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Topic: Why dont many girls like prog?Posted By: Pinkyesgenesistull
Subject: Why dont many girls like prog?
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 06:59
Ive met none. So I'm really curious because I have met girls that are super pasionate about other genres like punk and normal rock but none that like prog. Well scratch that I've met girls that like Pink Floyd but I mean Pink Floyd is super easy prog to get into, no odd time signatures except for like Money (correct me if im wrong). But besides that It seems girls just dont like prog.
Replies: Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 08:04
I've know a few, but not many. My Friend Nilou loves King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull, etc. A tennis player I work with, Sophia Buruslaya, loves Rush, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Renaissance, and the likes. My ex girlfrien Susan, loves all progressive music (unfortunately that's all we had in common). Other than that, not many. Some like Annie Haslam's music, the more mellow side of her, but that's about it, as far as I know.
Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 08:51
I don't know - maybe you can't dance to it? Sorry, that might be stereotyping (or not). My wife does like Rush, and Floyd, and Supertramp, but stops at what she calls "old Genesis", etc. She did like the Hackett concerts we attended (at least she didn't sit and frown through them), but balked at the Tull concerts. It's strange as she (like me) is heavily into classical music, and prog really fits in a similar vein (at least in my humble opinion).
------------- Welcome to the middle of the film.
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 08:53
Good thing as far as I'm concerned.
Prog is one of the last all-male bastion.
-------------
Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 09:32
Why don't most people like prog?
------------- Magma America Great Make Again
Posted By: Luqueasaur
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 09:44
It's not that "many girls don't like". It's more like "MOST PEOPLE" don't like. If you go on prog communities, you'll see plenty of girls. Sure, not 50/50, but maybe things on the sort of 60/40.
I've actually seen three people irl that like prog, two of them being boys and one being a girl. So for me it goes as 66/33 (not counting myself :P).
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 09:59
My wife does not connect "prog" with the bands we have seen in concert, she could give a rats-a$$ about odd times, mellotrons, flutes and such. It's the music, is it interesting and does it create enjoyment to listen to or watch an artist live.
Yea she likes Rush, Neal Morse, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd and post PG Genesis....We have seen Steven Wilson 2x and she knows him as the guy who plays barefoot, she likes him.
We were in line to see Dream Theater several years ago, people here in Seattle have no clue who Dream Theater is...some people asked her who we were standing in line for and she said "a rock concert, they are a hard rock band".
As Steven Wilson told us in his last show here in Seattle......"We are a rock n roll band.....". Only we, this insane group of people, call this music prog....That's our problem if we are concerned with why more people do not like this music.
It's just rock n roll....
-------------
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 10:08
Because they are smart.
My wife enjoyed Magma live, but said she enjoyed watching how into it I was more than the music itself. As a general rule, music in all its forms is not something that gets a lot of thought with her. I think that's what most people think. In a subjective and absolutely non-empirical sense, I suspect a larger percentage of women feel that way.
Posted By: Harmonicbliss
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 10:17
Because its not an instant gratification the way most music is. There aren't things to readily able to latched on to. it requires a lot of work to dissect, and relisten and appreciate.
I'm not saying that there aren't women that love or get in to prog. My wife does a very good job of listening to our nightly music album without much Guff. But if i let her pick tales of topographic oceans or teegan and sara.
Well- I'm sad to say Yes would not win that battle.
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 10:18
There are plenty of women at ProgDay & RIO, mix is probably 75:25.
------------- Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 10:36
Because woman are from Venus, silly.
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State.
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 12:02
I know a few more men than women who are into music generally, but those women, while not really being "prog fans" in the first place, like quite a bit of it (and at least two like super-experimental noise avantgarde, so some reasons such as "can't dance to it" don't apply).
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 12:10
Because only intelligent people can enjoy prog and intelligence is rare in females.
Posted By: Larkstongue41
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 12:36
No gender judgment here but from my experience men are generally much more into music (not just prog) than females. Maybe it's just my generation. Also now that I think of it, I believe women are much more inclined towards visual arts. Perhaps that could be an interesting case to study actually....
------------- "Larks' tongues. Wrens' livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf nipple chips. Get 'em while they're hot. They're lovely. Dromedary pretzels, only half a denar."
Posted By: silverpot
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 12:54
Last time this subject came up, I posted a link to a scientific study about hearing, I can't find it now, but it stated that women have a much more acute sense of hearing. So maybe some kind of prog, the noisy, dissonant kind, gets on women's nerves. I know I'm sensitive to music that sounds like nails on a blackboard (like Hammill's voice ).
Posted By: Magnum Vaeltaja
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:06
Catcher10 wrote:
Only we, this insane group of people, call this music prog....That's our problem if we are concerned with why more people do not like this music.
I think this is a big part of it. It's not that women don't like prog, because in general I've actually known them to like it quite a bit. I've put on Yes, Genesis, PFM, Harmonium, Focus, Mike Oldfield, Gentle Giant, and all shapes and sizes of jazz fusion, at parties and get-togethers. Did everyone with ovaries leave the room screaming? Of course not; everyone just enjoyed it as they would any other classic rock. If you just present prog as what it is - good music - as opposed to a profound philosophy lecture or moving mythological epic, prog can actually have a pretty wide appeal.
So it's not that women don't like prog, it's just that they don't obsess about it the way men tend to.
------------- when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:15
The question is why don't many girls like us ? Answer: prog.
And before anyone takes Vompatti's post seriously he's just having fun being provocative.
------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:20
Yeah, we can hear the hysterical yelling in the far distance.
-------------
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:31
Atavachron wrote:
The question is why don't many girls like us ? Answer: prog.
And before anyone takes Vompatti's post seriously he's just having fun being provocative.
Sorry, I already reported Vompatti...There should be a knock at the door soon.
-------------
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:44
Prog is such a mixed bag, especially as we use it here. There is such diversity of style and it would be a rare person who enjoys Prog in all its diversity. I don't think Prog is inherently good music. Bach widely is considered to have made good music, but that doesn't mean that everyone should like it. The quality varies, and even then quality is so dependent upon subjectivity.
We've had this discussion many times over the years, by the way. My mother, who usually only listens to classical music, likes Aranis, and my wife, who is onto music such as John Denver, the carpenters and Abba likes the Alan Parsons Project, but neither of them would like, say, Mr. Bungle or any thing metal or hard rock. I like Art Zoyd, and I don't like Dream Theater. I like Prog Folk much more than Prog Metal, I like RIO much more than Neo Prog, and I like Progressive Electronic generally mconsiderably more than Symph.
