As I did the music listings this week and worked on this article, I thought about our upcoming annual JFP Chick Ball and how much it means to me. I also thought about how hard the Chick Ball committee works to find a dynamic assortment of women entertainers here in the City With Soul. And while I am thankful for all the wonderfully talented women in this town, I canāt help but wonder: Why are there not more women expressing themselves musically?
Itās not because this cityās female population is untalentedāIāve seen too many girls with the potential to be wonderful performers at open-mic nights and karaoke around here. Why arenāt more women musicians up front and running toe-to-toe with successful male bands here in Jackson? And why, when I did the listings, out of 100 shows, could I only count six female singers in the lineup?
Iām not sure I know the reason behind it, but I will tell you from my point of view that maybe some women feel like they canāt measure up in music because it is a predominately male domain, and has been since the beginning. Tammy Wynette, in an interview years ago, talked about how women singers were considered āpropertyā at the bars they performed in, and were pretty much seen like that in the recording studio.
From my experience performing, Iāve had my fair share of guys come up to me with negative criticism on my singing and one even told me my ass needed to be in a kitchen somewhere, not behind a microphone. Iāve also had great talks with lots of my girlfriends who love music as much as I do and are knowledgeable about the history of music, and weāve discussed how some guys cannot stand it for a girl to know more about music than they do.
And what have we as women done in the past when someone got mad at us for being a music lover? Backed down, or tried to keep upping the score by going even further with how much musical knowledge we know, only adding fuel to the fire. As my hero Joan Jett said in an interview, āPeople donāt want to see women doing things they donāt think women should do.ā
Someone mentioned to me the other day that women in Jackson are too competitive when it comes to music. I call BS on that. Of all the women musicians in this town, I canāt think of a better group of women Iād rather work with and hear play live. Weāve all gotten along and even sang along when our bands are playing. As one couple from Austin, Texas, said to me at Parlor Marketās PM Burger event, āMan, all of you seem like one big family.ā
I could not agree more. We are a family, not just in music, but in every aspect this city has to offer. I encourage the girls who are out there that want to play or perform in Jackson to do so.
Find a guitar player, get up a band of musicians who share your vision of what you want to do musically, learn how to play an instrument, write songs, take vocal or instrument lessons, and donāt be scared of expressing yourself because of what someone might say (because, let me tell you, someone is going to say something negative at some point). Shake off any negative and derogatory comments that come your way.
It is our time, ladies, to step up to the mic, and find our own musical voices. There are too many music enthusiasts in this town that would appreciate more women singing their songs and expressing themselves. We have the support and, of course, you have my support. Go out and find your voice. Iāll be there to sing along with you, too.
Joan Jett is one female rocker Natalie Long looks up to.
Lizzie wright