Music and Gender

Growing up I would be in my dad's truck while he would only listen to country music. He would listen to artists like Jonny Cash, Willie Nelson, and George Strait. This early exposure shaped a perception of this genre only being males. I thought you could only play this music if you had a deep and rugged voice while singing themes of cowboy life, heartache, and independence. This belief was emphasized when he would turn on the radio and I only heard female artists a handful of times. As a kid, I internalized this stereotype and it never really crossed my mind that women could be just as good as men in these country songs. It was when I got older and started exploring music on my own that I discovered that women also sang country music good if not better than these men. There were artists like Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. These women not only contributed to the genre but also shaped it by bringing their own stories, voices, and perspectives to the scene.

The realization that women had always been part of country music, despite their underrepresentation on the radio in my early experiences, made me reflect on how gender biases can shape our understanding of music and even the world.  It highlighted the importance of representation in media and culture. the lack of female voices in the country music I grew up with wasn't just a coincidence; it was a reflection of broader societal norms that only profited make artists. This bias had a horrible impact on my perception of gender roles within the genre. It made me understand how powerful these biases can be, subtly influencing our beliefs and expectations from a young age. 

As I dived deeper into country music, I found that female artists brought a unique perspective to the genre. Their songs had themes of resilience, love, and hardship from a female viewpoint. This discovery was eye-opening, showing me that country music, like all forms of art, is full of diverse voices. It also didn't show the importance of the narratives we are presented with, especially those that seem to exclude certain groups. My journey from believing that only men could play country music to understanding the contributions of female artists has been a powerful reminder of the need for inclusivity and representation.  

This is one of the songs my dad would play in the car when I was young. 

Music and Me

Music and Me

Hi! My name is Ashley Grogan and I am from Irmo, South Carolina. If you're familiar with Columbia, South Carolina it's a town right outside of it. I am currently a psychology major and a minor in pre-law. I play lacrosse here at Converse and I before Converse I played the violin through elementary all the way through high school. 

1. An example of what I like right now:

Something that is my current go to is a band called Blink-182. This summer I got to see them live in Greenville, South Carolina. So all summer I was preparing for the concert and listening to all of their songs. This has left me to listen to them a lot recently and reminisce on the amazing concert.

This is the main song from their newest alum that they went on tour for. This is one I would listen to frequently since it's the most popular one right now.

2. An example of music that deeply impacted me

An artist that has been really meaningful to me is Claire. She expresses herself freely and doesn't care what other people have to say about it. I also love all the topics she sings about in her songs. I've been listening to her since early high school and she's always been my go to.

This is a song from her newest album. This one is probably my favorite one from the album.

3.  An example of music that I don't really connect with.

Even though rock music is my go to genre I don't really connect with rock bands from the 1970s. Bands like Queen, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, and Led Zeppelin. I just can't seem to connect with the way they sing and the beats of the songs. But I do like punk rock music and I can see why someone would listen to them it's just not for me.

 

Their most popular song that people usually listen to but it's just not for me.