There is an elephant in the room where decisions are made to fund music ensembles composed of all men, who receive salaries of $100,000, annually, to tour the world and perform Jazz music, in particular. In this video, Ellen Seeling mentioned that advocacy for the end of racism in the music industry, especially in orchestras, was initiated by bassist Art Davis. Though he lost the 10-year suit against the NY Philharmonic, his advocacy set a precedent for selection panels to use blind auditions, which led to the increase in the number of women and people of color in orchestras.
The issue of gender discrimination is a beast and women should have SOUR GRAPES about being marginalized in the ARTS. It’s not just a PERSONAL BEEF. It’s not just HER cause, it’s OUR cause. All the women musicians and composers on EARTH who have been omitted from the annuls of musicians, music, and earning a living the way 95% of the people – men – in the MUSIC INDUSTRY do from OUR TAX DOLLARS. Mike Rubenstein This should be a CLASS ACTION SUIT against NEA and every federally-funded ARTS program that does not benefit women who pay taxes. Women are barred from earning the income that men earn in publicly-funded orchestras and bands. THAT is the problem and women should make a LOUD noise, since it is their tax dollars that fund all-male ensembles.
The solution is to grant the Montclair Women’s Big Band public funding in the amount of $2,500,000 to enable band members to earn $100,000, annually, to tour the world. [Solution #1 suggested by Joan Cartwright, Founder of www.wijsf.org]
Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. is 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that promotes women musicians, globally. WIJSF is a membership organization with dues-paying members that support women’s music in Florida and around the nation and the world.
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