Hi there, my dearest readers! In today’s post we will be talking about the relation between women and art and the challenges that women have in this profession. We have picked this topic because of an article we have read last Wednesday 15th November by Toby Thomas in The Guardian, a British digital newspaper. In this article, Toby Thomas commented on the life of Shirley Thompson, a brilliant composer, and the difficulties she had to face in the music industry.
Shirley Thompson. Photography by Wunmi Onibudo/The Guardian
Music is a unique form of art. It is a lyrical and auditory representation of many stories. Through patterned constructions of words, rhythm and instrumental collaboration, music provides listeners with insight to personal experiences and even in-depth interpretations of the world around us. The literal meaning of the word ‘music’ according to any dictionary is: ‘art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds in a harmonious or expressive way’.
Not everybody thinks that music is art or even an artistic way of learning, but we believe that music must be considered art because it involves creativity, emotional expression and the ability to communicate ideas and feelings too. As we have said before, music is a powerful form of artistic expression which transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries. From our perspectives, music enriches our lives. Music is very helpful for people since it can help calm those who suffer from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or people who suffer from anxiety. It also makes us enjoy and experience emotions such as joy, longing, etc.
While reading this article we have realised that women also struggle in this industry even though it could be seen easier for them by people outside the industry because of sexualization. However, we can find examples in which this does not apply like Amy Winehouse, a complete genius, singer, and composer who was underrated just for being a woman. In the case of Shirley Thompson, she was also underestimated for being black but, instead of giving up, she has fought for her place and recognition and she is one of the most courageous and talented composers of all time.
The situation of women in the music industry has made us also reflect on the way society is built. Traces of patriarchy and sexism can be seen in all sectors of the arts. If we pay attention we can see that all the best-known paintings, sculptures, buildings and songs have belonged to men. Women have always been delegated to the background and to a life dedicated exclusively to caring for the family. In ancient times, women had to adopt male identities to excel in their fields. However, nowadays women are gradually gaining more strength in artistic fields.
To our minds, sexism and racism are detrimental to art (and obviously to every single thing) as long as they mean the suppression of voices of people who probably are wise and have lots of knowledge to teach. When you restrict somebody just for her gender or the colour of her skin you are denying yourself the opportunity to learn about new cultures and losing cultural richness too. In addition, when you limit artists just for their origin you are excluding them from work opportunities.
When you are a woman, especially a black woman, you have to fight harder than any man to gain a foothold in every single industry, no matter if it is an artistic, an economic or even an educational one. People have lots of prejudices rooted in the colour of other people's skin and this is atrocious for cultural awareness and in general for humanity. We consider this attitude as a backwardness to achieve a progressive society without gender or colour restrictions
There are many preconceptions against black women artists that are rooted in stereotypes, racism, and gender discrimination. However it is really important to note that these observations are not representative of the experience and talents of these women. There exists some stereotypes about their talent and their ability because people tend to assume that black women artists are not as talented or skilled as their colleagues from other racial or gender groups. Another problem that they have to face is the lack of recognition and the invisibility, and also the expectations of specific style as long as it is believed that they have to follow particular cultural or aesthetic norms.
We believe that it is truly important to challenge and beat these prejudices, promote diversity and inclusion in the art world and also appreciate the nourishing culture learning that they offer us. We should learn to open our minds to new perspectives. In addition, we think that it is essential that the next generations understand that the great diversity of people is nothing bad or strange, on the contrary, it is what makes us live in a multicultural society.
To end with this entry, we would like to stress the importance of tolerance and emphasise the labour of these women who have worked really hard to make their own path in the music industry and in the laboral world. Furthermore, we want to encourage all those women who are afraid to pursue their dreams to strive and achieve their goals without caring about what others may think or say about them.
Thank you all for reading our content, we hope from the bottom of our hearts you enjoy it and mainly that you learn from it. See you soon, my dearest readers!
Bibliography:
Garino, N. (2019, 16 octubre). Music as art. The Odyssey Online. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/music-as-art
Music is an art form - 1504 words | Bartleby. (s. f.). https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Music-Is-an-Art-Form-F3VFUE936ZZA
