Author |
Message |
bbinkovitz
Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 338 Location: central ohio
Audio files: 1
G2 patch files: 1
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:04 am Post subject:
Welcome! (read this first) |
|
|
Since it is my priviledge to start off this excellent new corner of the board, let me introduce myself!
I'm Beth Binkovitz of project ruori ( http://ruori.org ) and some of you may know me from my participation with project ruori at the 2006 and 2007 electro-music events in Cheltenham, PA.
I hope this forum will become a place including every kind of discussion that is at all relevant to the topic of women in electronic music. The main things I had in mind in suggesting this forum were:
1. discussion among members of any gender about their ideas and insights on the issue of gender as it relates to electronic music in general, i.e. female artists and fans in the world electro community, proportional representation of women as participants in events related to this board, etc.
2. exchanging the names and websites of female electronic musicians and discussion of their music
3. a place for women new to the electro-music.community to start connecting with others on the board, especially other women
4. to showcase the importance and influence of individual women and women collectively in electronic music
5. a place for the general encouragement and promotion of gender diversity in the electro-music scene
If you have any questions, comments, ideas, worries, hopes, insights, or other thoughts related in any way to any of these things, then welcome! you're in the right place. Last edited by bbinkovitz on Mon Jun 25, 2007 7:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
kkissinger
Joined: Mar 28, 2006 Posts: 1354 Location: Kansas City, Mo USA
Audio files: 42
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:50 am Post subject:
|
|
|
Beth,
Really great of you to start this thread and participate in the electro-music.com community.
Your set at EM2007 was fabulous!
Hope to hear more from you on this and other threads here. _________________ -- Kevin
http://kevinkissinger.com |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
mosc
Site Admin
Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18197 Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 212
G2 patch files: 60
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:12 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Yes, thanks, Beth, for agreeing to be the angel for this important forum. This is a great idea. _________________ --Howard
my music and other stuff |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bachus
Joined: Feb 29, 2004 Posts: 2922 Location: Up in that tree over there.
Audio files: 5
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Yes, thank you, and thanks to Howard for providing an exceptionally open and accepting environment. A wonderful place that continues to become more wonderful. _________________ The question is not whether they can talk or reason, but whether they can suffer. -- Jeremy Bentham |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
EdisonRex
Site Admin
Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 4579 Location: London, UK
Audio files: 172
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:39 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
I look forward to watching this develop. _________________ Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.
Home,My Studio,and another view |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Oskar
Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 1751 Location: Norway
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
This is going to be a very interesting sub forum. Well in! _________________ Where there are too many policemen, there is no liberty. Where there are too many soldiers, there is no peace. Where there are too many lawyers, there is no justice.
Lin Yutang (1895-1976) |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Stanley Pain
Joined: Sep 02, 2004 Posts: 782 Location: Reading, UK
Audio files: 10
G2 patch files: 35
|
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:35 am Post subject:
|
|
|
how long till someone mentions Delia Derbyshire?
2 electronic female artists inspiring me at the moment are
1. Lisa Kristiina. a promoter, producer, dj extraordinnaire. i met her recently and was full of encouragement for the work i do. i'll be playing one of her nights soon.
2. Stacey. i'm sorry that i can't remember her last name, but i only met her last saturday, but i hope to be working with her in the future. she runs a couple of imprints, promotes and djs.
i've noticed women becoming increasingly involved in the a & r/promotion side of the music industry, which i think can only help to balance the inequality inherent in our musical culture, particularly in regards the gender segregation of musical skills.
i'm beginning to sound like my old uni tutor Sheila Whiteley. _________________ there's no I in TEAM, so let's all act as individuals instead |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
dewdrop_world
Joined: Aug 28, 2006 Posts: 858 Location: Guangzhou, China
Audio files: 4
|
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:44 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Hey! Let's have a lot of men post and say what a great idea this is...
Irony?
Anyway, it is a good idea. I wonder too what is the reason for the massive gender disparity.
James
PS mileece uses SuperCollider _________________ ddw online: http://www.dewdrop-world.net
sc3 online: http://supercollider.sourceforge.net |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
EdisonRex
Site Admin
Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 4579 Location: London, UK
Audio files: 172
|
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:18 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
dewdrop_world wrote: | Hey! Let's have a lot of men post and say what a great idea this is...
