Writing Portfolio

This master's thesis examines the compounded discrimination faced by female jazz vocalists, a phenomenon resulting from gender biases and the devaluation of the vocal instrument within United States jazz culture. The study is currently in progress and is slated for publication in Spring 2026.

ABSTRACT
(Full paper available upon request.)

Jazz has been known as a male-dominated field throughout its history and remains so in contemporary life, to the extent that female players are a rarity. Even when present in jazz, most often as pianists or vocalists, women have a greater likelihood to discontinue their participation in the genre over time. This research paper aims to identify reasons for the lack of female participation by investigating the socialization and discourse surrounding jazz culture. Ultimately, jazz music maintains the enculturation of social processes that distinguish women away from the male majority and leads to their isolation and exclusion. Citing the work of Sarah Caissie Provost, Erin L. Wehr and others, this paper focuses on identifying social patterns, synthesizing existing knowledge of the jazz gender gap, and evaluating the potential to change discriminatory social norms. Results from this research show that jazz music’s culture is extremely masculinized, as seen in typical jazz canons and instrument selections or spaces. Additional findings regarding jazz playing and performance reveal that adding gender as a form of appraisal guarantees difficulty for female musicians regardless of their skill and style. The male canonization of jazz, perceptions of instruments and the voice, and the concepts of gendered playing and improvisation are proposed together to challenge the canonical image of jazz and its notion that social status has no effect on true musicianship.