A synthesizer is a revolutionary musical instrument that creates (synthesizes) a wide variety of sounds using electricity and a combination of different frequencies. 

The synthesizer now exists in many different forms, but really soared to fame in the '70s and '80s, powered by visionary women. Born from the 1922 debut of the Theremin, an invention popularized by pioneer Clara Rockmore, the synthesizer has since become a staple across all musical genres.

In 1964, Bob Moog introduced the first modular voltage-controlled synthesizer and radically changed the sound and composition of music — the Moog Modular remains one of the most sought-after synths to this day. It was another female synth pioneer, Wendy Carlos, then a music composition graduate student at Columbia University, who worked closely with Moog to refine and develop his iconic namesake synth. Six years later, Carlos brought the Moog to a much wider audience with her GRAMMY-nominated debut hit album, Switched-On Bach.

Thanks to producers like Giorgio Moroder, who transformed disco with space-age sounds on Donna Summer's 1977 dance hit "I Feel Love," synths — then still bulky, complex and incredibly expensive — burrowed their way into popular music. Synths became essential instruments in the burgeoning sounds of the '80s with new wave, synth-pop, house, and techno bringing them to different audiences.

Read on to learn about five women synthesizer legends of past and present: pioneering synth composers Wendy Carlos and Suzanne Ciani, New Order's Gillian Gilbert, LCD Soundsystem's Nancy Whang, Nation of Language's Aidan Noell.

These are not the only women who've made the synthesizer their own and used it to bring us to new sonic worlds and inspire the next generation of pioneering artists, but they are essential names you should know. (Check out the 2021 documentary Sisters with Transistors for further learning.)

Suzanne Ciani

Dubbed the "diva of the diode," Suzanne Ciani is a pioneering electronic composer and modular synth wizard. She's been active since the late-60s creating countless unforgettable and otherworldly sounds with synths, from the iconic Coca-Cola fizz sound to experimental ambient music with younger generations of electronic composers such as Jonathan Fitoussi and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Ciani performs mesmerizing live modular synth shows, and back in 1980, blew David Letterman's mind with her trippy demonstration of the legendary Prophet-5 synth and her vocoder setup.

In 1968, while getting her Master's degree in composition at UC Berkeley, Ciani met Don Buchla, the creator of the keyboard-less Buchla analog modular synthesizer. She went on to work with his company after graduation, soldering synth parts so she could afford her own Buchla synth. While working there, she asked the founder to teach her and her fellow curious coworkers synth lessons, but after the first class, Buchla told her they didn't want women in the class. The blatant sexism didn't stop Ciani, who put out her debut album in 1970 and moved to New York City in 1974 with her Buchla, soon after landing solo performance gigs at art galleries.

Her groundbreaking career revolutionized sounds in music, advertising, and entertainment. In addition to her iconic Coke sound, she composed jingles for AT&T, General Electric, Energizer and other major companies, as well as sound effects for a Star Wars disco album, and used her vocoded voice to give sound to the Xenon pinball game. Over the years she's put out tons of studio and live albums and has earned five GRAMMY nominations in the Best New Age Album category, demonstrating the genre represents so much more than flutes and chimes.

Wendy Carlos

You can't talk about synthesizers without talking about the GRAMMY-winning pioneering electronic composer Wendy Carlos. 

Long before Kim Petras became the first openly trans woman to take home a GRAMMY for "Unholy" with Sam Smith in 2023, Carlos took home three golden gramophones for her debut album Switched-On Bach in 1970 (nine years before she came out as trans). The groundbreaking album consists of short pieces of Bach's music played on the then-new Moog synthesizer, an electronic instrument she helped develop with Bob Moog, that would radically change the sound of popular music forever. All three of her Switched-On Bach wins were in the classical category, including Classical Album of the Year and Best Engineered Recording, Classical.

Switched-On Bach was a true labor of love and a smash hit. Working with classical musician Rachel Elkind, Carlos spent over 1,100 hours in the studio — synths then could only play one note at a time. After it was released in October 1968, it hit No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and held the No. 1 spot on the Classical Albums chart for a whopping three years. It introduced people to the future of synthesized music, and also brought new listeners into classical music. Eighteen years later, it was certified platinum by the RIAA, the first synthesized album and only the second classical album to do so.

When Carlos was working on The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, a classical synth album featuring Bach, Beethoven and others, she read A Clockwork Orange and found that her music fit the book's dystopian eeriness of the book. She shaped "Timesteps" to fit the story and sent it to director Stanley Kubrick, who hired Carlos and her long-time producer Elkind to create the soundtrack for his film adaptation of the book. 

The trio reunited in 1980 for The Shining soundtrack. Carlos also composed the 1982 Tron soundtrack on the Moog and a Crumar General Development System (GDS), an early keyboard synthesizer workstation, of which only 10 were made.

Gillian Gilbert

In 1980, Gillian Gilbert joined iconic British new wave band New Order in its creation after the tragic loss of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. She was brought on as the second guitarist to support lead guitarist Bernard Sumner, who was taking on singing duties.

She was one of the handful of talented women working behind-the-scenes at Manchester's Factory Records. She was just 19, in college studying graphic design, working at Factory Records and playing guitar in a punk band. 

