ABC ABC Jazz

Thanks Paul and Louise for your comments...

I think Sandy is right on about the teenage years being crucial in the decision to go into music, or into one kind of music over another. There can be something genuinely frightening about improvising when you have been trained in the conventional reading-from-scores kind of way, always striving to play the notes on the page. Like trapeze-obatics without a safety net. The teenage years are fraught with all sorts of anxiety-causing questions and experiences, so why on earth would you want to intentionally expose yourself to potential failure, embarrassment, humiliation, social ostracism....? Easier to stick with the notes on the page....
Despite this, in the jazz area at the Con in Brisbane where I lecture, we have had young women graduate on every instrument in the last 10 years, although there is still nothing like a gender balance in the program. But I think the fact that women have a good experience at the Con and are accepted as equals, invited to do projects and gigs and so on, encourages others to have a go. The days of "I won't hire a chick" seem to be long gone in Australia, thank goodness! - so young women can look forward to having positive professional and creative experiences once they're out there on the scene.

Great comments from both Sandy and Alex. Jazz music can only benefit from having the contribution that women musicians can bring: it's a subtle thing but I think we're talking about potentially different aesthetics, energies and life outlooks. Gender equality has delivered nothing but benefit elsewhere in the music industry.

The late Jann Rutherford was a person who unassumingly thrust herself into the jazz scene and shone.
Originally from New Zealand and blind virtually from birth, her passion and love of the music gave Jann a courage which isn't self conscious. She had a great time playing superb jazz piano and mixing with the cream of Sydney's jazz talent. She also was very generous in sharing her talents and knowledge helping others starting out in jazz.
The Jann Rutherford Memorial Award is a fitting tribute to her spirit, and has always gone to worthy, talented musicians who go on to achieve much.