--0-557183580-1093040854=:16939
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Kiku, I wasn't therein the first placed but I just have to say, Kiku, You=
Rock!! Ron
Kiku Day <kikuescargot@hotmail.com> wrote:The question whether the women =
only panel discussion and concert was=20
necessary and if so why it was necessary have arisen. And this is not a=20
surprise.
I am one of the participants of the above-mentioned events. I also asked=20
myself the same questions and gave Ronnie Seldin, the organiser of the=20
festival a hard time. I could somehow see a point with the panel discussi=
on=20
but thought it would be far better to make all these women play among the=
=20
men in the other concerts. Many of the other women who participated had t=
he=20
same or similar doubts.
So what do we actually do when we put a large number of women together in=
a=20
corner of an event?
Are we being specially promoted?
Are we being marginalised?
Are we sharing the fate of other women serving as entertainment for men?
The list could go on!
But shakuhachi brothers and sisters, take a look around! Of the players y=
ou=20
consider as top shakuhachi players worth listening to, how many are women=
?=20
Women do occupy more than half of the world population. So, why is the=20
number for most of us 0?
Is it because women do play worse than men?
Is it because women are not encouraged to play the shakuhachi?
Is it because the world doesn=92t take women shakuhachi players seriously=
?
Is it because women are not interested in shakuhachi music?
In any case, which ever-answer you choose, a panel discussion about women=
=20
and shakuhachi would be a place where some of these questions could be=20
answered.
It is true that many other groups are marginalised. But because we have n=
ot=20
paid attention to these groups is it fair and a good reason not to pay=20
attention to women, half the world?
The panel discussion actually went better than I hoped for. Many of my=20
fellow female shakuhachi players preferred to talk about everything else=20
than gender as they said it hasn=92t been an issue for them or they were =
not=20
interested in it. We were 2 women keen to talk about gender and I was one=
of=20
them. The reason being: If there is a reason for putting 12 women in a=20
panel with the only common thing being that we are women playing shakuhac=
hi,=20
we better discuss why it was still necessary to make a =91women=92s event=
=92 in=20
order to enable this amount of female shakuhachi players to participate i=
n a=20
world shakuhachi festival. The last festival 2 years ago in Tokyo had one=
=20
woman performing a sankyoku piece, Veronique from France. Please, enlight=
en=20
me about how many there were in Boulder and Bisei. I wasn=92t there. So t=
hanks=20
to the =91women event=92 the percentage of women in the festival rose qui=
te a=20
bit from last time.
The problem discussing gender in a panel like the one we had is that it c=
an=20
quickly become a complaint about I had this and that experience and I fee=
l=20
so discriminated etc. I certainly had the biggest responsibility if anybo=
dy=20
thought the discussion went in that direction. We also had comments from =
the=20
floor that gender is not interesting and that we are beyond that and that=
=20
other groups are just as discriminated. However, we also had a very solid=
=20
support from the women shakuhachi players on the floor.
Are women marginalised in music? Yes I think so. And that is not only=20
shakuhachi music. Take for example the BBC Proms, the biggest classical=20
music festival in the world with 74 evening concerts almost all for full=20
orchestras and many other smaller events. The BBC is usually known for=20
trying to have many women in their orchestra, so if these figures makes y=
ou=20
think the situation is bad, think how bad it is other places:
Number of composers: 123
Women composers: 2 (1.5%)
Number of pieces: 269
Pieces by women: 2 (0.75%)
Conductors/directors: 56
Women conductors: 1 (1.8%)
Instrumental soloists: 14 women out of 64 (22%)
This is taken from a survey by Bruce Paterson and Jenny Fowler. They have=
=20
done the survey for more than 15 years and say the amount of women solois=
ts=20
is the best since they started surveying and the composers is the worst. =
So=20
there certainly is still lots to think about not only in the shakuhachi=20
world but also in the music world in general. (yes, I did mention this=20
example in the panel =96 sorry to repeat myself).
