User:Macylynn27/Women in music education

Impacts of Social Media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube make it possible for women in music education to display their talents. These platforms have made it possible for women to showcase their abilities, which could serve as inspiration to women and girls aspiring to be involved with music and music education. According to Megan Lam, “...with the rise of social media and interconnectedness through the Internet, female and male musicians alike can reach audiences like never before and students are thus able to witness talents from all over the world.” An important aspect of social media is that the poster is in control of what is being displayed. Female musicians and educators are now able to promote themselves without having to rely on someone else. For example, in The Instrumentalist, Heather McWilliams found that "women were represented in the magazine far less than what would be proportionate to the current number of women working in the band field and “'qualitative findings revealed that females were often depicted in disparaging and stereotypical ways”' Social media can alleviate some of these problems due to self representation.

Discrimination of Women in Music Education

The discrimination of women in music education goes way beyond the fight for equal pay. According to Cheryl Jackson, "Women encountered discrimination through limited access to such privileges as departmental vote, applying for promotion and tenure, serving on committees that determined departmental policies, and teaching upper level courses for which their academic training had prepared them." Women are also more likely to be educators in low income areas. According to Elisa Jones, "the vast majority of band directors at large, public high schools in high income areas are male. In fact, 84.62%…In contrast, at small, private elementary schools in low income areas, 83.66% of general classroom music teachers in our universe are female!”

The discrimination of women in music education often starts at an early age. According to Kelly Gathen, “While researchers suggest that instrument choice should be based on timbre and personal preference, gender stereotypes and biases play a more prominent role. These stereotypes and biases intensify with age, leading to a disproportionately small percentage of female high school music educators." The lack of female educators means a lack of female role models. This cycle leads to less women in the music education field (Gathen).

Notable Individuals

• Marjorie Kisbey Hicks (1905-1986) studied at the Associated Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. She was a faculty of the Ontario Ladies' College
• Dulcie Holland (1913-2000) was an Australian music educator who studied at the Sydney Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
• Minuetta Kessler (1914-2000) was an American composer who studied at and taught at the Julliard School. She was president of the North East Pianoforte Teachers Association and president of the Massachusetts MTA.
• Ruth Shaw Wylie (1916-1989) studied and taught at Wayne State University, where she also founded and directed the Improvisation Chamber ensemble. She also studied at the Eastman School of Music.
• Jean Hasse (1958) was an American teacher. She studied at Oberlin College and Cleveland State, and she formed the company Visible Music.
• Eunice Boardman (1964) studied at Cornell College, Teachers College of Columbia University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was given the title professor emerita of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also taught at Northern Illinois University, Wichita State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Patricia Shehan Campbell teaches at the University of Washington. She was the president of the College Music Society.