Uneven Playing Field? a Study of Female Representation in Professional Brass Playing

Abstract

This research project will look at the frequency of professional female brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba) players compared to other sections of orchestras. Prior to conducting the research, my null hypothesis is that there should not be a significant difference in number of female vs. male brass instrumentalists except for the French Horn section. I will collect data on orchestra rosters from the websites of the top 20 symphony orchestras in Gramophone Magazine’s 2008 poll of music critics and analyze any significant difference in the gender of personnel from a psychological, cultural, and physiological perspective.