Abstract
The aim of this study is to discuss conditions for young people forming rock/pop bands. In particular, we focus on how the subject position band member is constituted and can be problematized through a poststructural gender approach. Our discussion is driven by an observation of three areas for societal change affecting contemporary conditions for band formation and band playing, which all draw on a discourse claiming that ”everyone can”. Firstly, rock and pop bands today get institutional support through formal schooling and music education in Sweden. Secondly, the digitization of music and internet-based resources available are suggested to make possible musical learning for all. Thirdly, equality discourses encourage girls to ”claim space” and ”be heard”, also musically. The discussion of these three areas for change is complemented empirically by a Swedish case of five 13-year-old girls playing in a band. Our material consists of videorecordings and field notes from six rehearsals and one public concert, and social media postings. Based on our results, we see that while physical conditions for band formation have changed over the past decades, the subject position band member is still conditioned, not the least by gender. Therefore, we suggest that the subject position band member needs to be re-visited and most likely re-defined as new conditions for band formation practices take form.
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