Using Gentle Giant as an example as I used to be very big on the band, my wife likes Gentle Giant's "Think of Me With Kindness" and my mum likes "On Reflection". A female friend of mine who like classic rock enjoyed "Nothing at All". As long as someone, male or female is a big music lover with somewhat eclectic tastes, chances are that you could find music considered Prog that would appeal to them.
I don;t even consider myself to be a Prog lover, I just happen to love a lot of music that is considered to be under the Prog umbrella. I dislike a great amount of it too.
That said, despite having the reputation in Prog circles of being the ultimate Don Jaun or Casonova, I don't have a huge female fan base to discuss music with. In my somewhat limited experience, and I know that such anecdotal evidence is not of much value, I have found more women/ girls who appreciate the lyrics part of music rather than the instrumental aspect and simple pop songs have been more popular than eccentric long-winded instrumentals. I have also found that the lyrics have resonated more with women I know that deal with emotions such as love than, say, songs about the adventures of intergalactic space pirates. They have wanted lyrics that they could easily relate to rather than fantastical subject matter. I rather think women tend to be rather more pragmatic and down-to-earth than men.
------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:55
Catcher10 wrote:
Atavachron wrote:
The question is why don't many girls like us ? Answer: prog.
And before anyone takes Vompatti's post seriously he's just having fun being provocative.
Sorry, I already reported Vompatti...There should be a knock at the door soon.
If you're reading this, I'm already dead.
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:55
I once spent a long night with a girl I sort of vaguely knew, chatting on MSN Messenger (is that still a thing?) about all the cool bands we were digging up from the PA database as we talked. Discovering stuff like PFM, Isildur's Bane, Novalis etc. together.
That was 12 years ago - now we've been married for six years, have two kids and about 2400 albums.
They're out there somewhere, you might bump into one when you least expect it.
------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA!
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 14:51
I've not known many women who enjoy prog.
My girlfriend seemed to enjoy the Porcupine Tree I played her. We also went to see Kyros last weekend and she really enjoyed it. She noted what good musicians they were, and thought it strange that although the band was in their 20's, the predominantly male audience were all old enough to be their dads! (including me!)
------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 15:12
This is quite an enigma to me. It seems to make little sense. That Prog is not popular generally is a non-explanation if, as I suspect, there is skewing that is beyond chance. I do wonder also how the distribution of female fans with other styles of music compares. There are quite a number of women who take an interest and may even play Classical music and perhaps major in it in college. One thing there is not are many women represented among players of Prog music, and I wonder if this affects the fan base. No, one doesn't have to be a player to enjoy Prog, but I think it's influential enough to be a serious factor. Perhaps women don't identify often enough with the creation of Prog, even if it's merely a fleeting hypothetical daydream. I would love to hear from the women PA members on this.
------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 15:16
My wife is an adventurous listener and digs Magma, KC, Guapo, North Sea Radio Orchestra and Alamaailman Vasarat to name a few of the bands we have seen together. Also I have the benefit of knowing she is absolutely not pretending to like the music for my sake, as she don't roll that way. The other day I was listening to The Form of the Good in the kitchen and she walked in and asked to know, in the spirit of enquiry, who the f**k would enjoy such total sh*t?
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 15:35
Pekka wrote:
I once spent a long night with a girl I sort of vaguely knew, chatting on MSN Messenger (is that still a thing?) about all the cool bands we were digging up from the PA database as we talked. Discovering stuff like PFM, Isildur's Bane, Novalis etc. together.
That was 12 years ago - now we've been married for six years, have two kids and about 2400 albums.
They're out there somewhere, you might bump into one when you least expect it.
awesome man... good see ya Pekka.. and that isn't enough.. kids or albums
and no one understands that better than me
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 15:37
SteveG wrote:
Because woman are from Venus, silly.
You would think being used to temperatures in excess of 400c and rain storms of sulfuric acid would make them tolerant of just about any type of music.
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:05
Magnum Vaeltaja wrote:
Catcher10 wrote:
Only we, this insane group of people, call this music prog....That's our problem if we are concerned with why more people do not like this music.
I think this is a big part of it. It's not that women don't like prog, because in general I've actually known them to like it quite a bit. I've put on Yes, Genesis, PFM, Harmonium, Focus, Mike Oldfield, Gentle Giant, and all shapes and sizes of jazz fusion, at parties and get-togethers. Did everyone with ovaries leave the room screaming? Of course not; everyone just enjoyed it as they would any other classic rock. If you just present prog as what it is - good music - as opposed to a profound philosophy lecture or moving mythological epic, prog can actually have a pretty wide appeal.
So it's not that women don't like prog, it's just that they don't obsess about it the way men tend to.
hear hear!!!!!
plenty of women love prog.. along with lot of other things. Only losers play group association and hang out on prog sites wondering where all the white women are at
Women have better things to do than hang out with a bunch of losers.... if you want women.. start drinking JD, toss a few frat boys out bar windows and burn rubber through town blasting Willie Nelson. Then you'll get all the women you want. Women like their men bad.. not frickin wimps and pussies like most prog fans.
Posted By: Kepler62
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:14
Some of the music I happen to like is classified as prog. What's the big deal? i mostly like older bands from the seventies and there happened to be a lot of prog bands who were in the limelight back then. I don't go around saying I am a prog freak.I just like music that I consider to be good. I happen to be listening to The Melvins right now. Buzz Osbourne is the coolest.
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:19
Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:
There are plenty of women at ProgDay & RIO, mix is probably 75:25.
Indeed. Almost half of ProgDay's organizing committee are women - all good friends of ours, and into rather challenging stuff, as I am myself. If you want to get an idea of what I like, click on either of the links in my signature. Unfortunately, due to personal issues and general burnout, I have given up reviewing, but I am still on the lookout for interesting new music. Though I don't dislike music that has plenty of melody (far from that), a lot of what is widely considered "woman-friendly" prog bores me to tears. Maybe I am an exception, but I am not the only one.
As a side note, these discussions (which crop up on the site every now and then) do not really help to make PA more attractive to women. In fact, some of the remarks I have seen in this thread are not particularly complimentary towards us. Anyway, one thing is for sure: women as a whole tend to look at the big picture rather than obsess about the tiniest detail. The obsession with categorizing that is so distinctive of the "prog community" (though not limited to it) is definitely more of a masculine than a feminine trait.
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:28
yeah... there are so many women that come to Progday.. you actually have lines for the porta potties there
Posted By: Kepler62
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:36
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 18:01
Why dont many girls like prog?
