Coming to USF this past semester, I was excited to get involved in the local music scene. 

I stumbled upon Music Makers of USF, a club dedicated to providing resources to musicians and giving them a place to jam.

I attended the meetings each week and grew closer with the students on the board. Before I knew it, I was crowned the new event manager.

Embracing the local music scene has been a great experience. There is community, memorable shows and I love supporting USF and local musicians. 

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But it has also opened my eyes to one glaring observation which has been bugging me since becoming involved – there are quite a lot of men. Especially performing. 

It is particularly something I have noticed when looking to book bands and artists to play shows.

Now, I know, the fact that young people are making music is great no matter who they are. But men in music are a dime a dozen. And to be honest, I’m sick of seeing mostly them on stage. 

Women and, often young women, are not taken as seriously in the scene, whether they are performing or in other professions. And the lack of representation perpetuates a discriminatory and toxic climate. 

It makes it harder for women and other identities to break into the scene and be regarded with the same respect as men. 

“I’ve had a lot of experiences where I have been ignored,” said Ashley Griffith, a USF alumna. “I’ve been treated poorly even though I am a professional just like everybody else in the room. It’s definitely a misogynistic thing, not just because people are rude.”

Griffith is also the former event manager of Music Makers and singer and bassist of Jupiter Bloom. 

Almost every woman I know has a story about being disrespected by a man at a show, both performers and attendees. 

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It can be as little as the annoying “name three songs” comments about your band shirt to the arrogant sound tech who tells you to “lighten up” or the tall sweaty guy who keeps “accidentally” touching you in the pit.

Unfortunately, these behaviors are not uncommon for women to experience in the music scene. They often lead to feeling ostracized from what should be a welcoming community. 

Gabrielle Calise, a culture reporter at the Tampa Bay Times, recalls moments of her own dealing with these toxic male attitudes. 

“Even when I was a teenager, I had a press pass like everyone else, but then grown men whack the side of my head because they want to be standing where I’m standing,” Calise said. “You just kind of have to look out for that and expect it.”  

However, there are many local and nearby organizations who understand the importance of representation and inclusive spaces that offer freedom to escape from unsupportive environments. 

Girls Rock St. Pete is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building an inclusive community. They offer a platform to showcase voices who are underrepresented in music. 

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“I think that’s kind of the beauty of having an inclusive space,” said Calise, who formed the band Hex Appeal at a Ladies Rock Camp run by Girls Rock St. Pete last year. “No one’s going to make us feel less than, or like we don’t belong there.”

I would love for the music community to be genuine in their acceptance of differences in the scene, both on and off the stage. It is critical to open arms and ears to those who may not always get to hold the microphone. 

“I think it’s really important that women are represented in the scene as role models for the next generation, our generation and people who have been scared to do music as a career,” Griffith said.

To those who are thinking about picking up an instrument and trying it out, this is your sign. 

Get together with your friends and finally form that band you have been half joking about.