Increasing the Volume: The Creative Diversity and Future Visions of Female Electroacoustic Composers in Australia

Abstract

Current data shows a striking lack of visibility for female composers in electroacoustic history, Australian tertiary institutions, and in the public eye. Combined with a lack of female composers in positions of influence, this creates barriers to promotion, funding, employment opportunities, and inhibits the ability of music technology students to access their creative insights. “Increasing the Volume” addresses this lack of visibility by examining how female electroacoustic composers approach their craft, and discovering ways to position their works more prominently throughout the industry, to the benefit of the composers and the wider music community. Interviews with four Australian composers revealed that, while personal perspectives toward gender issues varied, the need for accessible networks and visible female role models to encourage diverse artistic thought was acknowledged unanimously. The composers discussed barriers to female involvement in the Australian electroacoustic scene, and made recommendations to remedy these barriers. The interviews provided examples of the breadth of approaches of female composers in this genre, working to counter the essentialist notion of a singular female electroacoustic voice which is exacerbated through the current lack of representation. “Increasing the Volume” thus delivers current insights into the individualistic process of electroacoustic composition, and highlights further ways to facilitate female composer participation in Australia and the world.