Question posed by audience member. Females in big bands.

[greg warthan]

I would like to thank all for your time and insights. This particular gig will be tomorrow night. If the questioner shows up and searches me out, I will direct this person to visit local high schools and colleges. Interviewing the females in the music departments would seem to get to the root of it.
Over the course of 3 decades of playing, I have shared the stand with many females and never thought about what was behind the instrument.
As I was looking for insights, on short notice, this pretty much concludes this thread. This could be a question which has no answer. I will add that I agree with Pat. When I am at a school, the jazz bands seem to have 40-60% female membership. What does happen to them?
Thanks again, to all.

[blbaumgarn]

Some of the finiest musicians today are ladies. I just watched a whole concert performance saluting Count Basie at Lincoln Center by Wynton Marsalis chosen jazz band and two of the players were ladies. A tenor sax and a good bass trombone player. There is a NY lady that plays the cool jazz like Kisor and Chris Botti. She is every bit stylistically their equal. There's always room for people who love good jazz.

[Craig Swartz]

Hey, Greg, perhaps the chicks are just out there making a hell of a lot more money doing something else. (Especially if they're making more than what DMBB is being paid.

The key is, IMO: I do not think anyone, anywhere is either discouraging women from either auditioning/playing in big bands, nor blacklisting them or keeping them form playing if they can cut the partmif/when there is an open seat and make the gigs. Certainly not in Des Moines. It's similar for the orchestra- I've been in here for 32 years and only in one concert have we had a female perform in the section,even as an extra, and that was last season. Good luck- I have to get around to hearing you "guys" again soon!

[kehaulani]

[RandyTX]

First off, I'd say that the way most of the guys behave in these bands, the way they talk about women in the audience, the jokes they tell during rehearsals, the way they act when they have too many beers on the gig, the way they can't seem to control themselves when a female musician shows up as a sub, etc. probably has more than a little bit to do with why there are by and large very low numbers of women in big bands.

Then just look at broader demographics. How many female trumpet players are there (as a percentage of the total)? Same question for trombones. Slightly higher numbers if you consider saxophones, piano. What about guitar and percussion?

Note: Many big bands have female singers that stand out front for some, if not most of the songs depending on the type of gig.

Meanwhile, I play in one big band regularly and sub in a couple others occasionally. All of them have one or two female players, though in each case, they're sax players. None on any other instrument.

/shrug
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"Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away."

[Billy B]

PH nailed it.
<Is it a question of girls feeling less inclined to "compete" rather than create? If we could figure things like this out we might be onto something. I do know that the athletics-styled model of auditioning (Who's in the trumpet field of 64? Who is a one and done?) that most all-star and honor bands in education and many professional groups follow rewards "competitors" rather than "creators" or "collaborators." Hmmm...>

In DSM I personally know of at least one female trumpet, trombone, and sax player who could cover the gig. I'm sure there are others.
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Bill Bergren

[Nonsense Eliminator]

[bamajazzlady]

greg warthan, sexism is the reason why you see less women in big bands playing trumpet.
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"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." - Maria Robinson

[stumac]

In the 20 years I have been in our Big Band we have had a number of female players, from memory, 1 tenor sax, 3 alto sax, 4 trombone, 1 piano, 2 drummers, 1 trumpet, another hopefully starting this week.

Regards, Stuart.

[Craig Swartz]

Cripes, I think everyone around here is being a bit oversensitive to what Greg started out with. In the first place, unless things have changed in recent years, DM Big Band is a gratis group of outstanding musicians/players, not affiliated with AFM and the performers are in it for their love of music, comraderie, to provide listening pleasure to their loyal fans and to keep themselves in touch with big band playing. I was in a similar group during summers in MN for about 30 yeqrs until it folded. I doubt there is any sort of advertising when there are openings, at least none of which I am aware, and I live in the metro area and am AFM. Over the past 6 years or so at least 4 of the regular trumpet players have left the band- I figure the players just ask comrades to join as replacements but perhaps Greg can straighten that out. They should be able to do just that as it is their band...

I was asked several times to sub years back but never could make a Monday night. I assume that would be an "audition"... Anyway, I sincerely doubt there is any sexism involved in how musicians are chosen but in this time of sharks circling the waters as the real champions of women (Al Franken, Matt Lauer, John Conyers, Harvey Weinstein- see a pattern here?) keep falling like dominoes for their hypocrisy while always attempting to defend that which needs no defending, sheeple and lemmings will fall in line on this topic. There is clearly an "emoticon" following my "chicks" statement in my previous post. And BTW, Richard- I see no females in the NBO trumpet section but assume you'd quickly stand aside if one shows up, possibly even go out on your own to recruit one to replace you. Not certain about your brass band. Take a breath, everyone...