In Her Own Words: Conversations with Composers in the United States (New Perspectives on Gender in Music)

This collection of new interviews with twenty-five accomplished female composers substantially advances our knowledge of the work, experiences, compositional approaches, and musical intentions of a diverse group of creative individuals. With personal anecdotes and sometimes surprising intimacy and humor, these wide-ranging conversations represent the diversity of women composing music in the United States from the mid-twentieth century into the twenty-first. The composers work in a variety of genres including classical, jazz, multimedia, or collaborative forms for the stage, film, and video games. Their interviews illuminate questions about the status of women composers in America, the role of women in musical performance and education, the creative process and inspiration, the experiences and qualities that contemporary composers bring to their craft, and balancing creative and personal lives. Candidly sharing their experiences, advice, and views, these vibrant, thoughtful, and creative women open new perspectives on the prospects and possibilities of making music in a changing world. This collection of interviews with twenty-five accomplished female composers explores the work, experiences, compositional approaches, and musical intentions of a diverse group of creative individuals. With personal anecdotes and sometimes surprising intimacy and humor, these wide-ranging conversations represent the diversity of women composing music in the United States from the mid-twentieth century into the twenty-first. The female composers interviewed in this text work in a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, multimedia, or collaborative forms for the stage, film, and video games. Their interviews illuminate questions about the status of women composers in America, the role of women in musical performance and education, the creative process and inspiration, the experiences and qualities that contemporary composers bring to their craft, and balancing creative and personal lives Joan Tower - Shulamit Ran - Jennifer Higdon - Gabriela Lena Frank - Alice Parker - Chen Yi - Tania Leon - Hasu Patel - Pauline Oliveros - Meredith Monk - Svjetlana Bukvich - Pamela Z - Toshiko Akiyoshi - Maria Schneider - Augusta Read Thomas - Hilary Tann - Libby Larsen - Laura Karpman - Winifred Phillips - Deborah Lurie - Jeanine Tesori - Beth Anderson - Janika Vandervelde - Mary Jane Leach - Emma Lou Diemer With personal anecdotes and sometimes surprising intimacy and humour, these wide-ranging conversations represent the diversity of women composing music in the United States from the mid-twentieth century into the twenty-first.