Last week, somebody posted a link on the CBC Electronic Facebook wall to In the Loop, a free workshop series based in Toronto and Hamilton, introducing women to the basics of electronic music creation, recording and history.
We've wondered for a while now why there is such a gender divide in the electronic music community, which sees men outnumber women by a significant ratio over all other genres. So we thought, who better to speak with than the women behind In the Loop, who have set out to challenge that divide.? CBC Music sits down with Christina Sealey and Naomi Hocura to get the scoop on the project.
Q: What is In the Loop all about?
A: In the Loop is about inspiring young women to experiment with electronic music gear and technology that (for anyone) can be extremely daunting at first. With our first set of workshops geared toward high school-aged girls, our mission is to provide an environment for experimentation that is welcoming for students without a formal music background, while opening up new avenues for those that do.
It was important for us to offer the workshops at no cost for wider accessibility and to show the students that a lot can be done with minimal equipment. We’d like to instill enough technical skill and terminology to give them a solid starting point to continue on their own or with confidence in collaborative projects. It’s about providing positive mentorship with a music history component that celebrates the achievements of women in electronic music and that has active female musician instructors. There is no preference given to any particular genre of electronic music, and it is our hope that the workshops will encourage [participating women] to consider a number of sound- or tech-related fields beyond popular music. In a nutshell, it’s about girls nerding out with software and synthesizers.
Q: What inspired you to start the program?
Christina Sealey: It was the feeling that this area of music is stereotypically male-dominated. As a female musician, there’s a feeling of isolation at shows and festivals and I am often left wondering why there aren’t more women involved. I feel like there are a lot of creative women out there that could be approaching electronic music in new ways and that perhaps they just need encouragement and confidence to get started.
While I have worked with many amazing and respectful men, I feel that there can be a different dynamic or comfort level with a male versus female collaborator or teacher, especially when it comes to technical stuff. With the classes I wanted to be able to share what I have learned in a relaxed atmosphere and hopefully inspire some young women to become excited about creating their own music.
Naomi Hocura: I was so impressed when I found out that Christina was into modular synths, that I devised this project so that she could be my teacher! I’ve always worked with male collaborators and there was something refreshing about the idea of sharing technical knowledge, not only with the students, but with other female artists. I think the driving force behind the project is a desire to create workshops we wish we could have had at that age, or at any age for that matter. We are definitely not the first ones to do this and we’re indebted to and are inspired by all of the women doing similar projects around the world.
Q: How did you both start working together?
Sealey: We met last year at various music events and DJ nights in Toronto and Hamilton and connected over a conversation about women in electronic music after discussing the recent release of Lixiviation, a collection of tracks by legendary sound artist Suzanne Ciani. Naomi was interested in starting a research project on the history of women in electronic music and I was looking for a collaborator and support for the idea of teaching electronic music classes to women.
We were excited about putting on workshops that would both teach the practical aspects of making electronic music and incorporate an inclusive music history highlighting women in the field. We worked together on an Ontario Arts Council grant application early in the year to get the project started and heard back with a positive response from OAC in June. Now it’s happening, and fellow Hamilton musicians Jessica Lanza and Annie Shaw were excited to join us in developing the curriculum and teaching the classes.
Q: The electronic music landscape is admittedly pretty male-dominated, possibly more so than most other genres of music. Any theories on how that happened?
A: It’s difficult to say. The science and technology fields have always been male-dominated. But is that because of a lack of encouragement or opportunity for women, or a lack of interest? Female producers/musicians in other fields talk about the decision to have children as having an effect on their careers. There are so many incredible female artists in electronic music history, and their contributions are becoming known to a younger generation through a number of reissue releases in the past while. The only thing we can do is offer opportunities to women that are interested and hope that they are inspired to take the knowledge and run with it!
The first workshop for girls ages 14 - 18 runs Saturdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 in Hamilton. Cost is free. Details
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