The ShadowMusic Web Community

Rosemary wrote, "There seem to be very few women Shadows players and I'd love to make contact with any especially if there are any in Brisbane, Australia.
It would be wonderful to be able to play along with other players when I can play better and it was great to see Jackie performing with the club. I suppose back in the early 60s it was very rare for women to play except for acoustic guitars so it's understandable there are not many women playing Shadows (that I know of anyway from YouTube) but maybe there are some like me who have taken up playing later in life and like to play the music from back then."

I suggested to Rosemary that a thread on the topic in the general section might draw interest. Having a little time tonight, I thought I might start such a thread with this photo, taken in the early 1960s, of an all-girl band The Peppermints. They played mostly Ventures pieces, as that was what was popular here, and of course some Shadows pieces too.



There, Rosemary.

Regards to all,

Andy

Hi Andy
Thanks for starting a new thread on my behalf.

As Andy mentioned I'd posted a topic in 'People'
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=5466
after noticing a photo of a lady named Jackie playing an almost identical guitar to my Mexican Strat in a Shadows Club.

I'm still practising a lot and although a long way from being able to play along with anyone I'd be very keen to meet any local Shadows players and if there are any lady Shadows players that would be really great. Even if there are some ladies out there who'd like to start learning this sort of music too it would be fabulous as I've only been playing just over a year and it would be nice not to be the only one I know of in this part of the world.

Best wishes
Rosemary

I hope this early 1960s photograph encourages more women to play. This is the band in the earlier picture, but with upgraded instruments. In those days, bands used the same gear to play both Shadows and Ventures!

Hello Rosemarie!

I play bass for Walking Shadow, Andy's band. Although I started playing in 2003, I did not play Shadows pieces till 2009, so I am just a little bit ahead of you.

You are not alone in this part of the world, but right now it seems it's just the two of us. It is wonderful to meet another female musician interested in playing Shadows pieces, and I hope we get to know others through this thread. (Thanks, Andy, for starting it!)

May our tribe increase!
Anna

There are 2 ladies playing Shadow's music in Life Story, Kim plays Bass and Charlotte Keyboards

In France we have a woman who plays bass. She doesn't play in a band, but she plays on a regular basis at our Shadows' meetings. Her name is Ariella :



Didier

Hi Didier, Peter, Anna and Andy
Thanks for the replies and fabulous photos! It's great to see other ladies playing Shadows. There are only about four or five I've seen on YouTube and some haven't uploaded any videos for a few years so I'm not sure if they're still playing. I'm gradually letting friends know I've started to play so who knows, maybe I'll even meet some players here. I'd be happy to get together with any Shadows players around Brisbane, Australia. I'm still pretty much a beginner (just over a year) and can hardly play anything all the way through without mistakes but maybe in another year I'll be ready to play a few easier tunes with other players. Some of my later YouTube recordings are at http://www.rosemaryinaustralia.com/new_ ... tml#videos
They're not searchable on YouTube however as my playing isn't good enough.
Best wishes
Rosemary

Hi Rosemary,
Players are generally their own harshest critics. At least the ones who take pride in their own performances are. Many people find it difficult to be objective about their own playing - always thinking that it could be better and always (themselves) noticing any tiny little errors or imperfections. Thank you very much for providing that link to your own videos. For what it's worth - I enjoyed them very much and I would say that your playing is just fine. Don't 'run yourself down' too much. Unless you're one of those people whose nerves get the better of them in front of any kind of audience - then I would say that you could definitely play those numbers at a Shadows Club type event. So....I would say that you are probably better than you yourself think you are - if that makes sense!! Keep on twanging - and good luck with your endeavours.

Bests.....Rob

Rosemary wrote:I'm still pretty much a beginner (just over a year) and can hardly play anything all the way through without mistakes but maybe in another year I'll be ready to play a few easier tunes with other players.

Ariella has not been playing for very long either, and I remember that at the first meetings she played, she wasn't yet very good, but she has much improved with time and now plays quite well.
Just too bad you are too far apart to form a women's band !

Didier

Hello Didier!

Please encourage Ariella to post on this thread. She is a bassist like me; maybe we could compare notes.

That's a nice guitar she's using. Andy says he thinks it's a Jaguar bass.

Hello Ariella!
Best wishes from Anna