{Bonus Episode} Teaching Women Music Technology [Part 1] Why Have We Failed (So Far)?

Send us Fan Mail

“Surely if women *really* wanted to record and produce music, they’d just get on with it like their male peers, right?” Well… Sadly it’s not that simple. Today in 2023, women still are considerably outnumbered on music production programmes and in recording studios and are less likely to learn through free online resources, like YouTube, compared to their male contemporaries.

It’s true that women, in theory, aren’t banned from taking part in these spaces. So, inside this BONUS podcast episode Isobel explores why the problem might not be lack of access. Instead, could it be a culture that lacks an inclusive approach? If so, what culture would enable women to better learn and thrive with music technology?

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
{0:00} Intro
{07:47} How most music tech spaces have traditionally operated
{19:55} Episode Summary

Grab your spot on Isobel’s FREE Live masterclass ‘5 Simple Steps to Record Your Music from Home’ >>

[So they are easier to navigate, these references are not academically formatted]

• Annenberg Inclusion Initiative – Inclusion in the Recording Studio? >>
• Music Teacher Magazine –Only a quarter of A Level Music Technology students are female >>
• House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee Misogyny in Music Inquiry >>
• Written evidence from the Music Producer’s Guild >>
• Technology and the Gendering of Music Education >>
• ‘Women in Audio: contributions and challenges in music technology and production’ >>

---------------------------------------------------

Girls Twiddling Knobs has ended, but you can stay connected to Isobel's artistic work here.

Girls Twiddling Knobs was hosted by Isobel Anderson and produced by Isobel Anderson and Jade Bailey from Nov 2020-Jan 2026 and will remain live on all major podcast platforms throughout 2026. 

We are grateful to the British Library who have archived the podcast in their Sound and Vision Collection.

Learn more about the Girls Twiddling Knobs legacy here.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Explore more episodes here.

Listen on Spotify.