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Any female bassists out there?
- Thread starter Frettage
- Start date
There are, but these threads usually don't end well and we wind up having less than what we started with. 
Just gotta keep Username from hitting on them. He's got PlayStation or something.
Just gotta keep Username from hitting on them. He's got PlayStation or something.
Yep, there are a few of us. Generally, the ones that stick around are the ones who have fairly thick skins and have learned to ignore certain types of posts... or have had to put up with similar behavior outside of TalkBass and learned to ignore them that way!
interestingly enough I have an audition with an all chick metal band this week. They were looking for a female bassist only and didnt get a single call for months so now I get to audion.
Your willingness to stick around here amongst the drooling, knuckle-dragging hordes (particularly in OT) is appreciated, ladies.Sssh, don't blow our cover!
OK, so now we've established you're here, I'm curious what you've experienced as women in a group that is predominately (and unfortunately) male?
Not playing out much yet, so don't have much to report! Those I have worked with so far have been OK, no problems. Mind, I'm old enough that I don't get hit on too much. (I learned a long time ago that the wedding ring doesn't provide a 'shield' against all advances, especially if the SO isn't around! However, I spent 8 out of my 13 years in the USAF as a Security Police Officer, supervising anywhere from 40 to 80 young men, plus dealing with obnoxious / drunk / bad attitude types who were not happy to have a
(fairly young at the time) female officer questioning them, arresting them, etc. So I learned a long time ago to ignore the 'rantings' (so to speak) of (most usually young) men suffering from testosterone poisoning (any of my fellow SF fans recognize that reference? heh!) So far my age has been a bigger barrier than my sex; too many ads / flyers etc. have 'age requirements' (usually wanting folks under the age of 30...been a few years ago that I saw the hindside of that age--) although I may have some prosects that seem to be interested - both bands are older guys in my general age brackett, mostly married, so we'll see if anything comes of those feelers. (And I have heard from a few people that the bands who were looking for younger bandmates turned down a few older guys, so it wasn't the sex factor that was involved! Then there was the mom who thought I might be a ggod choice for her teenage son's band - because she thought I might make a good 'chaperon as well as band member. *shudder* No thanks! You want someone to babysit your teens, it ain't gonna be me!)
Anyway, there have been posts here that irritate me now and then (heck, some of them have irritated some of the GUYS on this forum!) but in general I mutter a few words about lack of maturity, etc. and then let it go, 'cause the good, interesting posts - or ar least are ones that don't irritate me for THAT particular reason, anyway - far outnumber those falling into the 'testosterone poisoning' category. I'd rather ignore them than end up in even the milder form of 'flame wars' that sometimes occur even on this forum. Just not worth the trouble or the stress. There will be some chaff in every batch of wheat; the thing you have to do is not let the chaff irritate you all out of porportion! (there's a joke in there somewhere about chaffing, irritation, and so on, but i'm too tired to think of it at the moment...)
Hope this helps a liitle bit, anyway!
(fairly young at the time) female officer questioning them, arresting them, etc. So I learned a long time ago to ignore the 'rantings' (so to speak) of (most usually young) men suffering from testosterone poisoning (any of my fellow SF fans recognize that reference? heh!) So far my age has been a bigger barrier than my sex; too many ads / flyers etc. have 'age requirements' (usually wanting folks under the age of 30...been a few years ago that I saw the hindside of that age--) although I may have some prosects that seem to be interested - both bands are older guys in my general age brackett, mostly married, so we'll see if anything comes of those feelers. (And I have heard from a few people that the bands who were looking for younger bandmates turned down a few older guys, so it wasn't the sex factor that was involved! Then there was the mom who thought I might be a ggod choice for her teenage son's band - because she thought I might make a good 'chaperon as well as band member. *shudder* No thanks! You want someone to babysit your teens, it ain't gonna be me!)
Anyway, there have been posts here that irritate me now and then (heck, some of them have irritated some of the GUYS on this forum!) but in general I mutter a few words about lack of maturity, etc. and then let it go, 'cause the good, interesting posts - or ar least are ones that don't irritate me for THAT particular reason, anyway - far outnumber those falling into the 'testosterone poisoning' category. I'd rather ignore them than end up in even the milder form of 'flame wars' that sometimes occur even on this forum. Just not worth the trouble or the stress. There will be some chaff in every batch of wheat; the thing you have to do is not let the chaff irritate you all out of porportion! (there's a joke in there somewhere about chaffing, irritation, and so on, but i'm too tired to think of it at the moment...)
Hope this helps a liitle bit, anyway!
I haven't run into any more discrimination in the music world than in the worlld in general. Usually you can tell if someone is going to cause problems and so you can avoid them in the future.
There have been some threads on here that I've wanted to come in and vent my opinion but thought better of it. There definitely is a lot of testosterone poisoning here, especially in the OT section of the forum, which is why I don't usually post a lot there.
There have been some threads on here that I've wanted to come in and vent my opinion but thought better of it. There definitely is a lot of testosterone poisoning here, especially in the OT section of the forum, which is why I don't usually post a lot there.
Age is the biggest barrier to getting auditions than anything else. However, I once was looking at a group, and my contact with the band told me flat out, "I'd like to have a woman in the band, but our guitarist would never go for it." I've found that younger "original" bands tend to be more open-minded about the prospect than "classic rock"-type cover bands. As far as gigs go, usually just get told, "you play pretty good" ("for a girl" left unsaid). Yeah, too old to get hit on much. 
But that's okay. I've become a better bassist since I got older.
But that's okay. I've become a better bassist since I got older.
