Katie and I are putting on an event on the 13th at WhAAM. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD.What is Girls' Music Workshop?
Girls' Music Workshop is a FREE day-long event to encourage girls to make music. It's an effort to get girls involved with music who might not, under normal circumstances and through typical avenues, play music. You don't have to play music or be in a band at all to come! We want all girls who are interested in music and maybe making music to come- whether you've been playing drums since age five or dream about someday being in a band. It will be happening at WhAAM on Saturday, February 13th at 3pm; and at 8pm that evening, there will be a showcase of girl-centered bands for $5.
Why do you feel this is important?
So many girls think that making music and being in bands is much harder than it actually is. We hope that this event will show girls what's actually involved in making music- that they can do it and it's worth the effort. Also, at ANY age, there are far less girls who play music than boys, and it can be really hard to meet other girls who play music. We want this to be an opportunity for girls who are interested in playing music and being in bands to meet other like-minded folks, share ideas, maybe form bands, and ask questions of women who have been doing this for awhile.
Do girls need extra encouragement to play music? Why?
Yes! We both feel like it's impossible to talk about this subject without invoking personal experience. We spent years fumbling with guitars in our bedrooms, but didn't ever think we were good enough to be in bands, much less play in front of people- even friends. Showing the things you create to other people can be intimidating for anyone, regardless of gender or background; but there are especial barriers that get in the way of girls doing this.
When we walk into music stories, we encounter dudes who try to sell us pink guitars- if we go up to those same guys and ask them, "so, what does this knob do?," that would just confirm stereotypes about girl musicians. We want to make a space where girls can ask those questions without being self-conscious. We want to help them get to the business of making music sooner than we were able to- because it took both of us years and years to get over our hang-ups.
It takes a lot of encouragement and positive peer pressure to get over these barriers. Learning to play music (and learning to do anything, for that matter) is a messy process. We want to give girls a space to be messy and to discover, to make things that aren't perfect- to have fun!
We want things to be better for the next generation of girls and for ladies, women, and girls of all ages.
What is planned for the day?
The event will get underway at 3pm. We'll have time for people to meet each other (maybe bond over a shared love of Rihanna and Bikini Kill and share ideas about music?). There will be a question-and-answer panel of knowledgeable female musicians and ladies involved in the music scene- they'll be there to share their experiences and create a dialogue about how to get involved with music. There will be lots of time for participants to ask questions. We will have a resource list of female music instructors in Whatcom County. There will also be a workshop on what to expect when you play a show (stage set-up, microphones, amplifiers, sound engineers)- all the intimidating stuff, so that when you do play a show, you will be ready to go! Then, at 8pm, a bunch of really really awesome bands with girls in them, including Thimble vs. Needle, Party Thighs, RHOMBUS, Chamber Maids, and maybe some others, too.
Why is this something that you care about/what is your personal vested interest in this?
We both love love love music and it took us years to do this. Being in a band was always a wish, for both of us; but it seemed impossible to make it happen. We both were on the planning committee for the first Ladyfest Bellingham, and the creative female energy around us was a huge catalyst. Once we got started playing music, we realized how easy it was to play music- and how much fun it is- and everything else just kind of fell into place. Both of us feel like being in bands has been the best decision we have made in a long time. We really want other girls to discover that joy, too, and not feel intimidated. We want them to have as much fun as we're having, and not have to wait as long as we did to figure that out (or longer)!
What is your dream for the Bellingham music community?
Way more spaces for people to be messy in. Art and music doesn't usually come out of people's heads fully-formed; it takes lots of mistakes and second and third and fourth tries and weird accidents. But usually all that we see in public is the finished product. If there were more spaces and opportunities to be weird and messy and not perfect, it might make things seem a lot more accessible.
Let's talk about the total explosion of girls making music in Bellingham right now.
Oh my god, there are so many good bands it's AWESOME! There are ladies who have been making music for a while who are trying new things, there are gals who have never played instruments before who are learning them. There are more active girl-centered bands right now in Bellingham than we have ever seen before- Femme Uke, Hoot Hoot, Cumulus, Rhombus, Party Thighs, Cora Anne Glass, Council of Lions, Chelsey Weber-Smith, Allison Vincler, Golden Hair, Chamber Maids- holy cow, so many! And we are probably totally forgetting some, too. There are new girl projects starting up every month, it seems like! IT IS SO EXCITING. But we are greedy, so we want even more!
To quote the Ladyfest B'ham 2009 manifesta:
"We believe that expertise is too often a male-defined concept. We believe that if the rules surrounding the production of art are preventing you from creating it then you have the right to disregard them. We believe in the necessity of fostering spaces where people can create and share their art without needing to evaluate it. Don't be afraid to try. Don't be afraid to not judge someone else. Your neighbor's noise could also be their liberation."
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