Musical Herstory 2.0 lifting the veil on women in classical music
“Motherhood, quarantine…composers of today have a surprising amount in common with composers of yesteryear.”
– Kendra Harder, Composer
Composer and music educator Kendra Harder is heading back online to share more stories of women in classical music.
Kendra Harder wanted to bring the untold stories of women in music to life with this course. (Facebook)
“We are so starved to hear music by other demographics. We’ve heard the dead, white cannon played over and over again,” says Harder. “It’s good music but we are hungry to hear more diverse voices. It’s much easier to be yourself when you can see yourself represented.”
Harder’s first session Musical Herstory featuring the femme fatales of composition was met with enthusiasm last Fall. It was such a success; she’s partnering once again with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra to dig deeper.
“Motherhood, quarantine, saving yourself from the guillotine with their own piano skills, composers of today have a surprising amount in common with composers of yesteryear,” says Harder. “Women have been writing and performing for as long as men have, and we still don’t know much about them.”
This 6-week course held on Zoom will look at works by female composers past and present. The class will cover topics like the dual roles of mother and composer, the battle against male domination and the women who were almost footnotes in musical history. The course will also include women like Tanya Tagaq and Reena Esmail, who are breaking down barriers today, blending traditional music and culture with the classical world.
The free, 60-minute classes are underway now and run every Thursday night until June 17th and if you can’t make it to the live Zoom, videos will be available online.