Irony?
Anyway, it is a good idea. I wonder too what is the reason for the massive gender disparity.
James
PS mileece uses SuperCollider |
Irony because the women aren't here yet. As I said earlier, I would love to see this develop. What, we're not allowed to post because it's a women's place? Nonsense.
The gender disparity is, imo, cultural, in much the same way that women aren't ham radio operators as much as men are. And before I get assassinated for stating an opinion, let me make an attempt to qualify it.
Engineering and the tinker gene has been culturally a man's world perceptively. I know this anecdotally because I could never get women interested in my synthesizers (including my wife who builds 10th century instruments, and is easily as geeky as I am); at school there were many fewer women engineers than men. They had a junior college down the street to supply the men with women, as the engineer women were somewhat in demand (outnumbered like 50 to 1 actually). This was in the early 80s and I know times have changed but I'm talking my roots here.
I think of Laurie Spiegel as being in the roots of my thinking. One of the 1 in 50, or more. This is how it's been forevermore, world without end. And I admire what Laurie has done and I am a big fan. Or Laurie Anderson, for that matter. Her style educated me - and I was young when I first heard her.
I don't state the obvious here about why there are less women on both the forums and on the scene. I disagree with the part about being on the scene, since there are a lot of younger women who have dropped in with music and act info. It would be great if they'd stick around, and I don't think hanging out with a bunch of old men talking about circuits is what they want to talk about with their musical ideas. But I could easily be corrected. I try to listen to everyone.
Anyway, perhaps I am clueless. Or hopelessly naive. To me, the ideal is everyone collaborating as respected equals, learning and sharing. I don't think the guys get that in the first place, most of the time. But we all have egos, and they demand feeding.
Guess I've dug my hole. I'll go lie in it. I'd still love to see both a place where women can collaborate, and to have women feel like they can collaborate with men as I have always found that to be a source of good ideas. Discourse, that's the word. Discourse between consenting artists.
Oh yeah. I am the one who didn't go pro because I couldn't deal with the lizards in the music business. So take what I say with a grain, or 50, of salt.
And thinking again, maybe the women just want a place to call their own. When they make that clear, I can always go hang out in DIY Synths.
_________________ Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.
Home,My Studio,and another view |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Scott Stites
Janitor
Joined: Dec 23, 2005 Posts: 4127 Location: Mount Hope, KS USA
Audio files: 96
|
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:02 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
IMO, it's the last great border EM has to broach, and it's probably going to be the most difficult - I sincerely hope it works.
Like Edison Rex, I'm a huge Laurie Anderson fan - so much so that she would certainly rank up there as either my ultimate favorite artist of any gender, or damn close to it. I know I've never been quite so entertained at a concert.
And, Laurie is just one of many female electronic music artists (Cianni, Spiegel, Derbyshire, Barron as examples) who have made more than a mark on electronic music. So why are women so rare on electronic music forums and lists? I've never been able to figure that one out. Maybe they're too busy making music
Cheers,
Scott
Edit: And let's not forget Wendy Carlos - technically didn't start out as a woman, but I think she sucessfully made the transition. Last edited by Scott Stites on Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
seraph
Editor
Joined: Jun 21, 2003 Posts: 12398 Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2
|
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:08 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Scott Stites wrote: | So why are women so rare on electronic music forums and lists? |
you can never be certain about the identity of people populating forums and lists so, who knows _________________ homepage - blog - forum - youtube
Quote: | Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer |
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Scott Stites
Janitor
Joined: Dec 23, 2005 Posts: 4127 Location: Mount Hope, KS USA
Audio files: 96
|
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:17 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Quote: | you can never be certain about the identity of people populating forums and lists so, who knows |
Good point - maybe they're there (here), and don't feel it's important to make the distinction, or worse, feel they have something to lose by making the distinction. _________________ My Site |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Antimon
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 4145 Location: Sweden
Audio files: 371
G2 patch files: 100
|
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:12 am Post subject:
|
|
|
I'm curious if subtopics like "women in *" exist in other similar forums (art, hacking or other), and what kinds of discussions were conducted there. I'm wondering if this here is a first of its kind.
