International Alliance for Women in Music
Encyclopedia
The International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) is an international membership organization
of women and men dedicated to fostering and encouraging the activities of women in music
, particularly in the areas of musical activity, such as composing
, performing, and research
, in which gender discrimination is an historic
and ongoing concern. The IAWM engages in efforts to increase the programming of music by female composers, to combat discrimination against female musicians, including as symphony orchestra
members, and to include accounts of the contributions of women musicians in university music curricula and textbooks.
The IAWM was formed in 1995 from the merger of three organizations that arose during the women’s rights movements of the 1970s to combat inequitable treatment of women in music: (1) the International League of Women Composers (ILWC), founded in 1975 by Nancy Van de Vate
to create and expand opportunities for women composers of music; (2) the International Congress on Women in Music (ICWM), founded in 1979 by Jeannie Pool to form an organizational basis for women-in music conferences and meetings; and (3) American Women Composers (AWC), Inc., founded in 1976 by Tommie Ewart Carl to promote music by women composers. AWC created a library of music scores at George Washington University
, published a journal, the AWC News/Forum, and produced concerts and recordings of music by American women.
Through the efforts of its approximately 400 members, the IAWM continues the work of its parent organizations to achieve its cultural and educational mission
of gender equity. The IAWM sponsors an annual “Search for New Music” composition competition for women and presents the winning pieces in public concert. The Journal of the IAWM published in two issues per year, includes research about women in music, continuing the tradition of the AWC News/Forum and the ILWC Journal. IAWM Congresses feature compositions
, performances, and research papers about women in music. IAWM members offer women-in-music courses in colleges and universities. Towards ending gender discrimination, the IAWM led successful boycotts of the American concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
in the 1990s; the “VPO watch” continues.
Advocacy
by the International Alliance for Women in Music has contributed to the inclusion of women composers in college music history
textbooks. For some years the IAWM also published the journal "Women & Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture," now handled by the University of Nebraska Press
.. It borrowed part of its name from the historic Women in Music
newsletters that were published by the woman conductor Frédérique Petrides
from 1935-1940. The Journal of the IAWM is a first hand resource on information of women composers and has been cited as such on research articles concerning women composers. The IAWM plays an important role in the careers of many women composers.
The International Congress on Women in Music, sponsored by IAWM, has established the Pauline Alderman Award
for musicological and journalistic works on women in music in 1986.
Membership organization
A membership organization is a broad term for a group or body which has members. Typically any member of the public can join and a membership fee or "subscription" is payable, but arrangements vary widely...
of women and men dedicated to fostering and encouraging the activities of women in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, particularly in the areas of musical activity, such as composing
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, performing, and research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, in which gender discrimination is an historic
Women in the workforce
Until modern industrialized times, legal and cultural practices, combined with the inertia of longstanding religious and educational traditions, had restricted women's entry and participation in the workforce. Economic dependency upon men, and consequently the poor socio-economic status of women...
and ongoing concern. The IAWM engages in efforts to increase the programming of music by female composers, to combat discrimination against female musicians, including as symphony orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
members, and to include accounts of the contributions of women musicians in university music curricula and textbooks.
The IAWM was formed in 1995 from the merger of three organizations that arose during the women’s rights movements of the 1970s to combat inequitable treatment of women in music: (1) the International League of Women Composers (ILWC), founded in 1975 by Nancy Van de Vate
Nancy Van de Vate
Nancy Van de Vate is an American-born composer living in Austria.-Life and career:She was born in Plainfield, New Jersey and studied piano at Eastman School of Music and composition at the University of Mississippi and Florida State University. She later pursued further studies in electronic music...
to create and expand opportunities for women composers of music; (2) the International Congress on Women in Music (ICWM), founded in 1979 by Jeannie Pool to form an organizational basis for women-in music conferences and meetings; and (3) American Women Composers (AWC), Inc., founded in 1976 by Tommie Ewart Carl to promote music by women composers. AWC created a library of music scores at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, published a journal, the AWC News/Forum, and produced concerts and recordings of music by American women.
Through the efforts of its approximately 400 members, the IAWM continues the work of its parent organizations to achieve its cultural and educational mission
Goal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
of gender equity. The IAWM sponsors an annual “Search for New Music” composition competition for women and presents the winning pieces in public concert. The Journal of the IAWM published in two issues per year, includes research about women in music, continuing the tradition of the AWC News/Forum and the ILWC Journal. IAWM Congresses feature compositions
Compositions
Compositions is the fourth album by the American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. The album peaked at #5 on Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in 1990, making it Baker's third platinum selling album...
, performances, and research papers about women in music. IAWM members offer women-in-music courses in colleges and universities. Towards ending gender discrimination, the IAWM led successful boycotts of the American concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic is an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered one of the finest in the world....
in the 1990s; the “VPO watch” continues.
Advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
by the International Alliance for Women in Music has contributed to the inclusion of women composers in college music history
Music history
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...
textbooks. For some years the IAWM also published the journal "Women & Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture," now handled by the University of Nebraska Press
University of Nebraska Press
The University of Nebraska Press, founded in 1941, is a publisher of scholarly and popular-press books. It is the second-largest state university press in the United States and, including private institutions, ranks among the 10 largest university presses in the United States...
.. It borrowed part of its name from the historic Women in Music
Women in Music
Women in Music was an American newsletter founded in July 1935 by its publisher and editor, Frédérique Petrides, then the conductor of the Orchestrette Classique – an orchestra based in New York made-up of all women musicians. The publication ran until December 1940...
newsletters that were published by the woman conductor Frédérique Petrides
Frédérique Petrides
Frédérique Petrides , , was a Belgian-American conductor and violinist. In 1933, she founded and conducted the Orchestrette Classique in New York...
from 1935-1940. The Journal of the IAWM is a first hand resource on information of women composers and has been cited as such on research articles concerning women composers. The IAWM plays an important role in the careers of many women composers.
The International Congress on Women in Music, sponsored by IAWM, has established the Pauline Alderman Award
Pauline Alderman
Pauline Alderman PhD. was an American musicologist and composer...
for musicological and journalistic works on women in music in 1986.