She didn't yet know how to play keys or song write, so she took piano lessons and learned to read music. Inspired by their experience in the New York club scene, the band wanted to experiment with synthesizers and programmed music and she played a pivotal role in their groundbreaking sonic exploration.

"There was always a lot of the typical: 'Oh, are you the singer?' No, I’m not the singer, I play instruments. But I never got that [sexism] at Factory Records," Gilbert said in "I Thought I Heard You Speak: Women at Factory Records." 

"There was never anything about macho blokes. We were all one, and I wasn’t any different to anybody else, and the whole Factory thing was like that. There were a lot of women in Factory that gave as good as they got. It was never us and them – it was all just one big family."

In 1983, New Order and Factory Records hit gold with "Blue Monday," a pivotal club track that brought the punk and disco kids together — and the best-selling 12-inch of all time. Clocking in at seven-and-a-half minutes, it was the band's (very successful) attempt to make a completely electronic track.

"It was my job to program the entire song from beginning to end, which had to be done manually, by inputting every note. I had the sequence all written down on loads of A4 paper Sellotaped together the length of the recording studio, like a huge knitting pattern. But I accidentally left a note out, which skewed the melody," Gilbert told The Guardian about "Blue Monday" in 2013.

In 1991, Gilbert and New Order drummer Stephen Morris started side project The Other Two, releasing dance pop bop "Tasty Fish," two albums and a lot of music for TV. The two have been married since 1994 and, when the band was working on 2001's Get Ready, their second child, then just an infant, was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. Gilbert left the band to care for her, and was replaced with Phil Cunningham.

Gilbert rejoined the band to record 2016's Music Complete, a welcome return to the dancefloor-ready synth pop they pioneered in the '80s. 

Nancy Whang

In 2002, James Murphy released his debut single as LCD Soundsystem, "Losing My Edge" and needed to quickly form a band to play the gigs he'd been getting booked for off of its success. When he called on his NYC scene friend Nancy Whang to join LCD Soundsystem, her musical experience consisted of taking piano lessons in her youth. 

Whang worked with Murphy and the rest of the band to create timeless, brooding synth pop, evolving their sound a long way from their DIY post-punk days. Her interest in synths began with her love of new wave—the second 45 record she ever bought was from Depeche Mode.

LCD has earned a reputation for well-oiled live performance, in no small part to Whang's deft playing and captivating stage presence, offering a stellar, hypnotizing live show time after time.

Last year, she told Synth History that her favorite synths are the Moog Mavis and the Yamaha CS-80, which she usually keeps in her bedroom and that New Order's second album, 1983's Power, Corruption & Lies is one of the top three albums that transformed her.

Whang also DJs and makes music outside of the band, including groovy dance tunes with John MacLean as The Juan MacLean, one of DFA's earliest signed acts and LCD's influences. Just as her voice is a key instrument in LCD's magic equation, it's been featured in influential early-00s alternative dance tunes like Soulwax's "E Talking" and Munk's "Kick Out The Chairs." In 2022, she joined Aidan Noell, the keyboardist in rising Brooklyn synth-pop trio Nation of Language, to drop a fresh electro cover of one of the earliest Detroit proto-techno tracks, "Sharevari."

Aidan Noell

Like Gilbert and Whang, Aidan Noell is a self-taught synth master. She and her husband, Ian Devaney, along with bandmate Alex MacKay, are keeping the spirit of new wave alive with Nation of Language, their Brooklyn synth-pop outfit inspired by the likes of Talking Heads and Kraftwerk. When Noell and Devaney got married in 2018, they requested donations towards recording their debut album instead of gifts. They self-released Introduction, Presence in May 2020 and quickly started building a following that included loyal support from taste-making Los Angeles-based KCRW DJ Travis Holcombe.

Nation of Language have been touring pretty much non-stop since COVID lockdown ended, but still had time to release a sophomore album, A Way Forward, on London indie Play It Again Sam in November 2021. They kicked off 2022 by making their television debut on "The Late Show with Steven Colbert" and dropped their third album, Strange Disciple, last September.

While Devaney is the lead songwriter for Nation of Language, Noell's deft keyboard and synth skills are an essential part of their recordings and live performance. In 2021, she wrote and released her first solo music — inspired by her love of '80s deep cuts she calls "strange new wave" — on a Behringer MS1 synth, demonstrating her natural songwriting ability. She also taught herself to DJ and is actively creating a supportive community among other indie musicians, particularly with other women synth players, like Whang.

"My friend Michelle [Primiani] [was] the band Glove, she’s one of my synth icons, and she just got the Korg Prologue which is an extremely cool machine. There’s a lot about aesthetics that draws me to synthesizers which seems superficial, but there is a look and feel to certain synths that just draw me in. Ian and I would love to have a MiniMoog. We always talk about what synth we would buy if we won the lottery. We don’t play the lottery though," Noell said in 2021.

Aidan Noell bears the torch for the next generation of the ever resourceful and pioneering synth sisterhood.

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Music may be largely male dominated but there is plenty of room for women to break through. The industry is filled with women who possess a keen ability to go outside of the box, shake things up and set a new example for their colleagues.

