A Girl and Her Decks—The Plight of the Female DJ
Most electronic hipsters can name at least one female DJ, but nevertheless, the turntable-fueled portion of the music industry remains a male-dominated world. The question bears asking—is this imbalanced gender ratio present because less women are interested in hitting the decks, or does the dreaded discrimination continue to reign?
Across all DJ genres, it’s apparent that whatever your opinion, the landscape is improving. More women are hitting the airwaves and stages than a decade ago, and while this is an outward improvement, many female DJ’s still say they’ve got a long way to go. It seems the MTV-syndrome of hot or not has definitely taken over—if you’re at a club, watching a lady-mixer , say, Sandra Collins, you’re not just admiring her spinning, you’re also ogling her sexy outfit That sexy label is tough to break and many women choose to embrace rather than battle it because, let’s face it, it gets them gigs.
The inspiration to become a DJ, regardless of gender or background, seems to be universal. Melissa Marriott, an old-school Drum and Bass DJ with an impressive list of appearances and credentials, says, like so many, it all began on the dance floor. “When I started going to raves, not everyone and their kid brother was a DJ like [like they are] now. There was still a bit of mystery and celebrity with being a DJ.” She went on to play for seven years, favoring a jazz-inspired style that often included a saxophonist and vocalist. But the real motivation was watching the crowd. “Being able to make people rock out is the best feeling in the world.”
But whether or not these girls really know how to rock, does the discrimination really impact their careers or can their gender actually be a benefit? For Rebecca Sin, a well-known LA-based Techno DJ, being a woman is a good thing, “It is definitely something that has helped me out everywhere I have lived and played. In an industry that is mostly male-driven, being a female makes you stand out quite a bit more.” It’s true the world loves to look at a pretty woman, so many promoters book a female DJ simply because they’re a novelty. This can be frustrating for a woman who wants to be known for her worth, not her hormones. Says Marriott, “When I first started out I did feel some discrimination. There were maybe 5-10 female Drum and Bass DJ’s in regular circulation then. I often felt like a sideshow act.” She says proving her worth every time was a necessity. But that’s not exactly a warm welcome.
Then there’s the matter of the all-girl shows—are these an excellent showcase of talented women or another girls-on-parade display? Marriott chooses to avoid them. “I think its great that some girls out there powwow together to support themselves but that was never my angle. I would always be asked to play ‘girl shows’ which I continuously refused to play because I felt it took away from the music and made my being a chick some sort of gimmick to sell tickets to a show.” On the other hand, it’s hard to know whether the promoter and clubber’s motivation is exploitive, or just plain supportive. That’s the problem with this scene—the answer to both questions is often yes and yes. A female DJ accepting a gig has to weigh her options. As Marriott says, “If someone wants to put me on their lineup to push ticket sales, I would hope that they’d do so because I could rock a show not because I was a girl to stare at. I think as time has gone on, its gotten much better. But I’ve never wanted to be someone’s favorite ‘girl DJ,’ I want to be someone’s favorite DJ. Period.”
The genre of music can dictate the tone of the atmosphere. For Susan Davis, a 1960’s and 70’s Garage, Beat, and Soul DJ, gender discrimination hasn’t been an issue. “Because the music I DJ is so specialized I rarely have any conflicts with gender.” Yet this isn’t an across-the-board declaration. “I do find that when going to music festivals where they have DJ’s between bands there are never any female DJ’s. [And] when I’m setting up at a club I haven’t DJ’d at before, I’ve had sound guys treat me like I don’’t know what I’m doing.” But once they have proven themselves, these women find it’s just not a major issue to fret over. Fortunately, discrimination, wherever present, is surmountable. And their success is living proof. Davis’ calendar is full at least three times a month for house parties, club gigs, and similar paying events, so she’s clearly on the path to success.
What about the notion of ageism? Are women rejected based on a fake-ID or a few eye wrinkles? Rebecca Sin found her age to be a huge benefit. “I started playing out when I was 19. Being a female and [being] so young definitely helped me stand out. The only thing that was negative was the fact that most of my friends who were also my age couldn’t come and hear me play since most of the clubs were 21 and over.” Mariott says being on the other end of the age spectrum is a selling point too. “With drum and bass there’s a long history of “big upping” the original artists. The older you are and the longer you’ve been in it is actually a benefit. Being older and having paid your dues for years is worth far more then being young and fresh.” Davis has a different, but equally unconcerned, point of view. This 37-year-old mixer doesn’t find age to be an issue. “Clubs are dark and people never guess my age so I’ve never encountered ageism.”
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These days, it seems the real challenge for female DJ’s isn’t about discrimination, but having enough time. It’s rare that a woman has a family and a club-based career. Anne Lit, a long-time KCRW radio DJ, is about to take the plunge, and will stay on the airwaves as a mom. But for most, having a child means succumbing to a career change. It’s even hard to maintain a relationship, as DJing can require significant travel, as well as the constant search for new tunes and endless practice sessions. Melissa Marriott says she became known as the “queen of the disco-nap” because her schedule kept her up all hours of the day. An hour here or there to sleep was commonplace. Rebecca Sin agrees. “Currently, the most challenging aspect of my career is that I’ve been traveling for work pretty much constantly since May.”
Fear over discrimination should not stop a woman from pursuing a career in the DJ realm, it’s more than possible to succeed, if you’ve got the drive and talent. The biggest sacrifice doesn’t seem to be about dignity, but a matter of balancing the rest of life’s rewards. Marriott knows that best. She recently left the DJ world to focus on the rest of her life, not because she couldn’t maintain both, but because she knew it was time for a change. “I never had a relationship for longer than a few months until I stopped DJing. I finally ended up getting on Match.com to find a man outside of the scene and have been with him for the last year,” evidence that there’s always the possibility for a happy ending,you just have to know what you’re looking for and how bad you want it. DJing can indeed be all-consuming, whether you’re a man or a woman, but if you find the right balance, you can have it all.
Author's biography:
Tina M. Courtney, aka PoetKitty, is a full-time writer who’s written for dozens of online and offline publications. This 31-year-old Gemini is a regular in the LA nightlife scene, with a special flair for dance floors and testing menus. She needs DJ throw-downs and life-affirming live music events in equal doses. When she’s not dining, dancing, and/or writing, you’ll find her throwing popcorn, working with a shaman in the Amazon, trying to get on a jury, or jumping out of an airplane. Her first novel, “Precious Things”, will be published this winter.
