"We Shall Go Forth": A Musical Analysis of the Women's Music Movement, 1969-1985

Abstract

In the wake of the social and political movements that defined the 1960s, the women’s music movement emerged as a means to cultivate an outlet for young lesbian musicians who saw themselves as equal to their straight male counterparts, but were unwilling to compromise their musical integrity in order to perform on major labels. The movement became a social experience, as women’s music artists would tour coffee shops, college campuses, and feminist bookstores to perform their woman-identified woman music to all-female audiences. The concerts eventually grew into larger events, such as the National Women’s Music Festival and the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, which offered women of myriad backgrounds a safe space to gather as friends, family, and lovers. Within this cultural movement were musicians Margie Adam, Meg Christian, Alix Dobkin, Kay Gardner, Holly Near, Linda Tillery, Mary Watkins, and Cris Williamson. Together they created a soundtrack for lesbians throughout the 1970s. There was no unifying genre to the music produced during this movement. Some women were folk singer-songwriters, while others were classically trained musicians and composers. Their experiences were eclectic, and often encompassed other social and political causes of the decade. Many songs dealt with the topic of sexual identity. Some were anti-war anthems, while others explored non-western cultures and the medicinal power of music. It is because the music of this movement has not been analyzed in previous discussions of this topic that these pieces require attention. This dissertation surveys a selection of songs from each of the eight artists listed above during the period from 1969-1985. These pieces demonstrate the diverse output of this movement. They are also indicative of a variety of influences, which can be linked to mainstream popular artists and classical composers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.