Hi Tina-this sounds like a fascinating project! I've loved the drums all my life. I can remember being two or three, and wanting to play a set of bongos that some family friends had in their home. I can remember what color they were, and how excited I was to play them! When I was in preschool, I always wanted to play the drum during music time. For various reasons, I didn't take up drumming until adulthood, but I've loved creating rhythms a long, long time. For some odd reason, the drums always felt like "forbidden fruit", that I wanted to play them, but somehow it wasn't possible. It was hard for my folks to afford a kit or lessons, so I think that was a factor. I kind of got discouraged, and didn't think there was any chance to do it. Another issue was the noise. As a child, I was fearful of very loud noises, and when I saw a set of drums, as much as I loved them, I was also afraid! I grew out of this as I got older, and it was then that I wanted to take them up, but somehow, I still thought of them as a distant possibility. It wasn't until I was able to make my own decisions and afford a kit that I followed through on my long-standing desires. I'm in a band now, and love, love, love, love, love it all! I often wished I had started back when I'd wanted to, as a youngster, but I'm grateful for doing it now. Perhaps girls, especially back in my youth, were not exactly encouraged to play such "masculine" instruments. Ironically, as Layne Redmond wrote in her book, women were believed to be the first drummers! I've read some interesting and plausible theories about why women for many years, in many cultures, were forbidden to drum. the drums were always seen as a powerful force. There are some women on this site who hopefully will respond to your question, because they are drum facilitators who might have more sociological background and knowledge on this topic. I'd like to hear back more about this project. Best to you, Tina.-Jessica G.
Hi Tina-VERY interesting topic you posted. I tend to be long-winded, so I'll put my thoughts here. The sort of thing I've experienced are the low expectations. It's been very subtle, not blatant, but there. They don't expect a woman to be very good. My problem is that I started playing late, so I'm still a beginner and not too proficient. I feel like I'd have to blow the Guitar Center guys away with some technical stuff in order to be accepted. There's also the assumption, when I walk into stores-and I try not to go too often-that I don't understand drum gear at all. That really gets me. I have to laugh and try not to take it too seriously, but then again, I'm not in the professional arena where it can really affect how you experience this. What sorts of things have you gone through? It clearly hasn't kept you down; you've been playing for a long time. Take Care, and keep the beat-Jessica G.
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