Those of you familiar with this podcast know that I usually welcome a guest who shares tips and tricks that you can put to use in your music program. We’re doing things a little differently for this episode. Because today is International Women’s Day – and because March is Women’s History Month – I’m going to share some stories of amazing women in music.

If you’ve ever done a music history unit with your students, you’re fully aware that the vast majority of the composers we teach about are men. White men, mostly.

Why is this a problem? Why do we need to seek out diversity?

It’s because our students are diverse. We want to show them that there are musical heroes and geniuses who look like them. Which is why we need to teach about women in music right alongside the men.

So today I’m going to talk about composers, artists, and conductors who you can spotlight in your classroom. I encourage you to share these – and other stories of women in music – with your students this month and all year long.

This Episode Is Also Available On:

• SoundCloud
• iTunes
• Google Play

Meet Some of My “Guests”

Here are some of the revolutionary women, featured in today’s podcast, that your students may not have heard of.

Programming

In addition to playing recordings, putting up posters, and telling stories of musicians who are as diverse as your students, it’s equally important to program music by diverse composers. When I first began teaching, resources for diverse programming were few and far between. Today we are fortunate to have much more.

One such resource is the Diverse Wind Band Composers list, compiled by Christian Folk. Check it out, and be sure to notice that there are three separate sheets to explore.

Additional Resources

• International Women’s Day website
• Women’s History Month website
• 10 Revolutionary Women in Music
• 10 Female Composers You Should Know
• 6 Most Inspiring Women in Music
• Best Living Female Conductors
• 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women
• Diverse Wind Band Composers
• MusicEdSummit
• The Professional Music Educator Blog
• Try SmartMusic for Free