-------------
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 18:02
I know several women who love prog. Old and new. Yet, none of the women I know like prog harder then Dream Theater. They dig Steven Wilson, Big Big Train, IQ, and Italian Prog.
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 18:05
^^ Yes, but we also have
------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts
Posted By: maryes
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 18:34
Catcher10 wrote:
Why dont many girls like prog?
Simply brilliant !!!!
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 18:39
I didn't name the old bands. My wife can be seen cheering on the 5th row of the last RUSH DVD. RUSH is one of the most popular bands among my women friends.
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 18:51
Logan wrote:
^^ Yes, but we also have
Clearly we have many........
-------------
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 19:01
-------------
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 19:31
"Why don't proggers like girls?"
------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325
Posted By: mechanicalflattery
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 19:45
This type of thread is always awkward, if not outright perturbing. I haven't been on these forums for a full year yet, but I've already seen this one pop up one other time. If I recall correctly, I think I ended up arguing with someone who believed teenage girls to be inherently more vapid than teenage boys, or some such nonsense. If anything, the best actual answer I can come up with is that men are likelier to create and enjoy art that's immensely pretentious and self-absorbed. Prog and the avant-garde can both certainly struggle with this. Holding one's own tastes to be "artistic" and all others to be pedestrian or lowly is a recipe for elitism. If one's wife doesn't want to listen to Tales From Topographic Oceans every night, by God is that an understandable position (and that's a great album). Have a little empathy. Every genre is inherently ridiculous, and holding any given genre to be supreme, as others have pointed out, is condescending and absurd. Anyone who loves music as art, and not merely music as personal reinforcement, can find quality in a vast variety of styles and genres.
And thank God I copied that post before I tried to send it! f**king robot tests...
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 21:49
Raff wrote:
... women as a whole tend to look at the big picture rather than obsess about the tiniest detail.
Really? Where did that come from? Why is this perception that I've never noticed ever ever ever in my life so obviously true, as opposed to the ubiquitously made observation that women (tend) to not like Prog? If we're explaining away one purported myth with another purported myth we're not making much progress.
------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 22:46
Kepler62 wrote:
Ah, wonderful. I was actually thinking of her as a rare woman musician having something to do with Prog. I saw them a few times in Buffalo when I was growing up. Thank you for that. I think my point about the rarity of women musicians in Prog still stands. Just go through your record collection and tally the genders up. I think Jazz probably suffered from lack of representation of women too.
------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
Posted By: Replayer
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 23:42
I think part of the reason why there are not as many women who like prog as men is cultural. Children
learn gender roles at a young age and the media often intentionally or
unintentionally reinforces a set of cultural norms, such how certain
behaviors are not ladylike. Although it might not go to the extent it
has in the past, I think that the idea that women are the gentler sex
promoted the idea that they should be more polite, passive and meant to
be pursued. Think of how in many situational comedies, the women are
portrayed as the voice of reason compared to the antics of the male
lead. If I'm being honest with myself, I'll admit some of my own views
are misogynistic.
I am reminded of a http://www.filfre.net/2014/11/alter-ego/" rel="nofollow - 2014 review
of 1986 video game Alter Ego, written by Jimmy Maher, aka The Digital
Antiquarian, whose blog chronicles the history of video games, with an
emphasis on interactive fiction (aka text-based adventures): "As with a lot of games I write about, I played Alter Ego with
my wife Dorte. She played with the female version, I with the male, and
we took turns playing through a life phase at a time and comparing
notes. Our agreed approach was to each play ourselves, making the
choices we thought we would make at those ages in those situations. As
we played, I found myself getting more and more angry at the
game and sad for Dorte, as I kept getting to do cool and/or bold things
and she kept being offered only meek girlie stuff. I got to go
skydiving; she got to get an eyebrow tattoo. I slashed a hated teacher’s
tires; she got a new hairdo. I got to buy video equipment or a flash
new computer; she got to buy jewelry or “gourmet cooking accessories.”
She always got offered the subordinate role, the pretty girl cheering on
the boys who were actually doing something. I got to try out
for the baseball team; she got to try out for the cheerleading squad. I
got to start a rock band with some buddies; she got to call in to a
radio show and win backstage passes to a concert."
Also,
progressive rock was long seen by society as a nerdy hobby, together
with pastimes such as science fiction, fantasy, role-playing games,
wargames, programming and video games. Nerds are generally depicted as
being unpopular, overweight or scrawny, having poor social skills, poor
fashion sense, poor hygiene, in other words, the complete opposite of a
conventionally attractive woman. I think this reason also plays a role
in how fewer women work in the STEM fields (science, technology,
engineering, mathematics). In fact, the media still generally portrays
being an actress, singer or fashion model as the acme of success for
women.
Additionally, the great majority of prog musicians are
male (as in many other fields), so I can understand if some feel a lack
of inclusion. I think this also plays a role in why fewer women pursue
STEM careers. In many fields, characteristics such as boldness,
aggressiveness, rebelliousness, stubbornness and challenging convention
are lauded, the very things women were instilled to eschew.
That
is not to say I think that cultural norms are entirely responsible for
fewer women being interested in prog compared to men. I do think women
are better at reading and interpreting social cues, expressing empathy
and that social interactions play a more important role in their lives.
As such, I can see how many women could prefer to listen to the same
music their friends listen or to music that is meant to be enjoyed in a
social context, such as parties, dancing, or karaoke.
On an
unrelated note, the thought just occurred to me that certain conditions,
such as color blindness, affect men disproportionately compared to
women due to the fact that women have two X chromosomes (which are
responsible for a lot of mental functions), so that if there is a
recessive gene on one chromosome, its can still be masked if the other X
chromosome has the dominant allele. Thus, the same X chromosome has a
normalizing effect. I do not claim to be an authority on genetics beyond
what I remember from high school and this is pure speculation on my
part, but perhaps this same effect might be responsible for some of the
rather colorful personalities in the music world and why more men might
be interested in the innovations characteristic to prog. After writing
this entire paragraph out, I realized I am basically claiming that men
have a higher rate of incidence for a "prog gene". Maybe I need some
sleep...
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 00:21
This is crazy.........they don't like it cause they don't like the music, period.
-------------
Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 05:11
Because prog bands are full of mostly unkempt hairy, ugly men who are up themselves (!).
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 05:18
Raff wrote:
Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:
There are plenty of women at ProgDay & RIO, mix is probably 75:25.
