She conducts : [an honors thesis (HONRS 499)]

She Conducts has been a work in progress since its inception during the summer of 2001. Now, nearly summer 2003, the finishing touches are receiving their long overdue (and well-deserved) debut.In the beginning, the idea to celebrate the existence, accomplishments, and wisdom of living women conductors was a simple plan. But, as many plans do, it transformed into something much less tangible than its former self. There were realizations, emotional roadblocks, and creative impulses along the way that left no moment static in its creation.First, the purpose remains: to collect data that may help young women, including myself, understand the hype that surrounds gender bias as it relates to women in music, specifically conducting, and to provide practical, social, and emotional encouragement for those who wish to pursue conducting careers. The process was simple as well: I sent interview questions via e-mail to approximately 30 women conductors, 15 of which responded, in four different instrumental conducting careers (Orchestral, College Band, High School Band, and Middle School Band) and I combined their responses to create the appendix of this document. The appendix, a compilation and analysis of responses from the 15 women conductors who participated, provides concrete evidence on which to build insight, confidence, and vision.Aside from the extensive collection of feedback from the interviews, there is a healthy portion of written work as well. In researching the topic, I found it nearly impossible to set myself aside and ingest information for what it was. Music and Gender, a gem in the world of ethnomusicological research, helped me to deal with this peculiar phenomenon of egocentrism. Its text "...openly addresses the assumptions of authors and their contexts..." (Koskoff xii). The authors of individual essays in the book conducted field work on themselves to examine their own assumptions. The extraordinary result is that it left no sole way of thinking or doing, which allows the reader to experience the scholarly process of non-conclusive end. The approach taken inspired me to write my thesis with an honest representation of my beliefs and assumptions alongside my research, and it helped me to understand that the research I conduct - no matter how extensive - will never arrive, only contribute.So, the text, with its abstract titles and concrete subtitles, reveals bits of me as it unfolds. I do hope that this document is everything you hoped it would be and more. Enjoy!________________________*An additional category, Retired/Out of Field, was added later to include a woman high school band director of nine years who is now a school counselor.Honors College"Undergraduate thesis."Thesis (B.?.