Women's Musical Leadership in Music Industries and Education

Hamer, Laura; Minors, Helen Julia; Farnham, Alice; Hamilton, Katy; Haughton, Emma; McCabe, Jessy; MacDonald, Sarah; Vencatasamy, Davina and Wilson, Eleanor (2025). Women's Musical Leadership in Music Industries and Education. In: Hamer, Laura and Minors, Helen Julia eds. The Routledge Companion to Women and Musical Leadership: The Nineteenth Century and Beyond. New York: Routledge, pp. 335–357.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003024767-30

Abstract

This chapter seeks to bring together a selection of variously experienced women musical leaders in dialogue with the explicit aim of discussing some of the crucial questions regarding the barriers affecting women in the music industries (in the broadest sense) and music education and the opportunities for development and support. Ultimately, we advocate for and give examples of the changes which need to be made to ensure wider access for women, retain women staff throughout their careers (not only at the intern and early career stages), and maintain progression opportunities within all sectors of the industry. This is a collectively voiced chapter, and the first of two in this part to ensure we share not only single case studies, but that we communicate experiences, debate issues, and offer suggestions, advice, and examples of the ways of making change happen.