Sara Grey and I did a song styles workshop in a Cornwall (Eng) festival a couple of years ago and a big discussion came up about how women get ignored in a group if they try to lead a song. One woman said that when a woman sings, people tend not to pay attention, talk over her, etc....but when a man gets up to sing, everyone quiets down. We got a whole lot of agreement from other women in the workshop about that.

Finally one woman said she was a teacher, and when she walks into her classroom, she assumes a "mantle of authority." Her students quiet down and pay attention. She pointed out that if you behave as if you'll be respected, know your material, and just DO it, the room WILL stop chattering and listen. We thought that was brilliant! Not the quality or volume of the singer's voice that mattered most, but confidence. Mantle of authority--I love it. What a great thing to wear at gigs!

Joan