I think all the women that participated in the panel and concert agrees t=
hat=20
we would not like a =91women corner=92 to happen again in another festiva=
l. But=20
I think it was a very positive experience for all of us. It was great to=20
meet that many women shakuhachi players, and most importantly thanks to t=
his=20
=91event=92 we were able to hear 12 (you may erase me =96 if you wish) ve=
ry=20
talented and good female shakuhachi players! That was something! I was,=20
myself, really surprised by the level and the variety of music and styles=
we=20
played. And by this strong manifestation I do hope more than one woman wo=
uld=20
be invited to play at the next festivals without organiseing a special=20
=91women only corner. I feel very strongly gratitude to Ronnie Seldin for=
what=20
he did. Yes, we should be beyond the era of =91women only shakuhachi even=
ts=92.=20
But that may only be because we had this event in the New York festival! =
The=20
most important thing is anyway trying to be out there performing and=20
inspiring future players.
Regarding non-Japanese players being marginalised. Haven=92t especially N=
orth=20
American players showed their influence and level by having hosted 2 of t=
he=20
4 world shakuhachi festivals and having several camps there? Cultural=20
snobbery exist everywhere, and I don=92t really think it=92s a general op=
inion=20
that non-Japanese can=92t play shakuhachi among Japanese shakuhachi playe=
rs=20
anymore. I think, or I certainly hope these world shakuhachi festivals ha=
ve=20
proven that.
I think it is very exciting to see how this women event at the festival i=
s=20
going to influence how future festival organisers would choose performers=
in=20
the future. Also, we are now more aware of the female players and can=20
probably do more work together across genders. Yes, the women event was a=
=20
very positive experience. Thank you, Ronnie for doing it! I think it was =
a=20
great event and we needed it.
Best,
Kiku
_________________________________________________________________
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<DIV>Kiku, I wasn't therein the first placed but I just have to say, Kiku=
, You Rock!! Ron<BR><BR><B><I>Kiku Day <kikuescargot@hotmail.com></=
I></B> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dreplbq style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">The question whether the women only panel=
discussion and concert was <BR>necessary and if so why it was necessary =
have arisen. And this is not a <BR>surprise.<BR><BR>I am one of the parti=
cipants of the above-mentioned events. I also asked <BR>myself the same q=
uestions and gave Ronnie Seldin, the organiser of the <BR>festival a hard=
time. I could somehow see a point with the panel discussion <BR>but thou=
ght it would be far better to make all these women play among the <BR>men=
in the other concerts. Many of the other women who participated had the =
<BR>same or similar doubts.<BR><BR>So what do we actually do when we put =
a large number of women together in a <BR>corner of an event?<BR>Are we b=
eing specially promoted?<BR>Are we being marginalised?<BR>Are we sharing =
the fate of other women serving as entertainment for men?<BR><BR>The list=
could go on!<BR><BR>But shakuhachi brothers and
sisters, take a look around! Of the players you <BR>consider as top shak=
uhachi players worth listening to, how many are women? <BR>Women do occup=
y more than half of the world population. So, why is the <BR>number for m=
ost of us 0?<BR><BR>Is it because women do play worse than men?<BR>Is it =
because women are not encouraged to play the shakuhachi?<BR>Is it because=
the world doesn=92t take women shakuhachi players seriously?<BR>Is it be=
cause women are not interested in shakuhachi music?<BR><BR>In any case, w=
hich ever-answer you choose, a panel discussion about women <BR>and shaku=
hachi would be a place where some of these questions could be <BR>answere=
d.<BR><BR>It is true that many other groups are marginalised. But because=
we have not <BR>paid attention to these groups is it fair and a good rea=
son not to pay <BR>attention to women, half the world?<BR><BR>The panel d=
iscussion actually went better than I hoped for. Many of my <BR>fellow fe=
male shakuhachi players preferred to talk about
everything else <BR>than gender as they said it hasn=92t been an issue f=
or them or they were not <BR>interested in it. We were 2 women keen to ta=
lk about gender and I was one of <BR>them. The reason being: If there is =
a reason for putting 12 women in a <BR>panel with the only common thing b=
eing that we are women playing shakuhachi, <BR>we better discuss why it w=
as still necessary to make a =91women=92s event=92 in <BR>order to enable=
this amount of female shakuhachi players to participate in a <BR>world s=
