A Music of Their Own CapRadio

In response to the question “Is music by women womanish?” composer Sarah Kirkland Snider discusses “emotional” music by Classical composers; charges of femininity in her own music by The New York Times; aging gracefully; and sex appeal.

Grammy-nominated composer, flutist and vocalist Nathalie Joachim discusses a surge in recognition of Black women composers; the album Fanm d’Ayiti; and her fearless pursuit of what moves her, regardless of success.

Wu Fei is a classically-trained composer, singer and master of the guzheng, a Chinese zither. Fei describes growing up in the restrictive creative environment of Chinese conservatories, and compares it with the openness of music training in the U.S.

Angélica Negrón is a Puerto Rican-born composer and multi-instrumentalist. She talks about the paradox of writing “cute” music as a petite woman, and whether she is trapped into reinforcing a stereotype.

This episode opens with the expression of transness in composer inti figgis-vizueta’s Music for Transitions. inti talks about a boycott of her music, and how and when to share negative experiences in a public way without it backfiring.

Composer Sarah Cahill discusses her Future is Female project; the parallel between her brilliant but oppressive father and 19th-century composer Felix Mendelssohn; and the problematic phrase “artists who happen to be women.”