"Women Song Writers"

[EKE BBB]

<<<WOMEN SONG WRITERS

Chicago Tribune, November 17, 1907

Woman has invaded another field in which man thought he was supreme. She has become a writer of popular songs and instrumental numbers, and many of the most tuneful and affecting ditties of the day are written by women...

[details on some composers]

Although the women may have just as much talent as the men, it is not to be expected that their songs and music numbers ever will become as genuinely popular as are those of the men. The men have this advantage: For the purpose of "plugging" (a term used by the profession for popularizing) their new creations, they can go where they please, when they please, and stay out as late as they please without shattering any of the traditions of propriety. The women, however, cannot do this.

Imagine a woman song writer standing at a stage door until she can converse with some masculine performer and impress upon him that she has the one song that will "make his act." Imagine her running around until 1 o'clock or later in the morning leaving orchestrations of her latest with the orchestra and piano players of the good, bad, and indifferent cafés.

She can't do it, and it isn't expected of her. These are but two of the many things she can't do to "push" her song. Of course her work is placed ultimately where it will do the most good, but it isn't given the close attention the men can pay to their own screeds.

Despite these handicaps, however, the writings of women song makers are growing more popular with each succeeding year, and it is only a question of a little while when their work will stand on an equally sound footing with the ditties of the men.>>>>

Love to dig into those old newspapers. Plenty of interesting points of view... ;-D

[Free For All]

Written by Howard Reich's great great grandfather?

[AllenLowe]

well, in that case his Grandfather was the Third Reich.

[A Lark Ascending]

Good god...it's 40 years since Joni Mitchell knocked every male songwriter off the board! For a time, anyway!

Edited June 25, 2010 by Bev Stapleton

[AllenLowe]

let's not forget Dorothy Fields.

[A Lark Ascending]

Just realised...1907!

Whoops!