Files
Abstract
Women have composed music for over a hundred years. They have gained the public’s attention as professional musicians after the women rights movement. Currently, many female composers we know continue to pursue successful and productive careers, but compared to male composers, women’s music is relatively under represented in concert programs.
Through musical analysis, this document includes four pieces by women composers, who demonstrate musical languages influenced from their countries. The music from different countries or cultures may sound quite similar to listeners, but composers may transmit quite differently the idea and behavioral contexts in music. As Alan Merriam noted, “Across cultures—and even from a perspective rooted in one particular society—Music is more than just sound; it is also manifest as concept and as behavior.” I would like this project to stimulate musicians to program and perform more female composers’ repertoire and to understand the cultural meaning in the music.
Through musical analysis, this document includes four pieces by women composers, who demonstrate musical languages influenced from their countries. The music from different countries or cultures may sound quite similar to listeners, but composers may transmit quite differently the idea and behavioral contexts in music. As Alan Merriam noted, “Across cultures—and even from a perspective rooted in one particular society—Music is more than just sound; it is also manifest as concept and as behavior.” I would like this project to stimulate musicians to program and perform more female composers’ repertoire and to understand the cultural meaning in the music.