hearing gunshots and hoping for a better life while we are jumping into pools. The difference between the two of the fortunate and less fortunate should be portrayed, conveyed, and globally spread throughout every resource to make most aware.

SOLA and Girl's Education in Afganistan

After watching the 60 Minutes’ video on SOLA and doing more research on the influence of Islam in Afghanistan, it really made me think about my own education and how much of it is taken for granted. SOLA is the first and only all-girls boarding school in Afghanistan, and despite the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, they continue to find ways to educate.

Although I was raised in a non-religious household and attended Catholic school before coming to Govs, one of my siblings has converted to Islam, which has sparked some really interesting conversations. For example, we discussed how the Quran does not explicitly impose restrictions on women, meaning most gendered hadiths are based on cultural interpretations rather than madhhab, Islamic school of thoughts that provides a framework for understanding and applying Sharia law to various aspects of life. What I found especially fascinating is that while extremist Taliban views on education and leadership claim to be rooted in Islam, they actually contradict core interpretations of Sharia. The Taliban’s ban on girls’ education is less about religion and more about cultural traditions, particularly those tied to the Pashtun backgrounds of its leaders.

Hearing the personal stories told by Dr. Quimby and the girls, it made me reflect on my own family. My mother did not get much of an education growing up in Saigon after the Vietnam war; because of that, she always pushed me and my brothers to take our education seriously. Gender roles are shifting globally, and it’s only a matter of time before Afghan girls reclaim their freedom through transforming their education into power. 

From our previous women studies topics, we learned that educated women around the world earn higher incomes, marry later in life, and have fewer and healthier children. Part of SOLA’s mission is dependent upon educated women raising educated children that will fight against extremists. I am so fascinated at how SOLA has created and is now running a virtual curriculum via WhatsApp, connecting with 14,000 users to help them continue their education, despite the Taliban’s restrictions. After hearing about the connections between Govs and SOLA, in the near future, I really look forward to an opportunity to work and engage with SOLA.

Sola and Education in Afghanistan

 Education in one's life is significant, and the quality and availability depend upon the location in the world. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has taken away the ability for Women to be educated, which sprouted SOLA, the School of Leadership Afghanistan. This was one of the harder lessons to stomach for me because, as mentioned in prior posts, I have a sister, and I could never imagine her having to take these risks as some of the girls. Every day, not knowing whether they would return home from school was an honest risk each woman took while traveling to school and fleeing to Rwanda. 

    Dr. Quimby's involvement in SOLA is something I wish was talked about more, as well as how Govs as a community is involved. When DQ is out of town, I wonder where he is and what opportunities he is exploring, and I was surprised to hear he was spending a good chunk of time in Rwanda. The video we watched before class gave me a better understanding of what it meant to be a woman trying to attend school in Afghanistan and the measures taken. The talibans hatred for women's education stems from a few different things but primarily from the Pashtun area in Pakistan where they attended madrassas. This is where most speculate that this indoctrination came from because it goes against the Quran. The Quaran, which is the sacred text of Islam, actually encourages women to be educated, and I found this hard to believe considering the circumstances in Afghanistan. The Quran is a way of life and can influence the government as well, but a young reporter named Yousafzai put the situation in Afghanistan regarding women's education as "They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or a grave”. For me, this quote moved mountains because it really shows the severity of the situation.

I want to circle back to my personal connection and try not to summarize here. I had no idea Shazia and Sahiba were from Sola and really felt like they were just another classmate. I shared the opportunity to take American Studies with both of them and was amazed at their ability to conduct themselves and be a part of the community. If DQ had never shared those stories about the two and incorporated it into his presentation about SOLA, I would have never known, and I honestly am glad it was that way. I am curious to know if the community knowing they were from SOLA could impact how they were treated/how they were viewed. Sometimes, I feel like I can put on a different persona of myself to act in a way that may benefit someone else if their situation varies from mine, and I am happy to say that they got my true self, and I hope I received theirs. SOLA is a fascinating non-profit that is truly making waves throughout the world and growing exponentially. A part of me feels more proud wearing our shield, knowing we as a school and community make an effort in supporting this cause, even if it is taking a couple of students each year. I have a better understanding of the hardships that being a woman in Afghanistan entails, but I will never really know what it feels like. I know now to not take my education for granted and to appreciate the opportunities I have every day because I don't have to risk my life for an education like they did.