Women In MusicBy Rocco Williams

Melissa Aldana

• Age 27

• Melissa Aldana as a young girl was mentored by her own father, Chilean saxophonist, Marco Aldana.

• Brought up by Marco, Melissa never had much of a struggle rising into the jazz scene. In multiple interviews she states that she has been fortunate enough to avoid any encounters with male musicians that have issues with women playing music.

• However, without her father and through her own hard work she brought herself to win the Thelonious Monk Competition in 2012.

Karen Carpenter

• Born in 1950 and died in 1983 at the age of 32.

• Karen encountered so many people who told her that she could never be drummer (because only boys can play drums).

• Although, being her passive self she ignored the negative comments about her drumming and played in her brother’s band for many years travelling as a jazz band.

• Later in life she pursued rock and roll and shortly after her rock and roll career began, her life was ended due to a heart failure which killed her in under twenty minutes.

Allison Miller

• Allison Miller grew up in a family where she had four brothers and was their only sister. She says that this taught her to “be one of the boys,” and although she has encountered ignorant people against women playing music she has never had issues dealing with it.

• Her hard work has gotten her to a level of musicianship where she can nearly wipe the floor with anyone of any gender or race.

Marla Leigh

• Age 37

• Marla Leigh is an amazing frame drum player from California.

• In the music that she plays, it is actually tradition for women to play the frame drum.

• She is actually praised by many people for her playing and close connection to spirituality.

WATCH

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX6-eRog9hhcEKQiit7Ab1JM77KryAk1C