A Brass-Playing Identity

How Do Gendered Attitudes and Practices Influence Twenty-first Century Brass Players?

Abstract

Brass instruments have historically had a strong association with masculinity and have been played mostly by men. Although there have been pioneering women at various points during the twentieth century, women did not enter brass playing in significant numbers until the end of the century. Even now, women are in the minority across the current brass- playing cohort in the UK, and are extremely rare in some genres and some specific brass instruments. This pattern is echoed in many countries and leads us to the following question: how have historical attitudes and practices shaped the identity of brass players in the present day? Drawing on a questionnaire distributed to active UK brass players, this article explores the identities that are constructed within the brass- playing community. Chi- square tests and a thematic analysis of free-text responses revealed that the most common brass- playing stereotypes exist in direct conflict with characteristics traditionally associated with the feminine gender, and that the environment can be unwelcoming to women. Key themes included gender inequality, drinking culture and sociability, and most participants were comfortable describing the characteristics of a “typical brass player”. Some participants felt that existing stereotypes were out- of- date but others suggested that they might still be rooted in reality, and the rate of change within brass playing was also debated. This article will discuss the views of both men and women based in professional, semi- professional and amateur settings, and will explore how stereotyping contributes to the low numbers of women observed in UK brass- playing.