Indeed. Almost half of ProgDay's organizing committee are women - all good friends of ours, and into rather challenging stuff, as I am myself. If you want to get an idea of what I like, click on either of the links in my signature. Unfortunately, due to personal issues and general burnout, I have given up reviewing, but I am still on the lookout for interesting new music. Though I don't dislike music that has plenty of melody (far from that), a lot of what is widely considered "woman-friendly" prog bores me to tears. Maybe I am an exception, but I am not the only one.
As a side note, these discussions (which crop up on the site every now and then) do not really help to make PA more attractive to women. In fact, some of the remarks I have seen in this thread are not particularly complimentary towards us. Anyway, one thing is for sure: women as a whole tend to look at the big picture rather than obsess about the tiniest detail. The obsession with categorizing that is so distinctive of the "prog community" (though not limited to it) is definitely more of a masculine than a feminine trait.
Raff,
Though I have some fairly musically adventurous female friends (but unfortunately not my best/girlfriend), one must recognize that prog audiences are (sadly, if I may say) not filled with screaming girls throwing their bras at the Lead Singatra Singer.
you can't deny that there are some music genres that cater to women rather than men and the other way around... Prog is of "the other way around" category, whether it is intentional or not. Not most likely, BTW.
As Neal Schon from Journey once remarked: for their first three or four years of existence, their audiences par 90% males and once Steve Perry was in the band, all a sudden 90% of the audience was female. (now, I'm not comparing SP to Sinatra, here)
There can be 50 reasons (some more macho than others) for this situation, but I won't get into them, as I already appear even more a sexist to you as I am already.
If we were committed into making that list, you'd probably be offuscated and disgusted, because you'd think that 49 out of those 50 reasons wouldn't apply to you... But you and I both know that you're not the "standard" female music fan.... something that you'd probably define yourself as in private or small committee, but would object to as a member of the feminine persuasion in a wide-open forum like this macho snakepit.
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 05:55
No one likes prog so why should women be left out of the equation? There are maybe 37 prog fans worldwide. My take is that at least 12 are women if not transgendered.
Why do most men dislike Twilight?
------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
Posted By: jayem
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 06:28
Atavachron wrote:
And before anyone takes Vompatti's post seriously he's just having fun being provocative.
Enjoy if you're meant to , but this kind of happy slap fun feels to me like pollution. Anyway, I know more from him about fantasies I didn't want to know, than about his tastes in prog, so there must be more suitable forums than this one for someone like him.
As for the women in prog, if one grafts my head on an average female body (after proper female head re-shape), I'll expect to feel less squared and more round, less bold + strong and more socially dependant, hence my taste for comforting lyrics. Resp. comforting for my kids if I have kids, for my couple if I'm in a relationship with no kid, or for me if I'm single.
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 07:34
Replayer wrote:
I think part of the reason why there are not as many women who like prog as men is cultural. Children
learn gender roles at a young age and the media often intentionally or
unintentionally reinforces a set of cultural norms, such how certain
behaviors are not ladylike. Although it might not go to the extent it
has in the past, I think that the idea that women are the gentler sex
promoted the idea that they should be more polite, passive and meant to
be pursued. Think of how in many situational comedies, the women are
portrayed as the voice of reason compared to the antics of the male
lead. If I'm being honest with myself, I'll admit some of my own views
are misogynistic.
I am reminded of a http://www.filfre.net/2014/11/alter-ego/" rel="nofollow - 2014 review
of 1986 video game Alter Ego, written by Jimmy Maher, aka The Digital
Antiquarian, whose blog chronicles the history of video games, with an
emphasis on interactive fiction (aka text-based adventures): "As with a lot of games I write about, I played Alter Ego with
my wife Dorte. She played with the female version, I with the male, and
we took turns playing through a life phase at a time and comparing
notes. Our agreed approach was to each play ourselves, making the
choices we thought we would make at those ages in those situations. As
we played, I found myself getting more and more angry at the
game and sad for Dorte, as I kept getting to do cool and/or bold things
and she kept being offered only meek girlie stuff. I got to go
skydiving; she got to get an eyebrow tattoo. I slashed a hated teacher’s
tires; she got a new hairdo. I got to buy video equipment or a flash
new computer; she got to buy jewelry or “gourmet cooking accessories.”
She always got offered the subordinate role, the pretty girl cheering on
the boys who were actually doing something. I got to try out
for the baseball team; she got to try out for the cheerleading squad. I
got to start a rock band with some buddies; she got to call in to a
radio show and win backstage passes to a concert."
Also,
progressive rock was long seen by society as a nerdy hobby, together
with pastimes such as science fiction, fantasy, role-playing games,
wargames, programming and video games. Nerds are generally depicted as
being unpopular, overweight or scrawny, having poor social skills, poor
fashion sense, poor hygiene, in other words, the complete opposite of a
conventionally attractive woman. I think this reason also plays a role
in how fewer women work in the STEM fields (science, technology,
engineering, mathematics). In fact, the media still generally portrays
being an actress, singer or fashion model as the acme of success for
women.
Additionally, the great majority of prog musicians are
male (as in many other fields), so I can understand if some feel a lack
of inclusion. I think this also plays a role in why fewer women pursue
STEM careers. In many fields, characteristics such as boldness,
aggressiveness, rebelliousness, stubbornness and challenging convention
are lauded, the very things women were instilled to eschew.
That
is not to say I think that cultural norms are entirely responsible for
fewer women being interested in prog compared to men. I do think women
are better at reading and interpreting social cues, expressing empathy
and that social interactions play a more important role in their lives.
As such, I can see how many women could prefer to listen to the same
music their friends listen or to music that is meant to be enjoyed in a
social context, such as parties, dancing, or karaoke.
On an
unrelated note, the thought just occurred to me that certain conditions,
such as color blindness, affect men disproportionately compared to
women due to the fact that women have two X chromosomes (which are
responsible for a lot of mental functions), so that if there is a
recessive gene on one chromosome, its can still be masked if the other X
chromosome has the dominant allele. Thus, the same X chromosome has a
normalizing effect. I do not claim to be an authority on genetics beyond
what I remember from high school and this is pure speculation on my
part, but perhaps this same effect might be responsible for some of the
rather colorful personalities in the music world and why more men might
be interested in the innovations characteristic to prog. After writing
this entire paragraph out, I realized I am basically claiming that men
have a higher rate of incidence for a "prog gene". Maybe I need some
sleep...
I've found I think and work best the less sleep I get Interesting post... if way over-complicating it.