Whether it's developing an alter ego and letting their music speak over their image, not being afraid to take a risk onstage or championing the work of other females, these 11 women know what it takes to stand out. Get to know some of the industry's most notorious female mavericks.

Madame Gandhi

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After graduating with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, political science and women's studies from Georgetown University, Madame Gandhi landed a job at Interscope Records as the company's premiere digital analyst. During her tenure, she analyzed patterns in Spotify streams and YouTube views, advising brands like Bonnaroo, D'Addario and Eleven Seven Music on artist release strategies.

In 2012 the multifaceted artist came into prominence when she began drumming for M.I.A. Three years later she earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and shifted her focus toward creating her own music.

Her debut EP, 2016's Voices, featured "The Future Is Female," which hit the Spotify U.S. Viral Charts Top 50. The tune is very much in line with the trailblazing musician's motto, "To elevate and celebrate the female voice." In addition to crafting her own tunes, Gandhi prides herself on her keen ability to bring out the best in those she produces, the majority of whom are females.

"I tend to like using my skillset to only produce for other female artists," she reveals. "If I'm producing for somebody else's art, I tend to really dial into their energy in that moment and create based on what they are hearing and feeling instead of asserting my own intuition."

And the only critic that Gandhi is interested in satisfying? "I'm not seeking the validation or the approval of a male-dominated industry; I'm seeking the approval and validation of myself."

Solange

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Solange may be Beyoncé's sister, but the 31-year-old songstress has more than proven herself worthy of owning her title as a music industry staple. The performer got her start as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child before signing her own deal with Music World Entertainment at age 16. She released her debut, Solo Star, in 2002 and began writing songs for the members of Destiny's Child. Solange followed up with 2008's Sol-Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams, 2012's True EP and A Seat At The Table, which dropped in 2016.

In an industry that thrives on originality, Solange has never been afraid to take a risk with her tunes, often honoring her passion for Motown and pulling from past eras like the '60s, '70s and '80s to infuse into her albums. She launched her own record label, Saint Records, in 2013. And in 2015, she made waves with her anthem "Rise," a track inspired by the Baltimore and Ferguson police killings.

Complementing her music, Solange is a style icon and revels in the opportunity to express herself onstage. With her sultry voice and raw lyrics, the artist is refreshingly willing to tap deep into her emotions evidenced by her anthemic "F.U.B.U." Her entrepreneurial spirit has also brought a variety of ventures into the world, such as Baby Jamz, a hip-hop inspired toy line inspired by her son, and designing performances for museums and galleries, such as her Tate Museum digital interactive dossier, "Seventy States." She is, in every sense of the word, an innovator.

St. Vincent

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Annie Erin Clark, aka St. Vincent, began playing guitar at the age of 12. As a teen, she joined her uncle Tuck Andress' jazz duo, Tuck & Patti, before attending Berklee School of Music. She toured as a guitarist and vocalist with the Polyphonic Spree and backed up Sufjan Stevens, during which she recorded a three-song EP to sell at the shows under her newfound moniker of St. Vincent.

In 2007 St. Vincent released her debut album, Marry Me, which caught the attention of the critics. From there she was off, rising through the ranks of the indie rocker genre with her sophomore endeavor, Actor. She's since released four additional albums, including a collaborative endeavor with David Byrne (Talking Heads), Love This Giant.

Clark is known for her punchy vocals, polysemous lyrics and ability to play a plethora of instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, and theremin. At the 57th GRAMMY Awards, she earned the GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Album for her self-titled LP. And she now has her own signature guitar via Ernie Ball Music Man.

"I just wake up with melodies in my head. I just feel like sometimes one of those people in the machine, where they pump dollar bills into it and they let the wind blow it around," said Clark. And that's why they call her the "indie rock goddess."

Karen O.

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Karen O. came into her own as frontwoman for the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs and has been deemed one of the best female rock vocalists of all time.

She is all about self-expression and has an essence uniquely her own. First, there is the wardrobe. Fans of hers cram as close to the stage as possible for the chance to glimpse her latest ensemble. She frequently dons an array of eclectic outfits, including capes, headpieces and feathers made by her fashion designer friend Christian Joy.

Then there are the moves. You never know quite what you'll get at a Karen O. performance. She's a true rock star, a show-woman of the stage — frolicking around in ripped up fishnets, spewing beer on her audience and letting out primal screams in the moment.

In addition to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O. has tackled side projects such as Native Korean Rock And The Fishnets. She's also cemented her status as an in-demand female vocalist, being featured on the Flaming Lips' album Embryonic, Santigold's Master Of My Make-Believe and collaborating with David Lynch on "Pinky's Dream."

"[People] care way too much about being 'liked,'" said Karen O. regarding pushing her way to the top of a male-dominated industry. "It wasn't easy, but I stuck to my guns — I had to rebuild how I thought about myself being in an all-dudes rock world. Trying to be heard in that context was tough, and I had to scream and break things to make people listen to me, but they did. They listened."