hakuhachi festival. The last festival 2 years ago in Tokyo had one <BR>wo=
man performing a sankyoku piece, Veronique from France. Please, enlighten=
<BR>me about how many there were in Boulder and Bisei. I wasn=92t there.=
So thanks <BR>to the =91women event=92 the percentage of women in the fe=
stival rose quite a <BR>bit from last time.<BR><BR>The problem discussing=
gender in a panel like the one we had is that it can <BR>quickly become =
a complaint about I had this and that experience and I feel
<BR>so discriminated etc. I certainly had the biggest responsibility if =
anybody <BR>thought the discussion went in that direction. We also had co=
mments from the <BR>floor that gender is not interesting and that we are =
beyond that and that <BR>other groups are just as discriminated. However,=
we also had a very solid <BR>support from the women shakuhachi players o=
n the floor.<BR><BR>Are women marginalised in music? Yes I think so. And =
that is not only <BR>shakuhachi music. Take for example the BBC Proms, th=
e biggest classical <BR>music festival in the world with 74 evening conce=
rts almost all for full <BR>orchestras and many other smaller events. The=
BBC is usually known for <BR>trying to have many women in their orchestr=
a, so if these figures makes you <BR>think the situation is bad, think ho=
w bad it is other places:<BR><BR>Number of composers: 123<BR>Women compos=
ers: 2 (1.5%)<BR><BR>Number of pieces: 269<BR>Pieces by women: 2 (0.75%)<=
BR><BR>Conductors/directors: 56<BR>Women
conductors: 1 (1.8%)<BR><BR>Instrumental soloists: 14 women out of 64 (2=
2%)<BR><BR>This is taken from a survey by Bruce Paterson and Jenny Fowler=
. They have <BR>done the survey for more than 15 years and say the amount=
of women soloists <BR>is the best since they started surveying and the c=
omposers is the worst. So <BR>there certainly is still lots to think abou=
t not only in the shakuhachi <BR>world but also in the music world in gen=
eral. (yes, I did mention this <BR>example in the panel =96 sorry to repe=
at myself).<BR><BR>I think all the women that participated in the panel a=
nd concert agrees that <BR>we would not like a =91women corner=92 to happ=
en again in another festival. But <BR>I think it was a very positive expe=
rience for all of us. It was great to <BR>meet that many women shakuhachi=
players, and most importantly thanks to this <BR>=91event=92 we were abl=
e to hear 12 (you may erase me =96 if you wish) very <BR>talented and goo=
d female shakuhachi players! That was something! I was,
<BR>myself, really surprised by the level and the variety of music and s=
tyles we <BR>played. And by this strong manifestation I do hope more than=
one woman would <BR>be invited to play at the next festivals without org=
aniseing a special <BR>=91women only corner. I feel very strongly gratitu=
de to Ronnie Seldin for what <BR>he did. Yes, we should be beyond the era=
of =91women only shakuhachi events=92. <BR>But that may only be because =
we had this event in the New York festival! The <BR>most important thing =
is anyway trying to be out there performing and <BR>inspiring future play=
ers.<BR><BR>Regarding non-Japanese players being marginalised. Haven=92t =
especially North <BR>American players showed their influence and level by=
having hosted 2 of the <BR>4 world shakuhachi festivals and having sever=
al camps there? Cultural <BR>snobbery exist everywhere, and I don=92t rea=
lly think it=92s a general opinion <BR>that non-Japanese can=92t play sha=
kuhachi among Japanese shakuhachi players <BR>anymore. I think,
or I certainly hope these world shakuhachi festivals have <BR>proven tha=
t.<BR><BR>I think it is very exciting to see how this women event at the =
festival is <BR>going to influence how future festival organisers would c=
hoose performers in <BR>the future. Also, we are now more aware of the fe=
male players and can <BR>probably do more work together across genders. Y=
es, the women event was a <BR>very positive experience. Thank you, Ronnie=
for doing it! I think it was a <BR>great event and we needed it.<BR><BR>=
Best,<BR>Kiku<BR><BR>____________________________________________________=
_____________<BR>Undg=E5 pop-ups med MSN Toolbar - http://toolbar.msn.dk =
hent den gratis!<BR><BR>_____________________________________________<BR>=
<BR>List subscription information is at:<BR>http://communication.ucsd.edu=
/shaku/listsub.html<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><p>
<hr size=3D1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
Win 1 of 4,000 free domain names from Yahoo! <a
href=3D"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=3D26640/*http://promotions.yahoo.com/g=
oldrush">Enter now</a>.
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_____________________________________________
List subscription information is at:
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