Cindy Blackman
From the time I was 10 until I was around 18, I played the drums. At my middle school, we didn’t just play the drums, though, we were trained in all sorts of percussion instruments: xylophones, crash cymbals, timpani drums, bells and even castanets and maracas. I really loved it, but what I loved the most is that I was the only girl in my section of the school band…and I got a lot of props from other girls for it. They were impressed that I managed to hold my own in a traditionally male-dominated section.
While I’m sure times have certainly changed, I know that establishing confidence and sisterhood in and through music is still a challenging endeavor. One organization that continues to meet the need of empowering young women through musical expression is the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. They just finished up another successful summer season of bringing hundreds of girls together to find their voices through instruments, voices and even turntables.
Props to Willie Mae for showing girls how to rock out!!! *pumping fist in the air*
Hmm, I wonder if I had stuck with it (kinda hard to do at an all-girls high school), if I could have grown up to be next Cindy Blackman, Lenny Kravitz’ badass girl drummer (see pic above)…? Nah, maybe I’d be more like Sheila E.! I have always wanted to play the congas and timbales…there’s still time 🙂
Sheila E.
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