Babymetal

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When you think of metal, women don't often come to mind, let alone adolescent girls. But Babymetal have proven that stereotypes are meant to be broken. The Japanese trio released a self-titled album in 2014, which they followed up with Metal Resistance two years later. The girls take the stage in signature red and black outfits and perform choreographic movements to their pop-infused heavy rock.

Members Su-metal, Yuimetal and Moametal have said they are happy to be seen as role models for other girls. Before they became Babymetal, they admittedly didn't know much about metal themselves and hoped that people who were never exposed to the genre would be now inclined to listen after seeing them perform.

They've opened for Lady Gaga, and have taken home a variety of awards such as the 2015 MTV Video Music Award Japan for Best Metal Artist, giving a new face to their genre. And with songs addressing themes such as body image and bullying, they're doing so in a refreshing manner.

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Mon Laferte

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Chilean singer/songwriter Mon Laferte started playing guitar as a child, has been singing for "as long as I can remember" and began writing songs at age 13. Later, in 2003 she released her debut album, La Chica De Rojo, and began to make a name for herself beyond her hometown of Vina del Mar, Chile.

Her career came to a brief halt when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009 but she didn't let that hold her down. The songstress rebounded with her sophomore album, Desechable, in 2011 and has been going strong ever since. Laferte was a judge on the Chilean version of "The X Factor" and has gone on to release three additional albums.

Laferte prides herself on bringing her native Tejano sound to the masses and has satiated listeners with her unique theatrical pop style. Aside from her fans, she caught the attention of her peers in winning a 2017 Latin GRAMMY for Best Alternative Song for "Amárrame," an edgy duet with Juanes.

"My grandma is my inspiration. She was also a singer/composer. She played guitar. I always wanted to be like her," says Laferte.

Leikeli47

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If there's one facet of the music industry that is male dominated, it's the world of hip-hop. But that isn't enough to deter female rappers like Leikeli47 from doing what they love.

"I don't identify myself as a 'female musician,'" says the performer of her strategy for standing out amid a sea of male colleagues. "I'm just a musician and as a musician when I hear, 'It's go time,' that's just what it is — go time — no matter who's in the way."

The rapper got her start releasing mixtapes and followed with her 2017 self-titled debut. On the concert trail, Diplo and Skrillex brought her out to accompany them onstage during their 2014 New Year's Eve set and she's since donned stages like Electric Daisy Carnival New York.

Being herself is 100 percent the goal of Leikeli47. "My job is to create, protect, and deliver as an individual. Originality is what drives the machine," she reveals. "I sell out to the moment. I don't try. I just do; even when I'm afraid. I've never been the type to just walk through a door. To reach any destination I must jump out of the window first. That's my approach."

Cordell Jackson

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"When I first started playing the guitar at 12 [I was told], 'Young girls don't play guitars. ...' And I says, 'Well I do.' I looked 'em straight down and says, 'I do.'" Those words served as the motto of a young Cordell Jackson who, throughout her entire five-decade-plus career, set her sights on pushing through boundaries.

The "rock-and-roll-granny" was an early pioneer of rockabilly. She also became the first woman to write, arrange, engineer, produce, promote, and manufacture her own rock and roll record label. Jackson founded Moon Records in Memphis in 1956 as a means of getting some attention to her own previously unreleased demos. She released "Rock And Roll Christmas"/"Beboppers' Christmas" and went on to put out tunes by other artists such as Allen Page.

Cordell continued the label through the '70s and '80s, eventually realizing her career-defining hit, "Football Widow."

"You just have to forge your own way, and go to the bank with what you can," said Cordell in response to being asked about her strategy for making waves as a female in the early days of rockabilly.

Peaches

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Since the early 1990s, Peaches has been a symbol of female empowerment. From her shocking lyrics to racy stage antics, the singer has never been afraid to stay true to her roots, even at the expense of facing censorship from television, venues and radio stations across the globe.

The Toronto native has served as a champion for powerful female voices around her, frequently collaborating with high profile artists such as Karen O. and Yoko Ono. And true to her glamorous look, her songs have tackled topics like gender identity, frequently playing with nontraditional notions of gender roles while her stage shows blur the lines between male and female.

"I stuck with my own brand of performance art, music and lyrical content that I believed widened the perspective of sexuality and identity, creating a fun, empowering and uplifting dynamic," says Peaches. "I have seen the effects of my efforts and I have proudly witnessed new fresh perspectives that open up this discussion and make room for creativity."

And guess what? Peaches will continue to shake things up. "It is important for me with my music to question and challenge what has always been presented to me in pop music because I never felt included in its mainstream narrative or believed that it should actually be called main stream. … There is no reason to create music or art that is stifling and non-progressive."

H.E.R.

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When you get Rihanna's stamp of approval early on, you know you've got something going on. Such is the case for the sultry R&B singer/songwriter who goes by H.E.R., an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed."

In 2016 the performer made her debut with her seven-song EP, H.E.R. Vol. 1. She followed that up with a volume two EP, a collaboration with Daniel Caesar on "Best Part," and a tour supporting Bryson Tiller.

Instead of putting herself out there in the vein of her genre-sharing colleagues, H.E.R. prides herself in remaining elusive. Her goal is to let her music speak for itself and to let her velvety vocals and vulnerable lyrics lead the audience to believe whatever they want to about her.