Again.. plenty of women like prog. It goes back to my tongue in cheek post... perhaps due to those cultural norms or whatever but it goes beyond merely liking or not liking the music. I've been to prog shows of current bands where it was a rough 50-50 split men to women.. what men feel the need to do that women apparantly do not... is identify themselves through the music they like which leads them to sites like this that they can revel with others in their 'superior' tastes and overpowering tastes and intellects. Women.. pfff.. they don't have the time or inclination to beat their chests as men do. They enjoy what they do and leave it at that. It doesn't define who they are as many men seem apt to do.. with music.. or their politics.. or whatever.
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 11:12
In my experience there are a lot of women who like Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, ELP, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Steven Wilson/PT, Rush, Moody Blues, Kansas etc. The thing is that most of them are classic rock or mainstream rock fans but not really prog fans. In other words they are what I call "accidental prog fans." They don't deliberately or intentionally go out of their way looking for prog the way guys do. To be fair there are plenty of male "accidental prog fans" also but the number of hardcore fans or deliberate fans seems to be higher among guys. That has been my experience. There could be a myriad of reasons for this. One is maybe men are just more interested or maybe women don't do as much research and come across the term prog as much as men do. I'm not sure. As for how they got into the ones they do like. Maybe they find out about those bands(the ones I mentioned)from the radio or maybe they have been fans for a long time. In the case of PT/SW he somehow managed to get attention and promotion at some point beyond the typical prog media.
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 11:20
Larkstongue41 wrote:
No gender judgment here but from my experience men are generally much more into music (not just prog) than females. Maybe it's just my generation. Also now that I think of it, I believe women are much more inclined towards visual arts. Perhaps that could be an interesting case to study actually....
A general statement for sure but I would have to agree with this. I don't know what generation you are(if you are an "older" prog fan or not)but I suppose it doesn't really matter. Women just tend to be more casual(over all) about music than men. I remember talking to a guy who was going on about concerts and bands but later when I talked to his wife she said she just wasn't much into music. I know there are men who aren't much into music too but I think for the men who are into it they tend to go deeper(especially where prog is concerned). As for visual arts I would agree with that too. Last year I took a drawing class and there were way more women than men in the class. I have noticed there are more women into painting in general. Whenever I go into a store like Michaels I don't see many men. If you look at musicians it's more or less the exact opposite with way more male musicians than female.
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 12:49
micky wrote:
Pekka wrote:
I once spent a long night with a girl I sort of vaguely knew, chatting on MSN Messenger (is that still a thing?) about all the cool bands we were digging up from the PA database as we talked. Discovering stuff like PFM, Isildur's Bane, Novalis etc. together.
That was 12 years ago - now we've been married for six years, have two kids and about 2400 albums.
They're out there somewhere, you might bump into one when you least expect it.
awesome man... good see ya Pekka.. and that isn't enough.. kids or albums
and no one understands that better than me
Oh albums I agree on, but kids... our mutual understanding now, having made it out of the baby years relatively sane, is that babies are perfectly fine as long as you can hand them to someone else when they start making demanding noises. In fact both by sister and brother are having kids this year, super happy for them.
I guess it's time for my yearly check-in at PA, nice to see you still around, I hope you and Raff are doing well
------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA!
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 13:27
Guldbamsen wrote:
No one likes prog so why should women be left out of the equation? There are maybe 37 prog fans worldwide. My take is that at least 12 are women if not transgendered.
Why do most men dislike Twilight?
37 ?!?!?! I think you might be counting yourself twice.
Re: Twitlight. Personally, my manhood is threatened by buff, tan, teenage vampires. Honestly, I don't know any adults who enjoy it, regardless of gender.
Posted By: Big Ears
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 13:54
... and what do women really want?
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 16:31
Pekka wrote:
micky wrote:
Pekka wrote:
I once spent a long night with a girl I sort of vaguely knew, chatting on MSN Messenger (is that still a thing?) about all the cool bands we were digging up from the PA database as we talked. Discovering stuff like PFM, Isildur's Bane, Novalis etc. together.
That was 12 years ago - now we've been married for six years, have two kids and about 2400 albums.
They're out there somewhere, you might bump into one when you least expect it.
awesome man... good see ya Pekka.. and that isn't enough.. kids or albums
and no one understands that better than me
Oh albums I agree on, but kids... our mutual understanding now, having made it out of the baby years relatively sane, is that babies are perfectly fine as long as you can hand them to someone else when they start making demanding noises. In fact both by sister and brother are having kids this year, super happy for them.
I guess it's time for my yearly check-in at PA, nice to see you still around, I hope you and Raff are doing well
sane and with the marriage intact... well done for it sure isn't easy is it. Yeah we are still doing great and loving life and each others company (ie she hasn't tired of me yet).
Good to still some of the old crew still drop by and check in.. see again next year I suppose!
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 16:44
Why don't many girls like the Beatles?
------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 17:16
The female cat I am currently fostering seems to enjoy prog more than the male cat I had for many years
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 17:21
kenethlevine wrote:
The female cat I am currently fostering seems to enjoy prog more than the male cat I had for many years
now that would be a fascinating detour for this thread .. we all think we know about the differences between men and women... but male and female cats?? Who really knows what cats think.. much less female cats
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 18:06
micky wrote:
kenethlevine wrote:
The female cat I am currently fostering seems to enjoy prog more than the male cat I had for many years
now that would be a fascinating detour for this thread .. we all think we know about the differences between men and women... but male and female cats?? Who really knows what cats think.. much less female cats
Her name is Catrina...discuss
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 20:10
My female cat thinks I'm a loser.
Better get used to it, dudes.
-------------
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 21:37
Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 21:50
If you got an acoustic guitar and played Yes' And You and I for your significant other, she wouldn't be too offended right?
------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325
Posted By: Replayer
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 21:58
Thatfabulousalien wrote:
just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
You mean the Freudian slip?
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 00:12
Thatfabulousalien wrote:
Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
That answer is a little more definite from the standpoint of women's standing in western culture prior to the latter half of the 20th century. It is, by extension, not so much the answer to this thread's question, but more an extension of why we insist on constantly asking the question.
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 00:27
Replayer wrote:
Thatfabulousalien wrote:
just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
You mean the Freudian slip?
Oh right:
------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 02:00
It's often been said that men are visually oriented (ogle) and women are... deeper (emote). I suggest finding a facebook group about some famous rock band if you haven't already. Guys bang on about riffs and stuff. Chicks prattle on (all the time) about how hot some / singer or guitarist (never the bassist, or keyboardist... and hardly ever the drummer because, y'know... the visual thing causes the emotional thing.
At least one knows where we are with women; so predictable.
