We ARE Amazons

We have all heard the legends of ancient Amazons, female warriors who gallantly fought battles against their fiercest foes. Unfortunately, these powerful images of female strength have been largely erased in our modern age. Time and again, we see images of bravery and valor, but women are generally excluded from these visual messages. Though women are not often portrayed as warriors who possess inner strength and courage, I believe that many women fight everyday in the trenches of cultural inequality. Female musicians perfectly exemplify the necessary doggedness and daring required of women who wish to succeed in male-dominated professions. As in most industries, women in music have to work much harder than our male counterparts just to be taken seriously.

While there are countless women represented in the music industry, they are typically assumed to be solely singers and pegged as one-dimensional figures. It is much more rare to see female musicians, producers, sound engineers etc. Though I have nothing against female singers, as I count myself to at least partially fall into that category, I always have greater respect for anyone who can prove themselves competent in many creative aspects, and it’s unfortunately uncommon to see female artists with control over the various realms that construct their career. Most of these female singers are merely eye candy used to sell the creativity of others working behind the scenes. In contrast, men are not judged merely on their looks, but rather their skill. It’s easy for us to see beyond their image and enjoy what they creatively bring to the table.

I’ve witnessed this double standard at nearly every gig and recording session I’ve been a part of. For example, while preparing for a show, I notice guys checking me out at the venue. I assure you I don’t attribute this to my own attractiveness so much as the attention-grabbing stage clothes I don at most gigs. As I grow painfully aware of this attention, I’m left to wonder what they’re thinking about me. I’d like to believe their thoughts go something like this, “I bet she plays a mean guitar” or “She probably understands how best to order her effects pedals and dial-in her amp tone.” However, I’ve found that it’s more often, “Damn her ass looks nice in those leather shorts” or “Look how long those legs are!” Nearly every night that I perform, I have to deal with drunk creeps in the audience who think it’s permissible to stare at my boobs or crotch the entire set. These are simply things that men in my field don’t have to deal with.

The worst part of being seen as merely eye candy is not the disrespectful stares or degrading shouts from male members of the audience. The worst part is having my ability dismissed before I even play a single note. It’s relentlessly frustrating to have my skills doubted at every corner. It’s assumed that I’m just going to sing and dance around on stage while the guys in my band do the real musical work. Any signs of real creativity or substance are repeatedly attributed to some man who must be working with me; the work behind anything great I do cannot possible be my own. I can understand why there’s that misconception since there exists an incessant stream of false images of women in music, but I assure every reader that I do most of the creating on my own. I’m an intelligent individual who is incredibly committed to developing my craft, the same as my male colleagues.

Every creative endeavor is a collective effort, and I don’t want to sell that short. I’m especially lucky to have family and friends that support what I do. Even more rare, I have male colleagues and band mates that encourage my creative ideas and trust my musical instincts. I’ve been immensely fortunate in that I have possibly the world’s greatest band mates for both bands that I’m in. They all respect the leadership I bring, and I cannot begin to express the freedom that gives me creatively. A great support system and trustworthy colleagues of substance are crucial parts of any artist’s success, but it’s particularly important for women to find this as they will encounter a myriad of challenges that men do not have to worry about.

To any female musicians reading this, I’m sure you can relate to some of the venting I did in the previous paragraphs. I think it’s invaluable for female musicians to have a safe space to vent and empathize with each other’s frustrations. However, it’s more important that we encourage one another, especially since the world around us will most likely fail to do so. Have heart and stay the course. These obstacles are not going to be moved anytime soon, but they are also not insurmountable hindrances. We may have to work harder, but we will be stronger. We may be pushed back further, but we can soar to greater heights and use that negativity to fuel our creative output. We are Amazons. We can fight. We can affect change. We can be victorious. We can overcome anything that stands in our way. We possess all of the ability, perseverance, and courage that we need. In short: we can do it.

Music as Symbiosis: We Are in This Together

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been developing my understanding of music as a very positive symbiosis. I love meeting new people at every show, and each new interaction, or in some cases, budding friendships, have such value!  However, one aspect of these encounters that has always puzzled me, is a specific comment so frequently made by listeners. After thanking people for coming to shows, I often received a response that goes something along the lines of “well, I’m not talented like you, but I really enjoy listening to music.” This statement possesses a subtext that implies that they, as listeners, hold less importance than me, as the musician in the spot light. This sort of perspective has never sat well with me. Here’s why….

While music can be a personal journey for artists and listeners alike, some of music’s greatest power is found through communal experiences. Music festivals offer one great example of the power these communal experiences can have. Anyone who has been to festivals can attest to the eye-opening revelations and transformative influence these events can have. There is absolutely value in the quiet, contemplative moments of listening to your favorite record at home, in your car, or in any desired location that fosters a meditative environment. However, there is an unspoken power that comes from a transcendent musical experience that is shared simultaneously by a mass of people or even a small group of equally invested music lovers. We should always be thankful to those who choose to share in a musical journey with us, even if these people are merely strangers at a concert, whom we will, most likely, never see again. But for those brief moments, we will be on the same level of musical transcendence, and that is reason enough to cherish their presence.