Incidentally, one of the few performances I caught on the electro-music 2007 stream was Margaret Noble's, which I liked very much.
Anyway, good initiative.
/Stefan _________________ Antimon's Window
@soundcloud @Flattr home - you can't explain music |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Stanley Pain
Joined: Sep 02, 2004 Posts: 782 Location: Reading, UK
Audio files: 10
G2 patch files: 35
|
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Antimon wrote: | I'm curious if subtopics like "women in *" exist in other similar forums (art, hacking or other), and what kinds of discussions were conducted there. I'm wondering if this here is a first of its kind.
Incidentally, one of the few performances I caught on the electro-music 2007 stream was Margaret Noble's, which I liked very much.
Anyway, good initiative.
/Stefan |
ooo dear. as we feared we find ourselves in the male identity thread by mistake.
_________________ there's no I in TEAM, so let's all act as individuals instead |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bbinkovitz
Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 338 Location: central ohio
Audio files: 1
G2 patch files: 1
|
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
EdisonRex wrote: |
Irony because the women aren't here yet. As I said earlier, I would love to see this develop. What, we're not allowed to post because it's a women's place? Nonsense.
|
I will take this opportunity to re-emphasize how important the participation and contribution of the WHOLE community, of which men are a huge and important part, is to the discussion of the dynamics of that community. Your opinions are very welcomed!
Quote: |
The gender disparity is, imo, cultural, in much the same way that women aren't ham radio operators as much as men are. And before I get assassinated for stating an opinion, let me make an attempt to qualify it.
|
Seeing as gender identification and expression is totally culturally subjective (cultures throughout the world and throughout history have varied significantly in this area -- some Native American cultures recognized three or more genders, European Jewish cultures in the medieval period defined a pale and weak man whose power was completely intellectual as the epitome of masculine perfection, just to name a few examples of gender systems we'd consider antithetical to "normal" gender structure as we've grown up with it) so saying that gender disparity is cultural seems to me a central axiom of this whole dialogue, rather than going out on a limb that might get you "assassinated". (BTW, if anyone "assassinates" anyone else on this subforum, I'll tie them down and dialectically refute Hobbes at them until they wish they'd never been born.)
Quote: |
Engineering and the tinker gene has been culturally a man's world perceptively.
|
True story, I was thisclose to going into engineering before I got sucked into the German department. I was on an all-female robotics team for three years in high school and it was both amazing (to get to learn all that stuff and geek out all the time) and disillusioning (the first year I was on the team we won a regional award and as we went through the congratulating line many of us were groped in passing by members of other teams). The only beef I have with what you're saying is the use of the phrase "tinker gene". Like you said, it's cultural. I think plenty of girls are predisposed to "tinkering" and are discouraged from continuing it or never supplied with enough things to tinker with. Even in friendly environments such as this there is a disparity because of this social conditioning in our culture.
Quote: | It would be great if they'd stick around, and I don't think hanging out with a bunch of old men talking about circuits is what they want to talk about with their musical ideas. But I could easily be corrected. I try to listen to everyone.
|
Part of the awesomeness of greater diversity of any kind is the introduction of new perspectives and alternatives. I'm sure there are women who could talk circuits all day, and I'm sure there are men who would rather be making beepy-beepy noises in a light-up costume. Nothing against talking circuits, but the scene needs to not be dominated by that, for everyone's sake.
Quote: | Discourse, that's the word. Discourse between consenting artists. |
Yay!
Quote: | I couldn't deal with the lizards in the music business. |
Lizard-Free Zone!
Quote: |
And thinking again, maybe the women just want a place to call their own. When they make that clear, I can always go hang out in DIY Synths.