Back to my James Bond movie I think... ;)
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 02:30
kenethlevine wrote:
The female cat I am currently fostering seems to enjoy prog more than the male cat I had for many years
Sounds like you should rename the female Pussy and the male Wussy
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 02:37
I once dated a girl who liked Van Der Graaf Generator (although no other Prog) but she was a complete basket case. She said it was just Hamill's anguished voice that she enjoyed. Her second favourite band was Smokie. Women....?
-------------
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 02:46
I think you're all tucked ............ .............any skeletons, any skeletons, any skeletons in the closet..............
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 04:01
^ .....actually, looking back, please don't ask what that previous post was all about.......
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 08:23
kenethlevine wrote:
micky wrote:
kenethlevine wrote:
The female cat I am currently fostering seems to enjoy prog more than the male cat I had for many years
now that would be a fascinating detour for this thread .. we all think we know about the differences between men and women... but male and female cats?? Who really knows what cats think.. much less female cats
Her name is Catrina...discuss
*spits beer on monitor*
ahhh.. well named I suppose
speaking of.. another topic far more interesting than why more women don't hang out at PA's.. which is really what these threads really boil down to.
What is the collaboration between liking prog (or hanging out at PA's if you will) and being cat fanatics. Lord have mercy this forum is full of cat lovers. None more so than my dear wife
Posted By: ginodi
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 10:37
My ten-year old daughter loves Prog. She has seen Ian Anderson, Steven Wilson, Dream Theater, Persephone's Dream, and a couple Pink Floyd Tribute bands. My wife likes some of it.
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 11:43
Different strokes for different folks. Girls'll like prog if they like it, simple as that. If the majority don't then whatever, that's fine.
------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com
Posted By: mechanicalflattery
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 11:56
micky wrote:
*spits beer on monitor*
ahhh.. well named I suppose
speaking of.. another topic far more interesting than why more women don't hang out at PA's.. which is really what these threads really boil down to.
What is the collaboration between liking prog (or hanging out at PA's if you will) and being cat fanatics. Lord have mercy this forum is full of cat lovers. None more so than my dear wife
Let's not go down that route, before someone inevitably tries to argue that both prog-listening and cat ownership are inextricably linked to higher intelligence and/or cultural sophistication. Surely dogs and pop music are for the plebeian masses, those that seek immediate gratification, while only the intellectual elite can understand the importance of a ten minute masturbatory keyboard solo or of an animal that stares blankly at the corner for 5 hours before tearing your couch to shreds. These are enriching experiences that the peasantry will never know, bound eternally within their own ignorance and shortsightedness.
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 12:59
aglasshouse wrote:
Different strokes for different folks. Girls'll like prog if they like it, simple as that. If the majority don't then whatever, that's fine.
I find this level of bliss extraordinary. Maybe it's my behavioral science background, but I find that answer (not unique in this thread) to be no answer at all.
------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 29 2017 at 13:14
mechanicalflattery wrote:
micky wrote:
*spits beer on monitor*
ahhh.. well named I suppose
speaking of.. another topic far more interesting than why more women don't hang out at PA's.. which is really what these threads really boil down to.
What is the collaboration between liking prog (or hanging out at PA's if you will) and being cat fanatics. Lord have mercy this forum is full of cat lovers. None more so than my dear wife
prog-listening and cat ownership are inextricably linked to higher intelligence and/or cultural sophistication. Surely dogs and pop music are for the plebeian masses, those that seek immediate gratification, while only the intellectual elite can understand the importance of a ten minute masturbatory keyboard solo or of an animal that stares blankly at the corner for 5 hours before tearing your couch to shreds. These are enriching experiences that the peasantry will never know, bound eternally within their own ignorance and shortsightedness.
hah.....well said! Submissiveness sucks.. in pets, men and women. Dogs are for losers... anything someone can mistreat and still comes back and loves you is pathetic. Any cat owner can tell you stories of how they somehow pissed off their cat and found cat sh*t on their pillow. Now that is character man....
Don't f**k with cats.. .they rule.. they really don't deserve proggers but at least they can appreciate them and at least try to understand them.
Posted By: Timdano
Date Posted: April 30 2017 at 09:08
My wife likes some prog... Steven Wilson, Pineapple Thief, The Dear Hunter and Haken. But honestly, it's due to the music being prog but also very "catchy" in a commercial sense. So her ear picks up on really good songrwriting sans it being prog. Does that make sense? Off-the-charts prog to her though, "sounds like Castlevania" to which I reply, "cool".
Posted By: NateHevens
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 11:04
Thatfabulousalien wrote:
Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
Actually, there's a very large and growing community of women getting recognition in Blues, Punk, Grunge, and Metal as well.
To be honest, I know a lot of women who love prog. It was a group of women who introduced me to Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree, and just a month ago, I sat down and listened to ELP's album Trilogy, on vinyl, with a group of five other people (not including me)... I was the only man in the group, and the album belonged to one of the other women (though I do own my own copy). We let the music wash over us, occasionally discussing music theory, timing, and so on in context of the songs.
Where I find the disconnect is that, no matter how hard I try, I can't find any women who play Prog.
I listen to so many women guitarists, but they all play Blues, or Folk, or Metal, or Grunge, or Punk... I'm still searching for a woman who takes her cues from David Gilmour, or Steven Wilson, or Steve Howe, or even Jimi Hendrix...
The only women guitarists I listen to who don't really play Blues, Folk, Metal, Punk, or Grunge (and that's debatable) are Ava Mendoza, Anna Calvi, Kaki King, Marnie Stern, and St. Vincent... but they aren't Prog, either. There is one guitarist who plays... not Prog, but experimental guitar... Wata from the Japanese Experimental Noise/Sludge Metal band Boris.
And while I know women who's skills on the piano are beyond amazing, they either play Classical, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, or Hip Hop.
Same idea with women I know who are drummers, bassists, etc. I know and/or listen to so many talented musicians who are women, yet the only women I can find in prog are vocalists... and that's it.
------------- http://freethoughtblogs.com/natehevens/category/self-care/entertainment/music/guitar/great-guitar-solos/" rel="nofollow - Great Guitar Solos - My favorite guitar solos...
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 11:10
^You should check out Japanese symph proggers Ars Nova. All girl band. Speaking of the Japanese and women: OOIOO.
------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
Posted By: kugel
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 13:06
This has been the story of my life! So I grew up in Minneapolis, and moved here to Seattle only 2 years ago, when I was 40. I am very glad to report that at the Rush R40 show in 2015, and again just 2 nights ago at the Kansas show, I saw many more fellow female fans than I'm used to. I think a lot of it is sociological: The more gender-traditional your location, the less likely women are to do things unexpected of us. It is sad, to me at least, but I have seen many other examples of this throughout my life. I was the only woman I knew who went out for a bite to eat or a drink by myself, when I still lived in Mpls.; and that is also not the case here. Straight men are less freaked out by my behavior here. I could go on and on...