Also, as a musician, I believe it is important to remember that it takes both artists and listeners to keep music flowing. Musicians like me have an innate need to create and, if we are lucky, we will learn to develop the necessary abilities to turn that need into something tangible for others to enjoy as well. Conversely, it takes listeners who want to invest in those creations (and those who create) in order to support creative endeavors; I mean this both in financial terms (buying songs, attending concerts, etc), but also in more abstract terms. For example, as I’ve mentioned before, and as many people already understand, being a musician is an extremely hard path to walk down. While I love creating and sharing music, there are certainly days when I get beaten down professionally, and it feels nearly impossible to push forward. There have been numerous times when it’s only been through the encouragement of others (usually those not “musically talented”) that I’ve been able to pick myself up and continue pursuing my love of music.

Furthermore, I consider myself both a musician and music listener. These roles are not mutually exclusive, nor should they be. I value both equally and wear both hats in my every day life. I not only pursue the music I want to create, but I also actively support the creative pursuits of others. I’ve loved music long before I had any knowledge of how to create it and I will continue to love music long after my body can no longer sing or play instruments. Even if, for some reason, I was never able to sing or play another note, my love and reverence for music and my respect of other musicians will never go away. I’ve come to embrace that passion within me, and I immensely appreciate that quality within others. Those are the people who are not only responsible for me having a career to pursue, but who also pick me up every time I get knocked down by a brutal industry that cares little for musicians like me who struggle to make progress happen in our careers.

To anyone who has ever come to a show, purchased an album, or even just sent a message saying you enjoyed my music… Thank you, from every part of who I am. Your role as listeners has not gone unnoticed and never will. We are all in this together and shall remain in this together for as long as we all value and nurture our mutual love for music.

 

A Modern Day Troubadour

We hear a lot about how difficult the pursuit of art is. “The struggling artist” seems to be one of the stock characters of American cinema and an archetype recognized by cultures around the world. I, too, am guilty of getting caught up in the struggle of being an artist, rather than remembering to step back and take in all of the beautiful positives that come with the experience as well. One of the main perks of being a musician (in my opinion anyway) is the opportunity to travel. Some places are certainly more exciting than others, but every single place I go seems to offer its own brand of adventure and learning.

I do realize that some people view the necessity of travel as one of the downsides to being a musician, but for me, I’ve always thrived on this aspect of my job, of the musical journey in general, before I did it professionally. Music is one of the main reasons I’ve found myself bouncing around and living in different areas of the country and why I’ve been able to embrace new adventures with such enthusiasm. In fact, music is the reason why this California girl now lives in Philadelphia (but that story is for another time….).

I believe travel to be one of the most important experiences that a person can have for a number of reasons. Firstly, it often takes you out of the familiar and the comfortable, and this kind of challenge is vital to personal growth. Also, you become immersed in a learning environment that expands what you know about the world around and that pushes your thoughts and feelings to new places you didn’t even know you could access. I can’t even begin to articulate how much my travels have shaped the way I view myself, the people around me, and the world in which we all live. Another amazing part about traveling is the fact that every location has its own personality and set of rules, and I’m absolutely fascinated by the process of discovering these specific quirks!

Though I’m sure to abound in great traveling stories as this blog progresses, I’ll offer San Francisco as an example for now. I recently visited this beautiful northern Californian city because my best friend, Hannah (an artist in her own right and someone whom I’m sure you’ll hear about throughout my posts), is now living there. She and I have both bounced around a fair amount, and as a result of our gypsy-esque tendencies have enacted a rule that requires each of us to visit the other whenever one of us moves somewhere new. Hannah moved to San Francisco earlier this year so I was overdue for a trip and decided to finally make good on our pact. I’ve been to San Francisco a number of times, but each time I revisit, I’m always taken aback by its beauty and its warm welcome for people of all walks of life. It has an undeniable energy and vitality that is unlike any other place I’ve been. Just being in this open and kind-hearted city for the week opened my eyes to the ways I often close off to my environment instead of soaking in all that it has to offer. I can’t stress enough the value of traveling and allowing yourself to step outside of what you know. In fact, I’m already gearing up for several other trips; I’ve found that (for better or worse) I have a hard time keeping my feet still for too long. That being said, I leave you with one final nudge: find somewhere you want to go, and go there! No more excuses!

From Music to Writing…

Hello,

Since this is my first post, I’ll begin with a brief introduction about myself. My name is Victoria and I’m a full time musician based out of Philadelphia. I’ve basically been playing music for as long as I can remember. It’s only been in the past two and a half years that I’ve been doing it professionally… Which brings me to my reason for writing.

As a working musician, I make enough money to pay my bills, but not much beyond that. I’m not necessarily complaining about this fact, but it’s simply a reality of being a musician that is important to understand. I work long hours, and often don’t get home from gigs until the sun is coming up. AND I work nearly every night and weekend, rendering my social life impaired or even severely lacking. I literally work myself sick some weeks from not getting any rest, just to get out of bed the next day (on three or four house of sleep), load up on cold medicine and ibuprofen, and do another show that night.

So why would one ever want to be a musician? What do you get out of it? The answer: I love music and it enriches my life through unique experiences and encounters with other people. That’s why I want to begin blogging: because there are too many great stories and experiences to share, and some days that’s all that I have to offer. The life of the musician is an unspeakably difficult one, but it is one that I’ve voluntarily signed on for, knowing full well the hardships I’m inviting in. I do this, because I LOVE music, I love the work that I do, and I love the journey that music has taken me on. So sit back, relax, and get ready to vicariously experience a life led by a passion for music!