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Joined: January 11 2012
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Topic: Female Prog Composers Posted: May 09 2013 at 13:23
There are tons of bands like Univers Zero, Present, The Mars Volta, that seem to be generally led by musically by one person.
I'm not looking for women in prog. I know that's been done on this site.
What I'm asking about is where are the female main composers?
What elements of culture have made it so that females are rarely the main composers in prog groups? Even groups like Akphaezya, Within Temptation, Koenjihyakkei etc, has a guy writing most of the music.
Can you also find examples of females lead composing?
I know this question is worded terribly and it's not meant to be sexist. I just want to know.
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Posted: May 09 2013 at 14:28
Keiko Kumagi , keyboard player on Ars Nova (and quite attractive) composes most of their music I think (but have never checked tbh)
in terms of bands I would struggle to think of anyone else
Outside of a band format there are of course plenty of choices. Obvious ones are Kate Bush and Tori Amos in 'crossover' and Suzanne Cianni is an American composer who has recorded both orchestral and synth based albums.
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Posted: May 09 2013 at 15:30
Marjana from Iamthemorning I think is one. Betty Thatcher has been a great lyricist. Heather Findlay didn't have a lot of space as composer in Mostly Autumn but she composed before and after.
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Posted: May 09 2013 at 16:45
A lot of female composers don't get much respect around here. Kate Bush was relegated to prog related. Tori Amos was a very controversial addition. Happy Rhodes is unknown to most.
Edited by Slartibartfast - May 09 2013 at 16:50
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted: May 10 2013 at 05:11
Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance? She shares at least equal footing in that duo with Brendan Perry, but has long been acknowledged as the primary talent among the two..
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Posted: May 10 2013 at 05:47
Quick note, Akphaezya is now an all male band, the female singer is apparently long gone.
Jackie Perez-Gratz of Grayceon would at least share wquil billing with her two band mates, not sure how big her contribution to Giant Squid's composition mehod is.
Kat Ward of hAND.
Guitarist Samantha Escarb was half of the writing partnership with Rowan London for Virgin Black
Sub Rosa is made up of mostly women.
Hiromi Uehara, kind of self explanitory
Chloe Alper of Pure Reason Revolution certainly had a hand in the composition process.
Patricia Dallio is a fine Classical pianist who composes the most interesting soundtracks and original Prog music of her own. She has performed with Art Zoyd ..in case you are unfamiliar with her.
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Posted: May 10 2013 at 09:47
Slartibartfast wrote:
A lot of female composers don't get much respect around here. Kate Bush was relegated to prog related. Tori Amos was a very controversial addition. Happy Rhodes is unknown to most.
I don't like everything she's recorded, but Happy's Rhodes I comp (which has a couple unreleased songs) is a nifty comp of her earlier works.
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Posted: May 10 2013 at 11:55
Neu!mann wrote:
Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance? She shares at least equal footing in that duo with Brendan Perry, but has long been acknowledged as the primary talent among the two..
I forgot all about her. As far as being the primary talent in DCD, she certainly is the one responsible for the no-language-that-anyone-ever-heard-before vocal pieces while Perry does the rest. I always thought they were about a 50/50 split in compositions.
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Posted: May 10 2013 at 13:10
For some reason the music industry only seems to readily accept women as vocalists rather than as instrumentalists or composers, which I think is a crime and totally unfair. The only one not already mentioned here I can think of is Betty Thatcher who collaborated with the late Michael Dunford on many of Renaissance's classic tracks, but I am not sure if she was involved with the music itself or only the lyrics.
The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"
and this is not prog, but CHRISTINA SCABBIA of LACUNA COIL is fantástico!!
Another couple outside prog...
Angela Gossow - death metal band Arch Enemy. She's listed as vocalist (clean and death growl) and songwriter...
Dara Rosenwasser - etherial dark-wave band Faith & Disease...
Oh I thought about the singer for Arch. I can't believe she is a woman! Wow. Sings like a man baby!! Sorry for the Austin powers initiation here, but thats no woman....it's a man baby!!
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Female Prog Composers
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Slartibartfast wrote:
