Welcome to the APME Memphis 2025 conference. Here, you’ll be able to register for the conference and update your Sched profile. The conference schedule will be available in late spring 2025. At that time, you can view the schedule and select the presentations you’d like to attend. If you have any questions, please visit our conference website or contact us at conference@popularmusiceducation.org We look forward to coming together as a community June 4–7, 2025.
Gender issues in music, mirroring those in society at large, have existed for centuries (Green, 1997; Campbell, 2022). Although research regarding the gendering of instruments appears to have peaked by the 1990s (e.g. Byo, 1991; Delzell and Leppla,1992; O’Neill, 1997), the issue itself remains timely; sex stereotyping persists as women still lack equal representation in almost every aspect of the music profession in the Westernized world (Hallam, Rogers, & Creech, 2008; Sheldon & Price, 2005). Given the continued uneven gender balances in instrumental music, the purpose of this study is to explore the gender-related personal, social, and musical experiences of female-identifying and gender non-conforming (gnc) musicians in masculine-dominated areas, using the lens of feminist pedagogy (Lamb, 1991, 1996). The results of this study may be used to further the conversation regarding the social roles of women in music and music education at all stages and propel further action to effect social change. We created an exploratory survey, based upon the extant literature, designed to develop an understanding of how women musicians currently experience masculine-dominated music spaces. After IRB approval, online survey invitations will be sent to female drummers/ percussionists, guitarists, bassists, conductors, and brass musicians. The survey includes questions about experiences commonly associated with female-identified and gnc persons, both in general and as musicians. Topics include life-cycle events, identity, mental and physical health, and experiences such as discrimination, harassment, belonging, and equity. Participants will also be asked open-ended questions regarding their experiences with gender-related issues in the music field.