"The anonymity of H.E.R. came from me wanting this to be about the music — wanting people to hear the message without necessarily attaching an age or a face to it," she said. "As women, we go through a lot of the same things. We all get hurt. So I just wanted to be that one voice with a message that women and even men can relate to."

Andrea Echeverri

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Andrea Echeverri fronts and plays guitar in the Colombian rock band Aterciopelados, a Latin GRAMMY-winning act. She's also an esteemed singer/songwriter with several solo endeavors under her belt.

Lyrically, Echeverri's songwriting explores an array of personal and political themes such as motherhood, love and femininity. She is also very involved — and takes meticulous care — in her own musical process. Echeverri handled the entire production, composition and vocals on her 2012 solo album, Ruiseñora, which tackled themes like feminism and female empowerment.

In a world riddled with stereotypes, it's Echeverri's mission to spread her native Colombia's music to the masses and crack through the stereotypes associated with being from South America.

"When we started travelling outside Colombia back in '95 it was the subject of each and all of the interviews and as a joke they asked, 'What did you bring in your suitcase?'" said Echeverri. "Everything was like on the subject of drugs, but I think that colleagues like Juanes and Shakira already are more famous than drugs and Pablo Escobar."

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(Nicole Pajer is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. She has written for a variety of publications, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, Men's Journal, Hemispheres, The Red Bulletin, Emmy.com, the Honda Civic tour, Coachella CAMP, and more. Follow her on Twitter @NicolePajer.)

The word "architect" has multiple definitions that transcend its origins of simply meaning a person that builds something tangible. Architecture can live in the abstract, yet the product is still a masterpiece for the senses.

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The women on this list have respectively built their own legacies assisting in creating music that stands the test of time. Their creative input is more than just a mere suggestion here and there, but more about taking a vision and turning it into a groundbreaking work of art. There's an inherent tangibility to their talents, which makes them true architects of sound.

From hit-making songwriters and video directors to producers and engineers who helped define entire eras, we explore another series of dynamic women in music in honor of Women's History Month.

Erika Ender

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Erika Ender's career certainly didn't begin when she co-wrote the gargantuan hit "Despacito" (featuring Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber) with Luis Fonsi, but it certainly made for an explosive chapter.

Starting as a recording artist and TV personality in her native Panama, Ender came to the United States 20 years ago. "I was looking for a platform to help me develop my vision through music," she recalls of her move stateside.

It was her introductory success with Chayanne's 2000 single, "Candela," that gave her a boost into international recognition. Then came "Despacito" in 2017, a song that earned her multiple Latin GRAMMYs. Ender said the smash specifically benefited from a "feminine" touch.

"I think that [Luis] Fonsi is a smart guy because he usually writes with women. 'Despacito' was written with lyrics that a woman would want to hear, which I think was the special magic."

Now with more ears around the world paying attention, Ender is putting her profile to good use. "I'm using this moment of my life as a songwriter to empower other women because I'm the only women involved [in 'Despacito']," she says. "It's a way of showing others that we are a minority, but if you do the right thing with your value and hard work, you can get wherever you want."

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Ann Mincieli

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When Ann Mincieli opened New York City's bustling Jungle City Studios in 2011, she already had a widely spanning career working as an audio engineer and studio coordinator for none other than Alicia Keys. A co-chair of the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, the GRAMMY-winning engineer more than holds it down as a woman within a sector of the industry that is predominantly male.

Thanks to Mincieli's vision, Jungle City has evolved in less than a decade as the go-to studio for mastering and post-production, as everyone from Jay-Z to Drake and the late Whitney Houston has utilized the "house that Ann built" for putting the finishing touches on some of their greatest works.

"My dream was to create a luxurious, technically impeccable, 21st-century haven for first-tier artists, producers and engineers," Mincieli told Sound On Sound.

WondaGurl

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You may not be aware, but many of your recent favorite hip-hop songs have benefited from the divine touch by the one and only WondaGurl. Born Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde, the Brampton, Ontario, songwriter/producer has worked with heavyweights like Jay-Z ("Crown"), Travis Scott ("Uptown") and SZA ("Teen Spirit").

In just over a decade, WondaGurl has emerged as an in-demand songwriter/producer, bolstering her portfolio through collaborations with Drake, Usher, Big Sean, Lil Yachty, and Lil Uzi Vert, among others. She scored massive recognition for helping shift Rihanna's sound, working with Kanye West and Travis Scott on her infectious "B**** Better Have My Money."

At only 21, WondaGurl will continue to make her mark, bringing new life to artists' tracks and expanding their sounds to new dimensions.

Gail Davies

Gail Davies holds the distinct honor of being the first female record producer in country music history. The story goes that, as a recording artist, Davies was displeased with how her production panned out on her 1978 debut album. In turn, she decided to take matters into her own hands and self-produce her works, which later became the framework for other female country stars.

Her sound is homegrown, even when she's worked with country singer/songwriter greats like Emmylou Harris and K.T. Oslin. Davies' reputation for crafting her own sonic identity precedes itself as she's worked with other legends like Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Dwight Yoakam, among others.

