2016-02-19
“She’s not supposed to play like that! And “She plays like a man” were epithets that have been uttered throughout the early life of jazz when describing women musicians at the turn of the 20th Century. Sex discrimination, segregation and tradition have been the foremost barriers that impacted women's musical talent and ability to perform. Still, many women musicians around the world continue to challenge and transform traditionally held beliefs about gender and women's social status simply by playing the piano or guitar or performing a certain song.