PEORIA MAGAZINE October 2022

sports teams, but fewer than 300,000 (7.4%) were girls. Then came Title IX. Over the next 47 years, while the nation’s population grew by 60%, participation in high school sports more than doubled. By pre-pandemic 2018-19, participation by girls had increased more than sixfold, to 42.9%. “We can strive to be better, but it’s going to take work,” said Mindylu Wat kins, a veteran singer-songwriter with two college degrees in music, national experience as a singer and a recently released album, “Tuesday’s Child.” “It’s going to be a constant journey because times and generations change. You can’t get complacent. You can take a break to recharge, but you have to keep the wheel turning and the dialogue going. “Your car is always going to need fuel. Your flowers will always need to be watered. Our bodies need vitamins and sleep. We have to look at this the same way.” Kolb, the promoter, is committed to increasing the size of the live music pie – and the share of it that women artists get. He recently worked with Bradley University to establish the Doris K. Kolb Women in Music Concert Series at Dingledine Music Center to honor the memory of his mother, a chemist who spent her life breaking new ground for women and setting a standard for her three sons to live up to. “Mymother brought three Nobel Prize winners to lecture at Bradley,” Kolb said. “I want to bring Grammy winners, women of such stature and talent that my mother would enjoy the show. “I don’t need to create another date for a popular guy band. That won’t make Peoria more interesting. More opportunities for female artists will make this community amore interesting and better place.”

Sydney Meuth and the Grey Governors playing at Cathy’s Cue and Brew in Chillicothe

could anyone base my musical ability, or mymom’s … on physical appearance? It’s infuriating.” Other challenges are more subtle. There’s “The Look” – the smirk directed at the woman with the electric guitar from that guy thinking, “Yeah, right, no way you can shred.” Or “The Comment” – where the woman wearing a Metallica T-shirt gets confronted by a dude who says, “Name me three of their songs.” Victoria Allen is 21 years old. A finalist in the 2021 Heart of Illinois Fair talent show, Allen performs amix of pop tunes, but her favorite genre is Tejano. Her style and enthusiasm get people in the audience out of their seats and dancing. There are exceptions, however. After a recent set, a woman approached her and said, “You need to sing in English. This is America.” The racism of the comment was self evident. Sexist? Ask yourself: Would that critic make the same demand of a white guy singing “La Bamba”? The comment shook Allen. “I get a little nervous when it comes to asking (venues) about a gig,” she said. “I feel like once they find out I sing some songs in Spanish, they’re not going to want me.” BUILDING A SUPPORT NETWORK This past spring, Dillard founded the Peoria Music Community Women’s Cooperative. The group meets the fourth Sunday of each month at rotating locations. More than 40 women participate, from teens to octogenarians, and all women are welcome. (Email smdillard@gmail.com for more information.) Dillard’s vision is to get beyond anger by sharing information and providing

support, mentorship and networking opportunities. “At our July meeting, we discussed the topic of how much to charge for a gig,” said Rosemary Ardner, who teaches music at Dunlap High School and plays violin in local orchestras. She also teams with husband Aaron to play the clubs as Strat & Strad. “We want to be fair and reasonable, but it’s kind of like shooting in the dark. What venues pay shouldn’t be that big a secret,” said Rosemary. “But musicians need to talk openly. If a man knows he was paid more than a woman, it’s a good opportunity for him to confront that inequity.” That spirit of mutual support is at the heart of the cooperative. “I try to be supportive of every mu sician I meet, but specifically other females fronting bands,” Bantz Glavin said. “It’s important … to think of the people who mentored you and then pay that forward. In supporting one another, we are giving opportunity to others and adding musical variety at the same time.” Most of the women in this story spoke of how competition for stage time has hindered their music careers. “Honestly, the biggest obstacles I’ve seen are women who feel threatened by other women,” Reuschel said. “Women have had to fight so hard for a spot that they feel like we only get 5% of the pie and you’re not going to get into my share of the 5%.” “The pie is not that small,” Bantz Glavin said. “The pie is unlimited.” For comparison purposes, look at the growth in sports participation. In the 1971-72 school year, 3.9 million high school students played on school

Kirk Wessler is a former newspaper sports editor who has turned his attention in semi-retirement to a new passion as a singer/songwriter

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