Davies' successful career is proof that building your own vision is often the best way to reach your goals.

Trina Shoemaker

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In 1998 Trina Shoemaker made history by being the first woman to ever win a GRAMMY for Best Engineered Album — Non-Classical. She took home the award for shaping the sounds on Sheryl Crow's third studio album, The Globe Sessions, representing a high point of her output with the "All I Wanna Do" singer (having first collaborated with her in 1995). Shoemaker would later earn another GRAMMY with Steven Curtis Chapman for 2004.

The Illinois native has worked with a number of A-list acts like the Dixie Chicks, Indigo Girls and Emmylou Harris. With a solid track record both in the United States and across the pond in the U.K., Shoemaker remains the perfect fit for acts looking for next-level mastering and engineering.

Sylvia Massy

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While having gotten her start in the '80s, Sylvia Massy hit her stride within the '90s alternative-rock scene once she aligned with Tool for their full-length debut, 1993's Undertow.

As a mixer and engineer, Massy helped sharpen Tool, bringing them to multiplatinum status. She would later work with veteran producer Rick Rubin, mixing and engineering for greats like Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, the Black Crowes and System Of A Down, in addition to more production work with the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. She even produced and mixed the Beastie Boys' iconic 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert LP with late Beasties member Adam Yauch.

A noted author, professor and music journalist, Massey brings her multifaceted insight to the pages and the classroom, shedding light on how she rose up the ranks in the otherwise male-dominated world of engineering. As for her philosophy, Massy told Electronic Musician her goal with her work is to "make every moment an adventure."

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Zoe Thrall

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Las Vegas has a long history with music, where artists can typically enter their prime in a series of residencies that attract people from all corners of the world. However, Zoe Thrall and her husband Pat have created perhaps the most unique environment in sound recording.

Starting in New York City, Thrall operated studios for over 20 years before receiving a call in 2004 to come to Vegas. "I never thought I would leave New York," she says. "[The Palms] said they were building a studio and would I be interested in coming out there. Since the focus was on music, that was what got me excited about it."

The Studio at the Palms provides an atmosphere for some of the biggest artists to record their work yet leave and absorb the 24-hour energy of Las Vegas — all under the same resort-style roof. As the studio's director, Thrall has worked with top names from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga, responsible for providing the home for their recording process and Palms' stay.

It's no wonder why artists can enter the Palms and leave with colossal hits: Thrall has designed an alternate universe built inside paradise, making her more than just a studio director but a curator of ambiance.

"After 37 years of doing this, the process of making a record is still to this day so interesting to me," she says. "I still love how records are made."

Hannah Lux Davis

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For more than a decade, Hannah Lux Davis has provided visuals for some of pop's most infectious tunes. As a music video director, her eye is geared toward lighting, contrasting dusky shots with sharp bursts of glare. Just check out her videos for some pop radio staples like "Bang Bang" (Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj) or "23" (Mike WiLL Made It, Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, and Juicy J).

While her catalog is vast, "Side To Side" featuring Grande and  Minaj is proof positive that stars return to her style — Fifth Harmony and Drake have also worked with her several times.

What is it about her remarkable skill that's managed to penetrate one of music's biggest boys' clubs? Perhaps it's in her visual interpretation of something only previously heard and now seen.

Leslie Ann Jones

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Leslie Ann Jones' work has not only earned her multiple GRAMMYs, but she's made history within the walls of the Recording Academy. In 1999 she became the organization's first Chairwoman.

Firsts are nothing new to Jones. She was the first female assistant engineer at ABC Studios, and she went on to helm albums for artists such as Rosemary Clooney and Kronos Quartet. As the director of music recording and scoring at George Lucas' Skywalker Sound since 1997, Jones records orchestral scores, mixes film and video elements, and records and produces music albums. 

"It's been an unbelievable experience," Jones told TapeOp regarding her job at Skywalker Sound. "It's really a great place to work, because you're surrounded by incredibly smart, talented people. You really have to keep up with that and I think everybody that works in the building feels that there's a certain level of excellence that everybody tries to maintain."

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(Kathy Iandoli has penned pieces for Pitchfork, VICE, Maxim, O, Cosmopolitan, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and more. She co-authored the book Commissary Kitchen with Mobb Deep's late Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, and is a professor of music business at select universities throughout New York and New Jersey.)

In the mid-1960s, Janis Joplin broke the mold of what people thought a female singer was supposed to be. By 1969 the David Bowie-endorsed Fanny came on the scene and became the first all-female rock group to score a major label album release. The Runaways, another all-female band active in the late '70s, further turned the rock scene on its head.

Jump decades ahead and women have been making waves — and continue to do so — in the heavier genres of hard rock and metal.

As today's women blaze new trails, there's one unfortunate, bothersome question that continues to rear its head: Is rock and roll dead? According to Lita Ford, former guitarist for the Runaways who continues to successfully tour as a solo artist, this question just needs to go away already.

"I hate that saying more than anything," Ford says. "I heard Gene Simmons say it but he says things for attention. It sucks. It's not dead. You don't hear people walking around going, 'Jazz is dead!' or 'Piano's dead!' It's just ridiculous. Rock has never been more alive."

