How About An IAWM Blog?

IAWM List

October 22, 2005

I've been reading the blogs at Sequenza 21-- a site devoted to new music. 

http://www.sequenza21.com/

Only two of the ten bloggers are women, and they do not post many entries. Only one of the seven editors is a woman. (That makes the overall ratio 15 to 2.) The tone and perspective of the site is overwhelming male (as if that were anything unusual in new music.)

I was thinking that maybe the IAWM should start a blog site for a revolving set of women composers. There are so many women who compose, including a number who are very well-known, who I think a lot of people would really like to hear from now and then. Maybe there could be about five bloggers at a time, with the line-up changing maybe once a month or so. What would people like Tania Leon, Judith Shatin, Diane Thome, Anne LeBaron, Annie Gosfield, Eve Beglarian, and Kitty Brazelton have to say in an informal blogging sort of way? And what about including some scholars who focus on women in music like Ellie Hisama, Susanne Cusick and Ellen Koskoff? One could also include some women who are still students so that their perspectives could also be given voice.

Even if the participants only made two or three entries for the month, it would still be very interesting. At the very least, it could give people a better sense of who they are. Blogs can encourage people to write, because they do not have to be formal like articles, the entries can be short (or long,) and one can chat about whatever happens to be on their mind.

I think the blogs would draw many readers in the new music world, and also help raise the profile of women in music and the issues that concern them. I hope that perhaps the Board and Advocacy Committee will give this some thought. 

William Osborne
http://www.osborne-conant.org