Women's History Month: Famous Women Guitarists!
It was so enjoyable for me as a teacher, a woman, and a guitarist to share some of my very favorite and talented female musicians with the students today! In honor of Women's History Month, I thought it would be very valuable to take a look at some women who broke the mold in terms of guitar playing being a job normally reserved for men!
It was interesting discussing this with the children today. We identified our genders as male or female, and I asked the children to recall if they knew any female guitarists. A very large percentage of the class said no. With my guitar strapped around my neck and a smile on my face, I asked the children once more to consider very carefully the question: Did they know ANY female guitarists? Were they SURE? :) Eventually, as they stared at the female guitarist right in front of them, they slowly began to raise their hands with grins on their faces!
Guitar has not always traditionally been a woman's instrument, as most people realize. Particularly in rock, it was very rare to find women as lead guitarists for a long time! Even in the late nineties and early 2000s, it was surprising for many people at performances to see me playing lead guitar in a heavier rock band. Yet, my generation has been one of extreme change, as women in the forefront of guitar playing has changed exceptionally and increased very much!
Today, we took a look at some famous female guitarists who were role models and inspiring for so many musicians--not just female musicians--in a timeless way. We also danced with the guitar, explored different genres and sounds, and played fun "freeze dance games"! Overall, "the blues" were the favorite genre that got the kids out of their seats and dancing every time!
As you can see from the video samples below (which we watched today in music class, along with corresponding pictures), we became familiar with the following female guitarists today in class:
Nancy Wilson from the band "Heart"
Joni Mitchell (playing the dulcimer, here)
Bonnie Raitt (the children really enjoyed hearing the slide)
Elizabeth Cotten (She played a right handed guitar left handed and upside down!!)
Our younger students also enjoyed the book, "Little Cricket's Song". (Click the book to find out more).
Thank you to Theresa Davis for donating this book to our program!
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AWESOME NEWS FROM THE
JN MUSIC PROGRAM:
Did you know that Joyful Noise Christian Childcare is launching a FREE service to the community through our C-Fund that provides early childhood resources, such as "A Gift Of Music" early childhood classes, to those in need and underserved? Read all about it here on our website: www.joyfulnoisekids.com/GiftOfMusic ! The music classes are our first C-fund based community endeavor and also the first of a series for young children of varying ages. In order to fund the program (costs include the free instruments we will give to each child, staffing and promotion), we need donations made to our C-fund from generous families and friends.
Thank you so much for supporting the continued growth of our school and our commitment to bettering the community around us for all children!