//////////////////////////////////////// a comprehensive guide on how to rock
lauren larson / ume
At what age did you start playing/what instrument did you play?
I began playing guitar around age 12 or 13.
Were you self taught or did you take lessons?
I was completely self-taught on guitar, though I did take piano lessons for 8 years.
Was there a specific event/band/person/etc that made you want to start playing?
My older brother and Nirvana were my initial inspirations. One afternoon I picked up my brother’s guitar, opened a book of tabs, and began plucking the opening riff of ‘Come as You Are.’
What was your first band/musical experience? What did you sound like, what were you called, and how was that experience?
At age 14 I began playing guitar with a punk-inspired grindcore/hardcore band called Twelve Blades. Our songs ranged from 10 second thrash assaults to politically charged dirges. The music was wild, but I was totally still when performing and completely focused on the movements of my fingers. We played with some great bands like Rainer Maria and Braid early in their careers, as well as with the grindcore legends Spazz. In the mid 90’s these shows were DIY and all-ages, generally taking place in community centers and skate-parks. At the time, I think I took for the granted the opportunities we had. Looking back is always a good reminder of the power of music and community, and I feel fortunate to have started playing in bands before ever hearing of a "press campaign."
Did you encounter any problems with being taken seriously when you first started out and do you feel any of your initial struggles had to deal with/were intensified by your gender? Also, do you still encounter some of those same issues? If not, are there any that you deal with now?
When I first started out, I really wanted to be respected as a guitarist and not seen as a “girl” guitarist. I found though that sometimes it was hard to be seen as a musician at all. In my mid teens I was checking out a wall of guitars at a music shop. The sales guy approached me with the words, “Lots of pretty colors, huh.” Around that same time, a man at one of our shows heard I was in a band and then asked if I was the dancer. Other guys would come up to me on stage and tell me how to “properly” set up my pedals.
Even after playing 13+ years, I frequently encounter the expectation that a woman performer is to be seen as a spectacle rather than a talented musician. I’m consistently told by folks that they had really low expectations when they saw me setting up my equipment on stage. I think they generally intend such statements to be “compliments.” Even after a recent show, a woman asked to speak with me “off the record.” She leaned close to my ear and whispered that I could admit to her "off the record" that I wasn't really playing guitar on stage. She asked did I have a tape running? Was the sound emitted from those pedals I was clicking?
I’ve also encountered blatant sexism, such as statements like, “A girl really could never be a great guitar player because girls’ hands aren’t big enough.” This same guy went on to say that a woman couldn’t be a great drummer because women don’t have the strength or stamina. I have also often read, in reference to my own vocals and to those of other female vocalists, that a woman who screams, has a gruff/edgier voice, or shows any amount of aggression is “sexually-frustrated” or “strung-out.”
What are your favorite things about performing?
Playing my guitars is my favorite activity. I’m generally very self-conscious, and while I’m still quite nervous talking in the mic between songs, I try to embrace a sense of freedom when performing. I also enjoy the chance to surprise the audience.
What advice would you give to girls/women who want to start playing?
I always try to remind myself of Virginia Woolf’s advice not to think about the critics, but think only of the jump – moving forward and overcoming your fears. You don’t have to have the “perfect voice;” there is no certain way you “should look;” and there’s no particular way you “should sound.” Find your own voice, your own style, your own sound. And have fun!
As far as technical advice, wear earplugs at concerts and learn some basic stretches for your hands and forearms! I’ve encountered tendonitis from over-playing, and I wish I had begun stretching much earlier in my career.
What are some of your favorite female bands or musicians?
Bjork, Nina Simone, Bellafea, Kim Gordon, Kazu Makino, Bikini Kill, Stevie Nicks, Le Tigre, Karen Carpenter, Janis Joplin, Feist, Cat Power, Alice Coltrane, Electrelane, The Konki Duet, Nico, Regina Spektor, Sleater-Kinney, Sara Lund, Team Dresch, Karen O, The Little Bicycles.
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