Being a woman and a freelance musician

What are the specific problems that you can encounter as a woman who is a freelancer and joins orchestras?

First of all, it should be noted that "freelancers", whether women or men, are exposed to the same stressful conditions: adrenaline levels are particularly high when you have to step in at short notice, and the vagaries of life (illness or otherwise) are the same for everyone. The corona pandemic has also been a particular challenge and has highlighted the problems that freelance musicians face - for me personally, it has certainly caused anxiety and fear.

With regard to gender-specific characteristics, the issue of pregnant women within an orchestra (or in other noisy places) is beginning to be taken into account within the framework of the maternity protection ordinance of the labor law and is being examined to see whether prolonged excessive loudness can lead to harm to mother and fetus. In anticipation of the results of the risk analysis commissioned by the cantonal doctor and the cantonal labor inspectorate, the OSR had to take precautionary measures and no longer employs women from the first day of pregnancy. If salaried female musicians are affected by this ban on work, they will still receive their wages, but this is not the case for freelancers, who will suffer financial hardship as a result. There is also a fear of falling out of work networks due to a longer absence: A solution would therefore have to be found that does not put women at a disadvantage; at the moment there are discussions about this at trade union level.

And finally, since the same conditions prevail in music as in other areas and it is of course no exception, we as women are not protected and are more exposed to power relations than men.

Have you had problems with power games and sexism yourself?

I have not been confronted with problems of this kind myself, but I am very convinced that they exist, sometimes on a subtle level. In general, as women, we want to be valued for our work as musicians and not for outward appearances. We want to be judged on our abilities and not on how we are dressed or how we look. But can we be sure for what reasons we were chosen for something or not? Be that as it may, I think it's important to respect everyone's sensitivity and adapt your behavior accordingly. The younger generation is more open to this issue and that gives me hope.

How do you see the place of women in the orchestra?

As long as the candidates play behind a curtain in an audition, there is a better equality of opportunity. In the orchestras, the gender balance in the strings is pretty good, especially in the violins, although the important positions are still often reserved for men - to get a responsible position, a woman often has to be overqualified, even better, to be considered credible. Brass and percussion are still largely in the hands of men, while the harp is almost always played by women. Other areas of music are still a long way from parity: composition, conducting, but also other styles of music such as rock. This is not about a lack of interest or talent, but rather about social codes that children experience from an early age, or behavioural patterns that demand that men should be enterprising and strong, while women should be beautiful and good listeners - differences that are presented as eternal truths and are intended to legitimize privileges and discrimination. These archaic prejudices can still be found in the choice of instruments, as some are seen as masculine and others as feminine. As an anecdote, it is worth mentioning that in the 19th century, for example, women were discouraged from playing a wind instrument because it could damage their face. Again, I believe that the current phase of deconstructing the patriarchal system will make the future better.

Do you find that women tend to criticize each other or do they tend to show solidarity?

In our profession, we have to be very demanding of ourselves and we have to be equally demanding of others. I can imagine that there are difficult situations that exacerbate the competitive atmosphere that already exists in the music scene when you play as a temp: It's a fantastic but demanding profession, and it's easy to find your place threatened in this pursuit of perfection, especially if you don't have a "real job" anywhere. As for solidarity, it all depends on the people and orchestras, these are personal experiences. As far as I'm concerned, I'm lucky to have the support of other newcomers with whom I can share my impressions. In other areas, I also have the advantage of being surrounded by exceptional women who are generous and benevolent, real role models who give me more strength. No matter what profession we are in, we all win when we help each other and are kind to each other, and we can find our place in life more easily when we show solidarity.