Last week we went to see The Who (I have thing for guitars generally). We also saw Johnny Marr and Paul Weller. All this got us talking about the Top 100 guitar players of all time. Obviously, all the lists are different, but they agree on one thing, there are not a lot of women rated as great guitar players. Then last week, we went to the Maverick festival (a broad spectrum of blues, blue grass and americana music). In short, there were quite a few women there, and they absolutely killed it, especially compared to the guys (more on that later). So its not like there are not women out there who are truly great musicians.... so why so few in the Top 100 Greatest Guitar players? The thing is, its not just that. Why so few women on the Boards of large companies? Why so few judges? Why so few great scientists? Basically, why so few "great" women? What have we been doing with our time? Lol When my husband wants to get "the look", he says its because we are not as talented. We both know that's not true. Obviously, its complicated. Some of it is opportunity or ambition or expectations or good old fashioned sexism. Some of it has to do with the women as the centre of the family. Perhaps becoming mothers is not compatible with epic guitar playing... Some of that is true too. Jules thinks it has to do with something else; he thinks women are not so obsessive, meaning they are less likely to sit in their rooms for the hours required to be a genius. I am not sure about that - more likely just too busy doing a lot of other stuff.

But anyway back to the amazing women at Maverick. Not only were the women incredible musicians, they were just themselves. Some were demure, and some were tattooed, some were young and some were old(er). Not a single one of those women dressed for the men, or to some stereotype idea of a Barbie doll come WAG. If I had a daughter, I would have been saying "Be like that, be the person you want to be". Be fat, be thin, be straight, or gay, wear too much makeup or none at all. Work in an office or play in a band. I don't care, just do it for yourself. And if you want to be Chairman of the Board or the top guitar player of all time, do that too. Its just that a few other things might have to give... but that's just life.

Not a single women