The difference between men and women in the music industry

“I’m now a session musician, but I used to play with a band that signed to a major label. After shows, our band’s team of people would come up to us. To the guys they would say how they sounded great, but to me it’s always, “You look great.” I never got any acknowledgement for my craft. I would be told to wear certain things, dress a certain way, like wear dresses and not wear pants. I would walk backstage and get slapped on the ass by our agent and told I look like a schoolgirl. It was a bummer and why I don’t do it anymore.”

As a musician, I am only concerned with my performance and never judged by my appearance. To imagine myself considered as merely an embellishment to the final product into what I put my soul seems unfulfilling and fruitless. Each day I become more aware of how I disregard women as actual people, and I am working to be more conscious when I’m with them.

To even think the people who’d be representing me would have that kind of personal control over me and my body would tear me to shreds. If I was a woman I would feel helpless and probably snap on him. My heart breaks for this woman. My purpose is that each man can read this and see what they will never experience and what women experience daily.

A companion essay to the Beautiful Army story: http://beautiful.army/post/143921066631/im-now-a-session-musician-but-i-used-to-play.