Another great part of my job at the moment is that I am always surrounded by musicians. We all certainly do have our individual tastes, but it's pretty cool that we interrupt our scheduled programs to argue about Brahms.
One particular coworker of mine is actually interested in hearing what I have to say about my own research having to do with music (imagine that!). Because it proved to be controversial in the past, I've sort of let my passion for this particular subject matter fall by the wayside. Given the outright animosity with which my opinions have been met, I've been more or less cautious about even mentioning the status of women in Western Art Music, even though it is the perfect merging of my two favorite academic subjects.
Given that I am (or was?) well versed in feminist musicology and how it plays out in our implicit understanding of high art, this particular coworker suggested that I begin to write about it. I'm turning this idea over and over in my mind - the leitmotif in this internal discussion is the most valid point of all:
Am I a good enough writer to publish (i.e. blog) my thoughts and opinions about the state of women in music? Would I be able to commit to maintaining such a venture? After all, to even begin to broach this topic with a good mix of logic and relevance takes quite a bit of research. And maintaining a conversation about it? That's another skill entirely.
Besides which, to be safe I would need to see if there's any precedent for this type of venture. What has already been added to the discussion of women in music? Where is my niche? (Hint: it sure isn't music by women for the horn.)
Such is the state of things for now. Mainly I seek to answer one particular question: with all of the opportunities now available to women, why are we underrepresented in the "voice" of instrumental music? What circumstances prevent women from venturing into the world of music composition? And why does it matter?