I have to add, I saw Yes alone in 1991 in downtown Minneapolis though, and trust me -- the situation now could be way, way worse. xD
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 13:07
MOTHER SUPERIOR JUMPED THE GUN: UNKNOWN ALL FEMALE PROG ROCK GROUP FROM THE 1970S
http://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/motherupperior.jpg" rel="nofollow - One of the first all-girl rock groups—and they were prog rockers” at that—the UK-based Mother Superior recorded just one album in 1975 before going their separate ways. Apparently it was only released in Sweden.
http://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/motherupperior.jpg" rel="nofollow - From http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7962" rel="nofollow - Prog Archives :
UK band MOTHER SUPERIOR was formed in the summer of 1974, when bassist Jackie Badger turns up for an audition to join UK band Cosmetix and finds the main members of that band in an almighty row that ends their history there and then. She opts to hook up Jackie Crew and Audrey Swinburne now formerly of Cosmetix, and through and ad in Melody Maker New Zealand musician Lesley Sly becomes the final member of the new band, and following a long session involving substantial amounts of alcohol they come up with the band name Mother Superior.
The band is actively gigging whenever and wherever they can, performing in pubs, at air-force bases and later on a number of gigs in Central Europe follows. While they do build up a regular fanbase, the UK record labels aren’t overly keen on signing this all girl band. As bassist Jackie Brewster revealed in her blog: “One night at the Golden Lion, the place is rammed with an audience of men and women, Sony have sent an A and R man down who says to us after two encores, that he can’t see who our market is, women would be jealous of us and men wouldn’t buy our records because their girlfriends wouldn’t like it. “
At that point in time this isn’t a great concern for the band. They have recorded their debut album in the usual manner of a new band their label doesn’t really think too much of - late night sessions handled by inexperienced studio techs promising that “it will be all right in the mix”. The album is subsequently released on a small Swedish label attached to their own label Polydor, which does give the band a good reason to tour Scandinavia the following year. That their label chose to call the album “Lady Madonna” just one more decision made that wasn’t approved by the band members.
Following extensive gigging, a label not really believing in the band, the usual on the road hassles and management problems, line-up alterations and day to day problems became the order of the day for Mother Superior. They decided to call it quits in 1977, their final gig performed on December 9th.
Seen here on an unknown TV show, the band does an original, almost Yes-like take on the Stephen Stills classic, “Love the One You’re With.” (Here’s a link to their interesting cover of the Beatles’ “ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38YLEC9KX8&NR=1" rel="nofollow - Lady Madonna .”)
Posted By: kugel
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 13:11
Mormegil wrote:
I don't know - maybe you can't dance to it? Sorry, that might be stereotyping (or not).
No offense, but I can totally dance to most prog I listen to. Up to and including Opeth. ;)
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 14:19
So many responses here to laugh at (not with). And this thread apparently has legs. The answer is ... : Women in my sadly limited experience like music that's simple. It's as simple as that.
------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 19:27
NateHevens wrote:
Thatfabulousalien wrote:
Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
Actually, there's a very large and growing community of women getting recognition in Blues, Punk, Grunge, and Metal as well.
To be honest, I know a lot of women who love prog. It was a group of women who introduced me to Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree, and just a month ago, I sat down and listened to ELP's album Trilogy, on vinyl, with a group of five other people (not including me)... I was the only man in the group, and the album belonged to one of the other women (though I do own my own copy). We let the music wash over us, occasionally discussing music theory, timing, and so on in context of the songs.
Where I find the disconnect is that, no matter how hard I try, I can't find any women who play Prog.
I listen to so many women guitarists, but they all play Blues, or Folk, or Metal, or Grunge, or Punk... I'm still searching for a woman who takes her cues from David Gilmour, or Steven Wilson, or Steve Howe, or even Jimi Hendrix...
The only women guitarists I listen to who don't really play Blues, Folk, Metal, Punk, or Grunge (and that's debatable) are Ava Mendoza, Anna Calvi, Kaki King, Marnie Stern, and St. Vincent... but they aren't Prog, either. There is one guitarist who plays... not Prog, but experimental guitar... Wata from the Japanese Experimental Noise/Sludge Metal band Boris.
And while I know women who's skills on the piano are beyond amazing, they either play Classical, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, or Hip Hop.
Same idea with women I know who are drummers, bassists, etc. I know and/or listen to so many talented musicians who are women, yet the only women I can find in prog are vocalists... and that's it.
I think there's a woman playing in Steve Hackett's touring band... guitar I think. But still, I don't think it's a very prominent role, since you know who will play the more prominent guitar role. Now, about women getting a bigger role on certain genres... I wonder how many of them actually write their songs... or even do more than just sing.
Posted By: mlkpad14
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 20:15
Dellinger wrote:
NateHevens wrote:
[QUOTE=Thatfabulousalien]Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
I think there's a woman playing in Steve Hackett's touring band... guitar I think. But still, I don't think it's a very prominent role, since you know who will play the more prominent guitar role. Now, about women getting a bigger role on certain genres... I wonder how many of them actually write their songs... or even do more than just sing.
When I saw Hackett live, there was no woman on guitar... Does she play a big role in his concerts?
Posted By: NateHevens
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 21:05
Dellinger wrote:
NateHevens wrote:
Thatfabulousalien wrote:
Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
Actually, there's a very large and growing community of women getting recognition in Blues, Punk, Grunge, and Metal as well.
To be honest, I know a lot of women who love prog. It was a group of women who introduced me to Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree, and just a month ago, I sat down and listened to ELP's album Trilogy, on vinyl, with a group of five other people (not including me)... I was the only man in the group, and the album belonged to one of the other women (though I do own my own copy). We let the music wash over us, occasionally discussing music theory, timing, and so on in context of the songs.
Where I find the disconnect is that, no matter how hard I try, I can't find any women who play Prog.
I listen to so many women guitarists, but they all play Blues, or Folk, or Metal, or Grunge, or Punk... I'm still searching for a woman who takes her cues from David Gilmour, or Steven Wilson, or Steve Howe, or even Jimi Hendrix...
The only women guitarists I listen to who don't really play Blues, Folk, Metal, Punk, or Grunge (and that's debatable) are Ava Mendoza, Anna Calvi, Kaki King, Marnie Stern, and St. Vincent... but they aren't Prog, either. There is one guitarist who plays... not Prog, but experimental guitar... Wata from the Japanese Experimental Noise/Sludge Metal band Boris.
