Female rockers step out

ERIN I. LEWIS/YH Come see Ravenna Michalsen, TC '01, in the flesh.

Although famous female rock stars receive just as much recognition as male musicians after they gain popularity, the voices of women in collegiate indie rock are seldom heard. At Yale, the independent music scene is dominated by men, who have a significant presence on campus among the musically inclined. Many talented women, however, are flying under the musical radar at Yale.

In an attempt to remedy the gender inequality in the independent rock scene (which includes bands and individual performers not affiliated with official University-sponsored musical groups), Ravenna Michalsen, TC '01, has organized the first-ever Yale Women in Rock Festival, which is scheduled to take place on Sat., Apr. 28 at 8 p.m. in the Calhoun Cabaret. The event will feature performances of original music by Michalsen, Hilary Owen, BK '01, Justine Lutterodt, BK '01, Karen Siegel, TD '02, Heather Tyree, BR '02, Allysha Powanda, CC '03, and Erin Coughlin, TD '03. One of Yale's all-female a cappella groups, Flavor, will also perform, singing original music written and arranged by Lutterodt. Musical selections will span a range of genres, delivering enough different sounds to please every musical palette.

Since Yale has no established organization of female rock musicians, many of the women who will be performing in the Women in Rock Festival have never played for a live audience before. As Michalsen noted, this concert "is a chance to get new blood out there and hear different stuff. While there are a lot of bands here, the same ones tend to play a lot, so there is not that much circulation of new sounds and ideas." The festival should help to interrupt the monotony of Yale's music scene, introducing new and talented women to a larger segment of the student body.

Although it is tempting to blame the Yale rock's lack of a significant female presence on discrimination, the causes of the under-representation are most likely more complex. For one, in high school, many teenage boys form bands with their friends, but girls seldom follow suit. The college scene thus suffers from an extension of this teenage mentality.

But even women who have been active in rock music during high school often remain largely underground after they arrive at Yale. Because women have traditionally been only a marginal presence in Yale's indie rock scene, female musicians face the intimidating prospect of breaking through the gender barrier. The lack of an established audience base causes hesitant musicians to remain silent.

The primary reason for the absence of prominent female musicians on campus, however, extends far beyond Yale's ivied walls. As Michalsen remarked, "I don't think Yale actively suppresses women. I think it's part of our culture."

The Yale Women in Rock Festival seeks to take a small step toward giving a musical voice to women. Powanda, one of the performers in the event, has been a singer for her entire life but just recently took up the guitar and began composing her own music. Last fall, Michalsen heard her play during a Just Add Water performance and approached her about performing at the rock festival. Powanda is thrilled to have the opportunity to share her skills with others. A relative newcomer to live performance, she remarked, "I've never played my stuff in front of an audience of more than, say, my mother or a few of my best friends, so being able to finally do so, and being involved in this festival with such an amazing group of women, is very exciting for me. It's an honor to be included in their ranks."

Michalsen, a more seasoned performer, will also play at the Yale Women in Rock Festival. Originally involved in the YSO, the JE and Berkeley orchestras, and various choral organizations, she was drawn into a different scene by a friend, David Slade, TC '01, who recruited her for his band, Uno Dos Vamonos. Over the years, Michalsen has continued to perform with the band, playing at various venues around campus as well as in New York and Boston. In the upcoming festival, however, Michalsen will perform without her band members, as she "wanted solely females in this [event]."

The Women in Rock Festival provides a starting point for female rock musicians to carve out a place for themselves at Yale. It's a small step forward, but a single concert does set a precedent. Michalsen noted, "The whole indie rock scene exists because people want their stuff heard." Hopefully this drive will force Yale's community of talented but hitherto invisible female rock musicians forward into a spotlight for which they are more than ready.

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