Female Musicians
Michael Hahn
April 23, 2026
I’ve been meeting monthly with a group of songwriters. Four or five of us gather in a private room to perform original songs, listen to each others’ tunes and offer constructive criticism. The small size of the group enables us to sing two songs each during our 2-hour meeting. I find the opinions of other creative artists to be very useful, helping me to improve my craft.
During our meeting last month, we drifted off script a bit when one of the songwriters talked for 20 minutes about how she has devoted a great deal of time and energy toward increasing the percentage of women in performing bands. Her monologue drew my attention to the fact that I was the only male in the songwriter group. It also got me thinking about my role as a bandleader for many years, and about the presence of women in my bands. Personally, I’ve always tried to include women in my bands, because I know that a significant percentage of the audience (both men and women), enjoy seeing and hearing women on stage. At the present time, there are two women who sometimes sing with my band, but during many of our gigs, it’s an all-male band. This isn’t by design.
I can’t speak for the music industry as a whole, but in my personal experience, the reason that there are more men playing instruments in local bands than women is not because the opportunities aren’t there for women; it’s because there aren’t enough female instrumentalists to fill the opportunities. I sometimes jam with an excellent female cellist; I used to have a talented female singer who played sax and flute; and I know two great female drummers who have played gigs with me, but none of these performers are available to play full-time in my band. I’d hire them if I could.
This doesn’t mean that women are in the minority in the music industry. If you go to Open Mic gatherings in Nashville, you’ll probably notice that the majority of the songwriters are female. The staff at Nashville Songwriters Association International consists of one man and 14 women. Right now on the Billboard Top 100 chart, 7 of the top 10 songs are by female artists. There are more women in the music industry today than ever before. Opportunities are also available in local bands for rare female instrumentalists.
Michael Hahn Band varies in size from a duo to a six-piece band, depending upon the size and budget of the venue. They love to make music for any occasion. For bookings call 802-754-8889.
Upcoming Gigs:
Black Fly Gravel Run in Westmore on Saturday, May 30 at noon
https://www.thebridgeweekly.com/rural-matters
During our meeting last month, we drifted off script a bit when one of the songwriters talked for 20 minutes about how she has devoted a great deal of time and energy toward increasing the percentage of women in performing bands. Her monologue drew my attention to the fact that I was the only male in the songwriter group. It also got me thinking about my role as a bandleader for many years, and about the presence of women in my bands. Personally, I’ve always tried to include women in my bands, because I know that a significant percentage of the audience (both men and women), enjoy seeing and hearing women on stage. At the present time, there are two women who sometimes sing with my band, but during many of our gigs, it’s an all-male band. This isn’t by design.
I can’t speak for the music industry as a whole, but in my personal experience, the reason that there are more men playing instruments in local bands than women is not because the opportunities aren’t there for women; it’s because there aren’t enough female instrumentalists to fill the opportunities. I sometimes jam with an excellent female cellist; I used to have a talented female singer who played sax and flute; and I know two great female drummers who have played gigs with me, but none of these performers are available to play full-time in my band. I’d hire them if I could.
This doesn’t mean that women are in the minority in the music industry. If you go to Open Mic gatherings in Nashville, you’ll probably notice that the majority of the songwriters are female. The staff at Nashville Songwriters Association International consists of one man and 14 women. Right now on the Billboard Top 100 chart, 7 of the top 10 songs are by female artists. There are more women in the music industry today than ever before. Opportunities are also available in local bands for rare female instrumentalists.
Michael Hahn Band varies in size from a duo to a six-piece band, depending upon the size and budget of the venue. They love to make music for any occasion. For bookings call 802-754-8889.
Upcoming Gigs:
Black Fly Gravel Run in Westmore on Saturday, May 30 at noon
https://www.thebridgeweekly.com/rural-matters
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