During the summer of 2016, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to take the course "Women in Music" taught by the fabulous Dr. Jewel Smith.  I most enjoyed this course because of my classmates.  I was able to learn about music in a classroom of just five students all from different backgrounds and majors, none of whom were music majors.  

In summary the course was a chronological timeline beginning with the first records of a woman participating in music. The course began with Hildegard von Bingen, and Dr. Smith took me on a journey all the way to modern times, pointing out a woman's role in music through every century.  It was fascinating learning about all of the female musicians throughout the centuries that did not receive the credit in history books like their male counterparts.  I specifically found Nannerl Mozart's story interesting.  Everyone knows her brother, Wolfgang Mozart, as the musical legend, but little people know of his equally as talented sister, Nannerl.  

Additionally throughout the semester, guest speakers visited my class and shared their experiences as being a female in the music industry.  I personally enjoyed hearing the story of a female music conductor and hearing her struggles and success as a female conductor.  Overall, I am overwhelmed with the amount of information I learned about a variety of musical genres and the brave females who bulldozed the path to the female presence in the music industry.