|
Having been involved in many "safe space" discussions in the feminist collective where I used to live, I can definitely say that there are many women who feel the need for women-only spaces, both real and virtual. However, this kind of thinking makes me a bit uneasy because it involves defining people based on their gender and imposing the dominant definition of "male" and "female" on those who really just want to hang out and have a dialogue. I personally am really glad that the many male contributors to this subforum are present and vocal and I think to have it any other way would defeat the purpose. I don't think the respectful and thoughtful participation of men in any way diminishes the importance of women in this topic or makes it any less of a "place to call [our] own". |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
seraph
Editor
Joined: Jun 21, 2003 Posts: 12398 Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2
|
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:16 am Post subject:
|
|
|
EdisonRex wrote: |
The gender disparity is, imo, cultural, in much the same way that women aren't ham radio operators as much as men are. |
more than once I have been involved in activities where the vast majority of partecipants were women: yoga, holistic gymnastics, anthroposophical painting. I don't know if it's only a cultural disparity, I guess it's also, somehow, biological. _________________ homepage - blog - forum - youtube
Quote: | Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer |
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
EdisonRex
Site Admin
Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 4579 Location: London, UK
Audio files: 172
|
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:43 am Post subject:
|
|
|
Hi, Beth,
Quote: |
Seeing as gender identification and expression is totally culturally subjective (cultures throughout the world and throughout history have varied significantly in this area -- some Native American cultures recognized three or more genders, European Jewish cultures in the medieval period defined a pale and weak man whose power was completely intellectual as the epitome of masculine perfection, just to name a few examples of gender systems we'd consider antithetical to "normal" gender structure as we've grown up with it) so saying that gender disparity is cultural seems to me a central axiom of this whole dialogue, rather than going out on a limb that might get you "assassinated". (BTW, if anyone "assassinates" anyone else on this subforum, I'll tie them down and dialectically refute Hobbes at them until they wish they'd never been born.)
|
Glad we agree! I tend to use the words "subjective" and "perception" a lot. An old boss once told me "perception is everything".
Quote: |
True story, I was thisclose to going into engineering before I got sucked into the German department. I was on an all-female robotics team for three years in high school and it was both amazing (to get to learn all that stuff and geek out all the time) and disillusioning (the first year I was on the team we won a regional award and as we went through the congratulating line many of us were groped in passing by members of other teams). The only beef I have with what you're saying is the use of the phrase "tinker gene". Like you said, it's cultural. I think plenty of girls are predisposed to "tinkering" and are discouraged from continuing it or never supplied with enough things to tinker with. Even in friendly environments such as this there is a disparity because of this social conditioning in our culture.
|
I think as many women have the "tinker gene" as men. What the culture "makes them" do with it is another thing. I went to engineering school in the early 1980s; women in engineering was still a concept even the schools hadn't totally got their academic heads around, but in 5 years the number of women in the freshman class increased steadily. It's been 25 years since I graduated from university, and I have heard that a lot more women are successful engineers now - I notice this as well because I work with many of them.
So I think that means we are in agreement.
Thanks. _________________ Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.
Home,My Studio,and another view |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bbinkovitz
Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 338 Location: central ohio
Audio files: 1
G2 patch files: 1
|
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:34 am Post subject:
|
|
|
seraph wrote: | I don't know if it's only a cultural disparity, I guess it's also, somehow, biological. |
Yes, well, I would agree that culture makes biological distinctions, but to argue for anything more concrete than that for genetics seems to be getting into rather Victorian assumptions. Although it's often sadly true that "biology is destiny" (as I believe Freud said), many people really don't think it has to be. Hence, stuff like this.
Might I also add that similar assumptions pertaining to racial characteristics were not too long ago also held to be "common wisdom". Throughout history, we see that the social paradigm which purports itself to be the only one, is not.
(Speaking of which, has anybody else noticed that racial/ethnic diversity seems to be even more sparse than gender diversity at the electro-music festival? I saw one black participant and one hispanic group in the collective entirety of the 06 and 07 events.) |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bachus
Joined: Feb 29, 2004 Posts: 2922 Location: Up in that tree over there.
Audio files: 5
|
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:35 am Post subject:
|
|
|
[quote="EdisonRex"]
I think as many women have the "tinker gene" as men.
[\quote]
I suspect that's true (assuming "gene" is being used loosely). But I don't know because that is an assertion about objective reality whose answer properly belongs to the domain of science. What is certain about gender differences is that among many* (if not all) mammalian species males are much more prone to violence**. And clearly among humans there is a tendency for like to group with like. If one is not like the dominant group, one is often in danger of abuse. I am sort of an outsider in most any group and always feel uncomfortable if not out right fearful in them. If I were a woman (even a normal one) I'm sure I would have a strong aversion to groups with a large majority of males.
*not surprisingly the strength of this correlation from strong to weak runs: herbivore, omnivore, carnivore.
