A Century of Women's Bands in America

Abstract

women, too, have a long legacy of participation. This article helps to establish women's legitimacy as a part of the American wind band tradition by tracing a century of participation from the 1870s through the 1970s. This overview should spark interesting class discussions with your students about instruments the women played, uniforms worn, the events that influenced the development and documentation of these bands, and women's emerging roles in society. In American towns during the midto late nineteenth century, bands were an important part of the social fabric. They were an early form of popular music medium that provided entertainment long before the advent of radio and before phonographs became common in homes. often performed free concerts, marched in parades, supported military troops, and even played for the sick in hospitals. Their music would draw the local populace to the center of town and, if the band had established a positive reputation, would even draw people from neighboring communities who would travel by horse and buggy to enjoy a free band concert and support the local commerce (see Photo 1). Having a band was a status symbol for a community, and it helped promote a town's quality of life and encouraged others to move there. One historian emphasized their ubiquitous presence: Bands were the most important musical organizations in nineteenth-century America. ... There were even a few ladies