Female Pioneers in Music Technology: Annotated Bibliography

Carson, Mina, et al. Girls Rock!: Fifty Years of Women Making Music. UP of Kentucky, 2015.

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Carson follows the story of Wanda Jackson, who struggled to get her break into the music industry at a time when aspiring female guitarists were never taken seriously. She eventually went on to work with music greats like Elvis Presley and Billy Ray (Carson 2). The author further examines the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality to argue that the world is still predominantly white-, male-, and straight-led. Women undergo normalized harassment and other challenges but their success is still treated as less significant compared to men. The fight for recognition continues to be a constant struggle for women to date, irrespective of the aspect of music they join.

Beyond just describing women in music, Carson explores the challenges they experience before they attain success. Her ideas about the role of women encourage discourse on the challenges women have historically faced in music and other industries, where their efforts are rarely ever recognized. In this regard, her work introduces the negative aspect of women's rise through the music industry.

Henry, Murphy H. Pretty Good for a Girl: Women in Bluegrass. U of Illinois P, 2013.

Henry investigates bluegrass, a began circa 1945 and involved the use of the banjo. Parents in the 1950s and 1960s encouraged their daughters to pursue bluegrass by helping them purchase instruments. However, numbers remained low still. Jackie Dickson claimed to be the only woman in bluegrass in 1969 (Henry 44). The author tracks the careers of women like Dickson, Laurie Lewis, and Lynn Morris as they etched their names in bluegrass history to create space for women in music today.

Henry's focus on one particular genre of music supports this study's analysis of the progress women have made and the roles they have played in a male-dominated industry. Bluegrass has continued to influence the music industry today in a much similar way as it did in the past. However, the role of women was underplayed. For this purpose, little has been written about their position in the music industry in the late 20th century, a circumstance that has stumbled the recognition they seek. The study aims to illustrate women's issues drawing from the support of Henry's viewpoints.

Hoke, S. K. Women in American Popular Music. Indiana UP, 2012.

Hoke examines progress of popular music in general with special focus on technology such as microphones and amplifiers, which made performers, both male and female to enhance their skill tremendously. She writes about Barbara Streisand and Linda Ronstadt, who took advantage of women's progress to achieve immense success in 1970s and 1980s (Hoke n.p.). The author also delves into the stories of LGBT women like Alanis Morissette and Tori Amos, who found their own sound and confronted social conventions in the process.

Hooke's investigation into contemporary music is beneficial in understanding the specific ways in which women have influenced the popular music scene. Although the author focuses primarily on the US, her book is nonetheless significant in illustrating the changes the popular music scene has witnessed due to the impact of women. The text is relevant to this research because it explains the seemingly insurmountable challenges that women have had to confront, which is starkly different from men. The additional mention of LGBT matters makes the book current and provides a holistic view of women's issues. Additional, the author delves into an aspect of women in music that is often ignored and brings them to the forefront of musical discussions, which this study shall borrow.

Pendle, Karin. Women & Music: A History. 2nd ed., Indiana UP, 2001.

The author begins her treatise with the examination of women in music from ancient times, with specific focus on Greece and Rome. From the ancient times to early modern Europe, infrastructural developments in the form of rails and roads encouraged cultural and economic growth, allowing women to pursue music as a means of upward social mobility (Pendle 118). Pendle goes on to describe the factors that have spurred the growth of music - urban, middle class white audiences. Women went against these societal norms and led to cultural changes as a result.

The research's focus on women is supported by this book because it elaborates the struggles they encounter in music. It describes the issues women have undergone to achieve success in music. Pendle examines 20th century American music on a much deeper level, which provides the insight necessary to understand the genre changes women have influenced. Also, her interspersion of racial, socioeconomic, gender, and political factors, all of which seem to delay the progress of women, makes it an especially significant focal point of this research, providing a complex approach towards women in music history.

Solie, Ruth A. Musicology and Difference: Gender and Sexuality in Music Scholarship. U of California P, 1995.

Solie begins her book with the question on whether or not history is pertinent in the modern world. She states in the first topic that gender is essential in scholarly discussions because it is inseparable from matters of nationality, race, and ethnicity (Solie 23). She further states that the very concept of music is imbued with power (Solie 46). The author incorporates studies about female musicians in the primeval era, where professional musicians hid their talent due to societal constraints. She appears to prove that women have been the subjects of a discriminatory patriarchal world, which has prevented their progress in music and other aspects of society.

