What is Your Gender?

Iolaus · Post by **Iolaus** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:58 am

Seth wrote:Male and I play in the college Band, I'm the only one >.>;; (Male I mean in Flute Section, first chari though )

Likewise, male & college (returned) though only co-principal, as our first plays piccolo most of the time as well.

When I was in JHS & HS, I was always the only guy, and yes, I got hell for it!

nii_neko · Post by **nii_neko** » Sun May 28, 2006 10:03 am

Hey, have tou ever noticed that about all the guy flutists are 1st chair? There must be something about them that makes them good at the flute.
Oh, by the way I am a female!

crazyaboutflute2393 · Post by **crazyaboutflute2393** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:39 pm

I am a female. The first year I played (in fourth grade), we had one male player, but since then I've never had a male floutist at my school. When I was in honors band, there were two really hot male flute players (I later found out that one of them is in my school district, and I'll see them in high school!

). They were really good flute players.

And even though I'm a girl and have basically never had a male flute player at my school, I kind of know what guys go through. I've been in colorguard for two years, and both years there have been guys in it. People ask me all the time if they're ashamed of it, if they're gay, etc. and it really gets on my nerves because they are my friends and people are so stereotypical! Not exactly the same situation, but I think I get the picture.

Hakaru · Post by **Hakaru** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 2:05 am

currently theres 3 male flutists at my high school

brina · Post by **brina** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:20 am

female. There's only one boy that plays flute in my school. And about 7 girls.

sinebar · Post by **sinebar** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:43 am

Picc_Chick wrote:*points to username* Take a wild guess. lol

And I think there's too many things being thrown at male flute players, I have a friend who gave up the flute because he was being call so many things and so much bs was going on that he had too even though he could beat me in any chair test back then. Shh, don't tell my instructor that But if you've got tallent, then no one should slander things against you just because you're a guy. I mean, they couldn't help being born a guy, and frankly, I think the world just needs to grow up some.

*puts hand on hip and snaps three times in the world's face*

I love being overly dramatic.

The modern flute was invented by a man. And as far as I know mostly men played the flute as well as other musical instruments at the time when it was invented.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:57 am

sinebar wrote:
Picc_Chick wrote:*points to username* Take a wild guess. lol

And I think there's too many things being thrown at male flute players, I have a friend who gave up the flute because he was being call so many things and so much bs was going on that he had too even though he could beat me in any chair test back then. Shh, don't tell my instructor that But if you've got tallent, then no one should slander things against you just because you're a guy. I mean, they couldn't help being born a guy, and frankly, I think the world just needs to grow up some.

*puts hand on hip and snaps three times in the world's face*

I love being overly dramatic.
The modern flute was invented by a man. And as far as I know mostly men played the flute as well as other musical instruments at the time when it was invented.

Actually, throughout most of the last 3 or 4 centuries, the flute was a masculine endeavor. Women were relegated to strings or keyboard instruments. It's only recently that it's become acceptable for women to play the flute.

Sentinel · Post by **Sentinel** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:17 pm

Male

sidekicker · Post by **sidekicker** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:08 pm

flutepicc06 wrote:Actually, throughout most of the last 3 or 4 centuries, the flute was a masculine endeavor. Women were relegated to strings or keyboard instruments. It's only recently that it's become acceptable for women to play the flute.

And I believe the "male flutist=effeminate male" stereotype is mostly of American design. Having come across flutists from all over the world during my lifetime, I have found that the U.S. is pretty much the only place that considers the flute to be an effeminate instrument to play. Happily, that stupid (and largely inaccurate) stereotype seems to be dying a slow death and hopefully will be eliminated altogether at some point as more boys resist being intimidated by some brick-headed band directors into choosing a more "masculine" instrument like trumpet or trombone.

SK

brina · Post by **brina** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:19 pm

In Slovenia there's is the same stereotype. Flutists are mostly women.
I know two male flutist and they are both a sensitive type of men. probably it's just a coincidence.

FLflutist · Post by **FLflutist** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:12 pm

I'm the ONLY male flautist at my school >_<

But that's okay... I'm first chair

(on picc too!!)

And everyone knows me as one of the Drum Majors... not the dude with a ponytail that plays flute.

...now they know me as the dude with a ponytail that flails his arms around during halftime shows at the football games >_<

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:53 am

I really think that the feminine stereotype is a really recent invention. It wasnt until the 40's until women began to audition and win major orchestral positions. Up until that point, flute sections [and entire orchestras] were almost exclusively made up of men.

atoriphile · Post by **atoriphile** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:32 am

I am a male flutist. I also happen to be gay. I wouldn't call myself effeminate, but I am the sensitive type.

The reason I chose the flute (or did it choose me?) was that one of my older cousins played it. She was the only person in my very large extended family that played an instrument. One day she let me try out her flute, and from that moment I was hooked!

There just so happened to have been another male flutist at my school a year ahead of me, so he sort of led the way. We were both accepted into the school's selective Wind Ensemble in 9th grade (the first year we were eligible). Once we got to 11th and 12th grades, we were the top two flutists at the school. I can only guess why this was so. Perhaps we were more dedicated to practicing the flute than the other (female) flutists. Maybe we just had a knack for flute playing. Who knows?

When in school, those who are different than what is conceived "normal" are always picked on. At my school, a male playing the flute was thought of as "normal" (sort of), so I wasn't picked on for that. However, I was made fun of for being in the "smart" classes, wearing "uncool" clothes (I didn't have much fashion sense), and because I wasn't good at sports (I practiced the flute instead!).

My advice? Don't worry about it! Just play the flute!

sidekicker · Post by **sidekicker** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:13 pm

Well said, Atoriphile.

I guess much of the U.S. male-flutist high school experience has to do with what generation one comes from. Mine was the very late 70s to early 80s, in the Bible Belt south, and there was definitely an automatic stigma associated with picking the flute if you were a guy. I didn't really meet the feminine part, and still don't, but they eyebrows of others stayed arched nonetheless. Now, it doesn't seem to be as bad (from what I'm hearing, at least).

And a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my U.S. fellow fluters

SK

*~*flute rocks*~* · Post by ***~*flute rocks*~*** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:55 pm

I am a female. In our band(for marching season since we're broken up into 3 classes the rest of the time), we have 9 flutists, including myself, and we're all girls. I'm 8th chair in marching(because all the upperclassmen are above me

lol.) and in my band class I am second chair.