Daughter says musical instruments are for men in pop music - how do I prove her wrong?

[mids2019]

My daughter play a the guitar and electric guitar.

I was trying to think of really good female electric guitar players to act as role models and actually struggled (my bad). Men however, Clapton, Hendrix, Marr etc. The list goes on. In fact when I watch bands it always seems to be be men on supporting instruments generally.

Modern pop music seems to equate women with good looks/sex appeal/ singing and there isn't much variation. Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter , Arianna Grande, Tate McRae etc. etc. However the more heavy weight bands in pop cukture, The Beatles, Stones, Queen, Bowie are all male.

I am now seeing classical music as the genre where you have true gender equality and opportunities so I am trying to get my daughter to see at least a classical concert for this reason (as well as the music being brilliant). Am I wrong in this view??

Go and watch Six the musical. It’s all women! Also a fab show.

Beth Hart
Cherisse Osei, drummer in Simple Minds
Robyn Haycock, drummer in Stone Broken
Samantha Fish

You should look at country music if you want to see women and instruments.

Just here to repeat St Vincent, Wet Leg and The Last dinner Party as recent examples.

Madonna has played the guitar on stage.

I think you will find that most of the major contemporary young female pop stars, including those you mentioned in your original post, play instruments and write or co-write all of their songs. I think it is very unfair and untrue to characterise them as style over substance.
As well as the remarkable Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Charli XCX, Gigi Perez and Lola Young are all extremely talented musicians as well as singers and songwriters and all have had huge top 10 chart hits this year, and that's just off the top of my head, now is a great time for women in pop music.

My DD is into more alternative stuff. Check out

The Last Dinner Party
Lime Garden
This is the Kit

All involve fantastic female musicians.

Izzy Hale in Halestorm plays guitar.

I took electric guitar and acoustic guitar lessons in the 90s couldn't find anyone to play with. Was really a boys domain. I would encourage her to find other females with similar music tastes as it is fun but needs others to develop. Imo anyway. If you are a talented songwriter as taylor swift it's prob different.

Haim are amazing and play just about everything.

Another vote for Wet Leg.

I’d also suggest Atarashii Gakko and First Aid Kit.

I wish I had appreciated when younger what a good bass guitarist can do.

The Last Dinner Party is pretty much an all female band (they have been using a male session drummer).

First Aid Kit is one of my favourite bands - they play their own instruments.

Except for the many many performances she's played her guitar live since she started out at 16? 🥴

There aren't that many male musicians in the current pop charts either to be fair, for every Ed Sheeran there's a female like Gracie. Bands are a bit different as although there are some incredible women, there aren't that many hugely popular bands in mainstream pop charts. You've listed some decades old male bands, but whilst trying to suggest females in music aren't as good really, left out the swathes of boy bands that dominated the charts for many years.

they do all play instruments and having being to quite a few concerts they certainly showcase it there. Just asked DD and she said of course they do it is easier to write songs if you are on the piano/guitar
Taylor Swift Eras tour and Sabrina Carpenter are both on Disney+ and certainly will show them as well

has she been wants to go to any concert - Gracie Abrams one I went too when she did a song just on her guitar was hauntingly beautiful and nepotism aside she is growing now from singing at nightclubs in the UK to the 02 although her dad probably does help she very much does a lot which just playing her guitar which can only help

Get her to watch the Glasto footage on bbc iPlayer. Loads of amazing female musicians to watch. Off the top of my head there are sets from The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, First Aid Kit, Kim Deal. James has a female guitarist, I'm pretty sure Paul Heaton has too.
Hole
Elastica
The White Stripes (drums not guitar)
The Bangles
Chrissie Hynde
Watching Lizzo play the flute is mesmerising.
The wonderful female keyboardists in Pulp and New Order.
The Pet Shop Boys have a phenomenal female backing musician.
There are so many more out there!

Taylor Swift
Kim Deal
Courtney Love

Although not wrong to also get her to see a classical music concert as well! I will ask DD who is coming through as the nightclub/smaller venue (for us Hammersmith) are better and Gracie Abrams/Tate McCrae are both 02 next (just) year and Maisie Peters is Hyde Park. Eras was phenomenal spectacle but the smaller concerts are better IMO

Only one of them was born after 1950. (John Deacon born 1951).

Haim definitely...amazing musicians!

Phoebe Bridgers plays guitar (plus Sarah and Julien - the other members of Boygenius).
Fiona Apple (classically trained on piano).
PJ Harvey plays guitar.
Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs plays keyboards and guitar.

CMAT plays the guitar

Miranda lambert - guitar (her group pistol Annie's also play instruments)
Elle King - banjo/guitar/piano
Adele plays instruments
Meg white - drums
Courtney love - guitar
Kim deal has been mentioned but I adore her
Lindsey Stirling is an incredibly talent violin player who did work with sabrina carpenter

She isn't wrong in the observation that bands, especially bands from several decades ago were mostly boys clubs. Probably literally, many starting as a group of friends, and coopting new members as necessary based on personal relationships.

Women had less opportunities in that setup, combined with touring musician's life being harder on women who wanted family - I'm not saying it would be easy on fathers, but that the obstacles are bigger for mothers, which means that only the very top successful ones find a way, but the peloton level ones give up.

I suppose The Corrs are a good example of a successful band.

The Slits

Tal Wilkenfield.
Very talented bass and guitarist.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tal_Wilkenfeld