Ford is also confident that female artists are doing a good job of carrying the torch for women in rock and roll today, ensuring the longevity of the genre. Take, for example, lead singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, who became the first female-fronted band to earn a GRAMMY for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance at the 55th GRAMMY Awards.

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"For me, I joke about how rock and roll chooses you, you don't choose it. That feeling hasn't gone away," says Hale.

The Pennsylvania native grew up with her dad's music, including a lot of Alice Cooper and Ronnie James Dio. But it was her mom who bought her a Heart album, which led her to discover Pat Benatar, Joan Jett and Joplin, who she refers to as the "foremothers of rock."

Halestorm will be part of a much-anticipated summer 2018 tour package, including her good friend Maria Brink of In This Moment and newer female-led bands Stitched Up Heart and New Year's Day.

"It's so much more than a career choice or a dream or a life goal — it's an extension of me and my personality. I don't think I would be me without rock and roll," says Hale.

From Amy Lee of Evanescence to Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, Hale named many women who are making a current mark in the genre. Hale gave a special shout-out to Reba Meyers of Code Orange.

"I love her on guitar and I love the fact that she is literally anti-trend. She gets up there in a black T-shirt, no makeup, rocking in her own corner of the world," Hale says. "I've never seen a band live that attacks a crowd like that."

Code Orange, who earned their first career nomination for the 60th GRAMMY Awards, aren't typical rock or metal — they have a sound and energy completely their own. Guitarist Meyers is a force of her own, headbanging relentlessly onstage at any given moment. She credits her influences outside of music, including her mother, with helping her become the strong woman she is.

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"As a kid, I was treated the exact same and, for the most part, I never had any doubts about it and I didn't really have any female role models in heavy music. I wasn't searching for it," says Meyers. "I just liked the bands that I liked."

One thing she doesn't like is seeing women in bands just for the sake of it.

"I just hope that people don't force this kind of a thing — I see bands with girls in them and I get the wrong vibe from the men. I meet a lot of men who put women in bands for the sake of putting a woman in their band and that makes me furious."

"We're just voicing what we have to say and I think if you do that you become equal." — Floor Jansen

Onstage and off, Meyers is the epitome of authenticity when it comes to passion for music.

"There's no other genre of music that has a community and that's also what pulled me in," says Meyers. "You get hooked immediately and you can't really turn away once you're into it when you are young."

Despite a diversity of sounds, ethnic diversity among women in heavier sub-genres has proved elusive. However, guitarist Diamond Rowe of Tetrarch, Jada Pinkett-Smith of Wicked Wisdom and Alexis Brown of Straight Line Stitch are flying the flag, specifically for black women. So why aren't there more women of color in heavier genres of music?

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"I feel the progression is not in the favor of minorities, in general, and they probably don't seek it out. I got the tip of the iceberg with my friend who was into Nirvana but I liked it so much that I explored more," says Rowe, who adds that her race and gender are blessings in disguise.

"I know that maybe I do have to work a little harder and be better and that's fine but I haven't seen any kind of negative responses. It's been nothing but positive vibes. I just like playing guitar and I want to be the best at it and, if not, better than these boys."

For singer Skin, an open woman of Jamaican heritage with a penchant for screaming her head off, it's a different story. Growing up in Brixton, London, Skin had no support from her family to pursue her passion for rock music. Though she got flak from fellow women of color, she didn't let that deter her.

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"I don't care what people think, I really honestly don't care. They might say, 'She's a black girl playing rock music, that's not cool,' or 'She's not black enough'," says Skin, the voice and vibrance of the British punk-rock band Skunk Anansie. "I was told once by a black woman, 'I don't like the fact that you don't play the music of your people.'"

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgD19YuAtvx/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgD19YuAtvx/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Sending love to all my favorite Women on International Women’s Day! (sorry don’t have pics of everyone- @slaxxmax @dellatobias ) More than ever we need to keep fighting and supporting Women and Girls around the world living in dire circumstances! Stand your ground then fight for others! Onwards and upwards! #imafeminist #internationalwomensday #festadelladonna</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/skin_skunkanansie/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> skin_skunkanansie</a> (@skin_skunkanansie) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-03-08T11:10:05+00:00">Mar 8, 2018 at 3:10am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Skin is also one of the few artists who represent the LGBTQ community in punk, rock and metal along with musician, writer and activist Otep Shamaya. Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! and Mina Caputo of Life Of Agony have also been influential women in the transgender community.

"My focus is just [to] give each other a break and let each other be who we are. Don't judge one another or be catty or competitive. It's not a competition," says singer/bassist Mlny Parsonz of Atlanta rock band Royal Thunder, whose message of being nonjudgmental is crystal clear. "We're making art, we're expressing ourselves, so just do your thing and be happy for people."

From Royal Thunder down to South America, where Brazilian thrash metal band Nervosa are battering eardrums, bassist/vocalist Fernanda Lira can speak to the good, bad and the ugly about being one of the few Latinas in metal.