And while I know women who's skills on the piano are beyond amazing, they either play Classical, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, or Hip Hop.
Same idea with women I know who are drummers, bassists, etc. I know and/or listen to so many talented musicians who are women, yet the only women I can find in prog are vocalists... and that's it.
I think there's a woman playing in Steve Hackett's touring band... guitar I think. But still, I don't think it's a very prominent role, since you know who will play the more prominent guitar role. Now, about women getting a bigger role on certain genres... I wonder how many of them actually write their songs... or even do more than just sing.
Outside of Pop, I'd say that most of them do. In Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B, you actually have to at least be the most prominent part of your writing team to get any major respect within the community (it's a massive insult to say a Rap, Hip Hop, and/or R&B artist has ghost writers; which I realize seems odd considering sampling and all that, but sampling is considered part of the writing process in this context; please note that I'm not offering any opinions on the genres or artists, here). And it's a largely accepted convention in Rock, Blues, and Metal that you write your own music, or if you have a writing team, that writing team is your band.
I know for a fact that guitarists like Chantel McGregor (Blues guitarist and singer/songwriter), Anna Calvi, Ava Mendoza, Kaki King, Marnie Stern, etc write their own music. Sometimes they have writing partners, but rarely, if ever, do they perform a song written by someone else, unless they're performing a cover (like when Chantel covers Led Zeppelin's Tea for One live... she probably has the most writing partners, but I know she writes most of her lyrics and solos and riffs herself; the partners will write drums and such).
As for women who are vocalists in Prog... I don't know as much, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they did write at least some of the songs they sing, if not being a constant part of the writing process for all the music.
I think Pop is the only genre where the artist not writing their own songs is the convention.
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Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: May 02 2017 at 07:33
Glad to see the forum hasn't changed...
------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: May 02 2017 at 21:26
mlkpad14 wrote:
Dellinger wrote:
NateHevens wrote:
[QUOTE=Thatfabulousalien]Coincidentally I saw a thread on a classical forum asking "what aren't there any 'great' female composers?"
This is a problem outside of just prog, the only genres where woman seem to get their just deserts is pop, country and folk. Something is really not right about that.
I think there's a woman playing in Steve Hackett's touring band... guitar I think. But still, I don't think it's a very prominent role, since you know who will play the more prominent guitar role. Now, about women getting a bigger role on certain genres... I wonder how many of them actually write their songs... or even do more than just sing.
When I saw Hackett live, there was no woman on guitar... Does she play a big role in his concerts?
Well, she (Amanda Lehmann) is credited as part of her band on the Rails Live album, and as a special guest on the Genesis Revisited albums, as well as the last "The Total Experience" one. I guess I would need to get some DVD's of those concerts and see how much she does.
Posted By: Thatfabulousalien
Date Posted: May 02 2017 at 22:28
Why don't many progs like girls?
------------- Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
https://www.soundcloud.com/user-322914325
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: May 03 2017 at 05:20
There's a scientific study on estrogen levels in musicians that use Rickenbacker basses and mellotrons. The answer was curiously 42.
------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
Posted By: Erwaco
Date Posted: May 06 2017 at 11:46
Perhaps their attention span can't relate to a seven minute song?
------------- erwaco
Posted By: Prog Sothoth
Date Posted: May 06 2017 at 13:56
I'm finding out there's more female prog musicians and fans out there than I thought, and most of them seem to be in Japan. Sure there's the classic all-girl acts like Ars Nova and Angel'n Heavy Syrup, but man a lot of all-girl math rock bands or math bands that include women musicians seem to be sprouting up bigtime. Tricot is one of the more well known ones out there:
This group should probably be here in PA, along with some others like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQuH2r30bHE" rel="nofollow - paranoid void and Aquarifa.
There's a slew of all female power metal bands out there as well, plus some metal acts with female players that are starting to steer into prog territory. The band Octaviagrace's guitarist is one hell of a talented woman (love her):
Japan baby...that's where you'll find no shortage of female prog fans.
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 06 2017 at 15:58
My wife clearly likes prog!
Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: May 07 2017 at 03:47
kugel wrote:
This has been the story of my life! So I grew up in Minneapolis, and moved here to Seattle only 2 years ago, when I was 40. I am very glad to report that at the Rush R40 show in 2015, and again just 2 nights ago at the Kansas show, I saw many more fellow female fans than I'm used to. I think a lot of it is sociological: The more gender-traditional your location, the less likely women are to do things unexpected of us. It is sad, to me at least, but I have seen many other examples of this throughout my life. I was the only woman I knew who went out for a bite to eat or a drink by myself, when I still lived in Mpls.; and that is also not the case here. Straight men are less freaked out by my behavior here. I could go on and on...
I have to add, I saw Yes alone in 1991 in downtown Minneapolis though, and trust me -- the situation now could be way, way worse. xD
Hi Kugel, welcome to the forum! Glad to see another fellow-woman here!
I agree that a lot of it is sociological. Others pointed out that there are female progressive rock artists in Japan. I am a German currently living in Japan. When I go to progressive rock concerts in Germany it is like 70 % male in the audience and 30 % female. Here in Japan I went to see King Crimson, ARW, KBB, ptf and Shingetsu and my impression is, the audience is more equally distributed, like 50/50! I even had to wait in front of the toilets (unbelievable)! There seems to be something in the Western culture that says, that listening to or playing prog rock is somehow 'non-women-like'...
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Posted By: Prog Snob
Date Posted: May 07 2017 at 04:34
The woman I just started talking to on OK Cupid listed progressive rock and metal as genres of music she listens to.
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Posted By: A_Flower
Date Posted: May 07 2017 at 08:19
It may also concern, as before mentioned, that men already are the main frontrunners of the genre. As well as this, there are many love songs being from men towards women. But then again, it could be people in general. Many people have short attention spans these days.
I know a girl who likes Pink Floyd and loves Rush, and this is not the mainstream aspect for her favorite Rush songs are The Camera Eye and By-Tor. I also once showed a girl Gentle Giant and she absolutely loved it. (But, as a rare occasion, it might have been me who she actually absolutely loved)
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Posted By: timothy leary
Date Posted: May 07 2017 at 08:21
Erwaco wrote:
Perhaps their attention span can't relate to a seven minute song?
I wonder if you have daughters.
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: May 07 2017 at 08:22
I played Tarkus to a girl once. I never saw her again.
------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: May 07 2017 at 08:48
Girls have enough to worry about with smelling funny and having cooties.