**Nature is both profligate and heedless in her creativity. A profound diversity of personality, traits and talents runs through all species. To assert a categorical absolute about the traits of any species is almost certain to be an injustice to it's individual members. On the other hand it is natural to think in terms of abstract categories, hence we come by this propensity to injustice naturally and it seems that conscious effort is required to avoid it and quite possibly a genetic component as well. _________________ The question is not whether they can talk or reason, but whether they can suffer. -- Jeremy Bentham |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
mosc
Site Admin
Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18197 Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 212
G2 patch files: 60
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:07 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
bbinkovitz wrote: | I'll tie them down and dialectically refute Hobbes at them until they wish they'd never been born.) |
That's possibly the best threat I've read.
There is one inescapable fact: people, like sunsets, are all different and very complicated. _________________ --Howard
my music and other stuff |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bachus
Joined: Feb 29, 2004 Posts: 2922 Location: Up in that tree over there.
Audio files: 5
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 3:18 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
mosc wrote: | bbinkovitz wrote: | I'll tie them down and dialectically refute Hobbes at them until they wish they'd never been born.) |
That's possibly the best threat I've read.
|
Yes, but a kind punishment long in use:
W. S. Gilbert wrote: |
All prosy dull society sinners,
Who chatter and bleat and bore,
Are sent to hear sermons
From mystical Germans
Who preach from ten to four.
|
_________________ The question is not whether they can talk or reason, but whether they can suffer. -- Jeremy Bentham |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Kassen
Janitor
Joined: Jul 06, 2004 Posts: 7678 Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3
|
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 7:14 am Post subject:
|
|
|
Antimon wrote: | I'm curious if subtopics like "women in *" exist in other similar forums (art, hacking or other), and what kinds of discussions were conducted there. I'm wondering if this here is a first of its kind.
|
I've seen discussion of speciffic issues related to women in gaming (both as players and as characters, as well has how those relate), not sure about a "section" as such. I'm not sure wether I find the "section" element all that interesting, realy.
Oh, and perhaps this topic should be a sticky? _________________ Kassen |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bbinkovitz
Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 338 Location: central ohio
Audio files: 1
G2 patch files: 1
|
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 5:42 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Kassen wrote: |
Oh, and perhaps this topic should be a sticky? |
i have been trying to figure out how to sticky a topic. i've never been a mod on a messageboard before! i'll figure it out and sticky this. |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Fozzie
Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 875 Location: Near Wageningen, the Netherlands
Audio files: 8
G2 patch files: 49
|
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 2:36 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
bbinkovitz wrote: | seraph wrote: | I don't know if it's only a cultural disparity, I guess it's also, somehow, biological. |
......Might I also add that similar assumptions pertaining to racial characteristics were not too long ago also held to be "common wisdom". ... |
Although I sincerely agree that women and men are equal (and yes, I'm strongly against racial prejudice), there is a funny side to such line of reasoning. It is a bit like: axiom = we are equal --> underlying / unspoken reasoning: equal implies identical --> conclusion: there cannot be biological differences since we are equal.
But before I am tied down and lectured by German clergymen about Calvin and Hobbes for ages, I would like to assert that I wholeheartedly welcome women to electronic music and this subforum. In the practical sense, does it really matter whether we are fighting biology or social structures? Both aren't static. _________________ Spinning at ~0.0000115740740741 Hz |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
bbinkovitz
Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 338 Location: central ohio
Audio files: 1
G2 patch files: 1
|
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:12 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Fozzie wrote: | In the practical sense, does it really matter whether we are fighting biology or social structures? Both aren't static. |
amen.
i want to tell a story.
my little sister was really into soccer in high school. she was very good and was considering going for soccer scholarships for college. my parents took her to many local soccer games that she enjoyed.
then, one of the women's world cup games was held in columbus and she was super excited and she paid a lot to go to it, and while she and her friends from her team were watching, they each picked out a player and pretended that was them. they had never done that before at the games where all the players were male.
i wasn't there but my dad told me this story because he's the one who went with them. he told it to me because that was the moment when he understood why women and girls need female role models. after that he started calling himself a feminist, which was a shocking thing coming from my dad.
he and i have gotten along a lot better since then. |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|