Abeles, Hal. (July 2009) Are musical instrument gender associations a thing?

Journal of Research
in Music Education, 57 (2), 127-139
This article is about gender stereotyping musical instruments. As early as 1978 people have
noticed that sex-based stereotyping can limit the range of music experiences available to both
male and female musicians (Abeles, 2009 p. 127). Multiple studies have been conducted over the
years, ranging from 15-30 years long documenting the changes of sex-based stereotyping
concerning musical instruments. The first study mentioned in the article is a comparison of music
students to non-music students. Both were asked to rate a group of instruments from most
feminine to most masculine and almost everyone in this study gave all the same ratings to the same
instruments. Flutes, violins, and clarinets were rated the most feminine, and drums, trombone, and
trumpet the most masculine. In the second study, 2,001 students from varying stages of learning
(middle school to university) were catalogued by what sex they were and what instrument they
played. The majority of the students conformed to sex-based stereotypes. At the end of the article
they mention that gender-based stereotyping has not really stopped, or decreased, since 1978. It
went from 13% to 17% of girls playing non-conforming instruments.
I believe that gender-stereotyping instruments has been happening for forever, however I do
not believe it is as big an issue as people in this article are making it out to be. Students pick what
instrument they want to play, based on how much they want to play it. Growing up, a lot of my
friends played non-traditional instruments because those just so happened to be the ones they
want to play. I believe now there is a lot more diversity in which gender plays what. After going to
university I have noticed a lot more females playing instruments that are male based and vice
versa. I do believe that it has to get brought up in class, but if a student wants to play a specific
instrument theres nothing stopping them from doing what they want to do.