Women Composers

Women Composers Women composers are in no way generally viewed upon as different in today's society. Even according to Kerry Andrew, a female composer at GCSE and A-Level. "I don't believe there's a cabal of grunting old men in darkened, smoky rooms putting big crosses over scores submitted by ladies. I've never felt discriminated against in the slightest, so rest assured I am not setting fire to my piano to rage against the dying of the light. It's simply true to say that there are more professional male music creators than female out there. For some reason, it's taking a lot longer than in literature and the visual arts to reach equilibrium. It was deemed (just about) acceptable by the 19th century for female writers to be published, yet it's only in the last couple of decades that female composers have really emerged, blinking, out of their garrets and into publishing houses and record label offices; so, without a little helping hand, there might be a long way to go yet." (theguardian.com) Kerry also goes on to say how in all actuality there are many more male composers than female. She thinks this has partly to do with although females tend to be in higher numbers than males. Males are more eager when it comes to studying composition and females tend to have a tapering off of confidence in that area. In the middle ages there was a time when there was not a woman widely recognized for her musical capabilities. Not until Hildegard Von Bingen, a nun, became the first recognized female composer. One of her works as a composer, the Ordo Virtutum, is an early example of liturgical drama and arguably the oldest surviving morality play. (wikipedia.com) The main belief in those times that has held over centuries is laughed upon today. It is that women's brains are structured differently from men. Plain and simple, women are differently physically it might as well be a different brain makeup as well. That was the general thought of everyone that men were