Women have historically faced challenges when entering the music scene, a situation that has remained largely the same to date, albeit with significant progress. Solie's contribution to the study relates to the issues women faced in the past compared to today. The research shall integrate her perspective in illustrating the interspersion between women and music and contrast it with the male experience. The view is to describe the female experience in music and the adverse impacts that gender discrimination has had on their progress. Her perspectives on the study of music should influence discussions beyond this study with a view to encouraging research into music.

Grant, S. Jamie Lynn Spears Embraces Motherhood and Feminity on New Song 'Sleepover.' The Younger Spears is Back. MTV News. June, 24, 2016.

Grant assesses the changing view on feminity amongst female musicians with the return of Jamie Spears as a teen mom who has embraced the change of being a mother and wife. Previously, most musicians avoided becoming pregnant and settling down with their own family because it was thought to negatively influence their overall confidence and appearance as musicians. Jamie Spears with the new song 'Sleepover' presents a new change and context of women in music due to her ability to embrace feminity as a woman and at the same time remain in the limelight. Spears notes that she was inspired by the song 'Sleepover' to do more and exclude the role of being a mother and a wife as dream killers. She notes that she is more confident, flirty and sexy whereby she attributes her ability to embrace feminity and the role of being a mom with greater strength as a female musician.

Marshall, T. Stefflon Don Nominated for Three MOBO Awards. MOTOWN News. 2017.

In the UK, women music and presence in rap has been low with male artists dominating most awards in the arena. Marshall highlights an important event in the history of women music with the recognition of Stefflon Don a UK rapper in the 2017 MOBO awards. This is a significant breakthrough because previously the rap awards have been dominated by males due to the association of rap music with masculinity. Stefflon Don as a newcomer artist has changed the paradigm for women doing rap music which shows that they can be able to compete with male rap artists and perform well. Stefflon music such as "Hurtin' Me" featuring French Montana has been listed number one in the UK Shazam chart and has been a hit in most UK radio stations. Stefflon's success is a significant leap for the UK women musicians who are competing in a male dominated music industry and encourages more women in the future to feature.

Works Cited

Armstrong, Victoria. Technology and the gendering of music education. Routledge, 2016.Solie, Ruth A., ed. Musicology and difference: Gender and sexuality in music scholarship. Univ of California Press, 1995. Retrieved from https://wesleyancollege.on.worldcat.org/oclc/754717944?databaseList=173%2C283%2C251%2C197%2C285%2C143%2C199%2C233%2C245%2C137%2C203%2C239%2C217%2C638

Carson, Mina, Tisa Lewis, and Susan M. Shaw. Girls rock!: fifty years of women making music. University Press of Kentucky, 2015. Retrieved from https://wesleyancollege.on.worldcat.org/oclc/900344364?databaseList=173%2C283%2C251%2C197%2C285%2C143%2C199%2C233%2C245%2C137%2C203%2C239%2C217%2C638

Grant, S. Jamie Lynn Spears Embraces Motherhood and Feminity on New Song 'Sleepover.' The Younger Spears is Back. MTV News. June, 24, 2016 Retrieved from http://www.mtv.com/news/2897784/jamie-lynn-spears-sleepover-new-single/

Henry, Murphy Hicks. Pretty Good for a Girl: Women in Bluegrass. University of Illinois Press, 2013. Retrieved from https://wesleyancollege.on.worldcat.org/oclc/842256427?databaseList=173%2C283%2C251%2C197%2C285%2C143%2C199%2C233%2C245%2C137%2C203%2C239%2C217%2C638

Hoke, S. Kay. Women in American Popular Music. Indiana University Press, 2012. Retrieved from https://wesleyancollege.on.worldcat.org/oclc/828926038?databaseList=173%2C283%2C251%2C197%2C285%2C143%2C199%2C233%2C245%2C137%2C203%2C239%2C217%2C638

Marshall, T. Stefflon Don Nominated for Three MOBO Awards. MOTOWN News. Retrieved from https://www.motownrecords.com/stefflon-don-nominated-three-mobo-awards/

Pendle, Karin, ed. Women & music: a history. Indiana University Press, 2001. Retrieved from https://wesleyancollege.on.worldcat.org/oclc/610588472?databaseList=173%2C283%2C251%2C197%2C285%2C143%2C199%2C233%2C245%2C137%2C203%2C239%2C217%2C638

Solie, Ruth A., ed. Musicology and difference: Gender and sexuality in music scholarship. Univ of California Press, 1995. Retrieved from https://wesleyancollege.on.worldcat.org/oclc/45843143?databaseList=173%2C283%2C251%2C197%2C285%2C143%2C199%2C233%2C245%2C137%2C203%2C239%2C217%2C638