BY JAZMIN EALDEN
The field of classical music has long been dominated by men. For classical saxophonists, this is amplified by the history of the instrument: designed by a man, developed in conjunction with male composers of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, advanced through the support of institutions led by male pedagogues, and sustained by a rigid circuit of male concert soloists.
This doesn’t leave much to the imagination when it comes to identifying the root cause of our current predicament.
Renowned saxophone brand Henri Selmer Paris recently released a promotional video for its new model of saxophone. The Selmer Supreme has been hailed as the next big thing in the saxophone world, even self-defined by the company on its Facebook post as “the best saxophone ever made”. Boasting an impressive list of endorsements and testimonials, the marketing team at Selmer clearly knows how to pull together a marketing campaign.
Unfortunately for women who play saxophone, the list is about as inclusive as the industry we’ve come to know and exist in. Not a single woman is showcased among the saxophonists.
Not one.
Yet, Selmer horns are played around the world by thousands of highly successful and esteemed female soloists – including countless emerging artists and budding musicians who have saved for years just to purchase an esteemed Selmer-branded horn.
So why the lack of inclusion in the promotional material? Surely it makes sense for Selmer to strive for inclusive representation to best reflect the wide-ranging demographics of its customer base.
When I emailed Selmer with my disappointment and feedback, I was met with what I perceived as an apathetic, reluctant acknowledgment. To me, this became evidence that diversity is seen as a task so challenging, marketing managers instead choose to represent what they know best: men. This begs the question, then, is Selmer only interested in reaching a specific portion of its buyers’ market? Or is the priority to look after existing friends and networks?
The response to Selmer’s marketing campaign has been met with mixed response on social media (full post below). Many shared similar sentiments on Facebook, commenting publicly with frustration about the lack of inclusivity:
“As a woman who plays saxophone, I’m offended and confused by why you’d only target your non gendered instrument to one gender? Hope it affects your sales negatively until you release a more inclusive advertisement!!”
“For a company with a plethora of incredibly diverse artists on their roster, this oversight is inexcusable.”
“I’m very disappointed to see barely any diversity in this video. In the whole 7 minutes of footage could you not even get one female player in? Saxophone is a non-gendered instrument yet you’re only advertising it with men!”
“Such a beautiful instrument. Can female players not play as well? Why none here? Shame.”
It is particularly reassuring to witness men from within those circles publicly coming forward to comment and share their thoughts, as could also be seen on Facebook in response to Selmer’s video post:
“Serious ‘boys club’ video you’ve got there. Zero representation of female saxophonists. You have a responsibility to do much better than that.”
“A whole 7 minutes of film and they couldn’t get a hold of at least one of the many brilliant women who can play sax? Disappointed to say the least.”
These comments demonstrate that support clearly exists within the saxophone community.
The allyship shown by those who cannot directly relate to discrimination is a significant and valuable contribution to dismantling sexist behaviours.
The overarching issue of gender discrimination runs rampant – and further afield than such an oversight from the marketing department at Selmer Paris. The classical saxophone community is rife with inequality in programming, competitions, and masterclass opportunities, to name just a few.
One example is the recently announced jury of the 2021 Andorra Saxophone Festival Competition. As one of the most highly regarded saxophone competitions around the world, it is blatantly clear that diversity representation appears fairly low on their priority list: out of nine invited artists who form this year’s open section jury, there are no women.
Examples like these speak volumes about the commitment to diversity, or lack thereof, by the very organisations we should be relying on to implement change.
Fellow saxophonist and educator Jessica Voigt Page shared similar thoughts online. She explains on her Facebook page (republished here with permission):
“[c]areers are built through having opportunity to perform, present, teach, judge, in marketing campaigns, through invitations, etc. When those invitations are only offered to the same group of people, and those people “don’t realise” it, or only notice the issue after the fact (as Selmer has clearly done), the cycle will continue.”
Such a cycle continues to reward the same select saxophonists at the top of the saxophone pyramid. The circuit of regulars have undoubtedly worked extremely hard to get to where they are, but the apparent lack of acknowledgement about their privilege is problematic. Don’t get me wrong, the people themselves can’t be blamed exclusive of their environment: they are operating within a system that perpetuates this cyclic pattern of gender-based discrimination. Unfortunately for everyone else, though, they also happen to have the most power and potential for change through their international reputations and networks, and support from established institutions.
This power imbalance prevents people like me from speaking out about this in fear of being excluded from future opportunities. Yet, I find myself writing this anyway, because if I don’t, who will? And if these thoughts are not shared, then surely our very existence is thrown into question.
The importance of this issue supersedes anything else. Why do we, as women who play saxophone, endure rigorous and expensive tertiary-level training only to be inevitably cast aside for our male counterparts? Why dedicate our lives to a pathway that is blocked before we even have a chance to try? It’s time to hold those in positions of power accountable for their responsibility to do better. If not for us, then for our students, and for the generations of women who play saxophone to come.
Jazmin Ealden is a Perth-based performer and researcher specialising in contemporary-classical saxophone. Visit jealdenmusic.com to learn more about the saxophonist.
UPDATE: 10 March 2021
After receiving widespread negative response to gender imbalance in its video campaign, Conn-Selmer Inc. posted the following apology to its Facebook page:
This blog was first published on Jazmin’s website before its submission to CutCommon and has been edited for house style.
Disclaimer: All comments that respond to the video and have been quoted in this story are publicly visible. The writers’ opinions are their own and may not necessarily reflect those of their associated organisations, workplaces, or the publication.
