Emphasizing group dynamics, The Musical Woman series charts the accomplishments of women in the field of music in almost every capacity. Moving beyond the exception, articles highlight the group presence of musical women. The series equally commits itself to highlighting creative individuals, surveying particular music specialties, and to providing an up-to-date profile of women's ever changing progress in this field. Covering the period from 1986 to 1990, Volume III includes an expanded Gazette and 19 new, thought-provoking essays. Sizable attention is given to women's international contributions in music: several essays are centered in Finland, the USSR, Canada, and Australia. Volume III also covers issues linking music with sociology, history, feminist theory, and world music.
The expanded Gazette is encompassed in Part I of this volume. Part II includes the 19 original essays. Several summarize women's contributions as composers on the podium, within the recording and film industries, and in other capacities. One essay provides a current checklist of women in music organizations. Two genre surveys and an essay on women music scholars in Russian and Soviet history present readers with significant research. Critical appraisals are given of three women of achievement. For the first time in this series, two essays discuss the science of music--women musicologists and music librarians. Another essay presents the novel concept of a middle school curriculum concentrating on music by women composers. An essential article to this series is an analytic survey of how women have fared in music competitions over a 22-year period. This volume concludes with an essay documenting women musicians, across several generations, within notable musical families.