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"I always felt like whenever I got onstage I had to prove something but with time it got better. You go to a venue and people don't believe you're in a band. They think you are groupies trying to get into the venue and stuff like that," says Lira, who is surprised there aren't more women part of the metal scene in the States and Europe.

"Before I played in the U.S. or in Europe I thought because Brazil is a third-world country and [the U.S. and Europe are] first-world countries and there are more feminists, there would be more girls in metal. I was surprised that there weren't more women at shows and there weren't more women in metal playing in bands."

As for the rest of the Latinas in metal? Lira says there are plenty in South America.

"Latin girls, we've got a lot of attitude and it's difficult to make a living. Every country down here [in South America] is very sexist so I think we're kind of used to being against the system. That's why I think there are more girls playing in bands in Latin America [than in the states and Europe]. We just want to prove people wrong."

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Floor Jansen, Nightwish's new lead singer, grew up in the Netherlands and currently resides in Sweden. She is optimistic the #MeToo movement will make the entertainment industry more level and equal for the next generation of women, which includes her own daughter. But it won't happen with silence.

"We [as women have] … been too sweet, we've been too cute, we've been run over. It's time to change that and I think it's happening," says Jansen. "Strong women in the past started this a long time ago, but maybe we got a little bit too comfortable.

"We are strong and that's OK. You're not a b**** if you're a strong woman or you can call yourself a b**** and just be fine with it. Often times, strong women are seen as that and we're not. We're just voicing what we have to say and I think if you do that you become equal. I've always felt equal with the guys in my band and the people I work with."

While rock and metal are still male-dominated, the growing number of women in the genres are present and powerful. These women are true to themselves and they do exactly what they want — which is the spirit of rock and roll. For Ford and Hale to Meyers, Jansen, Skin, and more, every month is Women's History Month. And every time they hit the stage is an opportunity to carry the torch for the societal and sonic movement of women in music.

Foremother of rock and roll Joplin said it best: "Don't compromise yourself, you're all you've got."

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(Elizabeth Ramanand is an arts and entertainment journalist who has a passion for music, especially hard rock and heavy metal. With over 2,000 published articles under her belt, she has written for publications like Billboard, Loudwire, Ultimate Classic Rock, The Boombox, PopCrush, Taste Of Country, and many more.)

We've been focusing a lot lately on women in music. This is due not only to the fact that March is Women's History Month, but also because female music professionals play a huge role in the industry and they often don't get the credit or recognition they deserve. However, at SXSW 2018 in Austin, Texas, have no doubt: Women played a front-and center-role in the action.

From all-women music showcases to panel programming highlighting women's experiences, to a diverse music lineup and more, take a look at five ways SXSW highlighted women in the music industry this year.

1. All-Female Rappers Showcase

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At Austin's The Belmont on March 15, ICM hosted its seventh annual showcase and this year they brought out an all-female hip-hop lineup, including Willow Smith, Rapsody, Kamaiyah, Kodie Shane, and others. While each of the powerhouse women on the bill delivered, GRAMMY-nominated rapper Rapsody capped her fiery set with the following mic drop statement:

"I do it for her, and for her, and for her, and for you, and the daughter you may someday have if you don’t have one already, and your wife, and your sister," Rapsody said during the showcase. "I do it so women can know anything a man can do, we can do just as well, if not 10 times better. So when they ask about Rapsody, don’t tell them I’m a female rapper. Don’t tell them I’m a female rapper, don’t tell them I’m a female emcee. When they ask you about Rapsody, you tell them I’m a motherf***ing beast."

2. Pussy Riot Came To Town

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Pussy Riot, the feminist punk protest collective from Russia, lit up the town with their two SXSW showcases: the SXSW opening party at The Main on March 13 and at The Belmont on March 14. During their packed set at The Main, true to their art, Pussy Riot didn't hold back, hanging their "Pussy is the new dick" sign in front of the sponsor's sign. During their set they brought out former U.S. military member and outspoken critic of the prison system Chelsea Manning and concluded their energetic set with "Straight Outta Vagina," perhaps one of the most feminist tunes out there.

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3. Women In Music Panels

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/womeninmusic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#womeninmusic</a> is also hosting a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/musicbizmoms?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#musicbizmoms</a> panel <a href="https://twitter.com/sxsw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sxsw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sxsw2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sxsw2018</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/nbarsalona?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbarsalona</a> of Everyday Rebellion, <a href="https://twitter.com/HeatherDCook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HeatherDCook</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/peermusic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@peermusic</a>, Shalacy Griffin of <a href="https://twitter.com/MusicKnox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MusicKnox</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/bridgetperdomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bridgetperdomo</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/UMG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UMG</a> TODAY at 5PM in Room 9C of the Convention Center: <a href="https://t.co/OVsigo76QU">https://t.co/OVsigo76QU</a></p>&mdash; Women In Music (@womeninmusicorg) <a href="https://twitter.com/womeninmusicorg/status/973952215730843650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Women face many barriers to entry and advancement in their careers. To facilitate conversations on these challenges and more, SXSW hosted several panels about being a women in the industry. This included Women in Music: Break the Ceiling + Bridge The Gap, which highlighted negotiating tactics to help women advance their careers. Moms In The Music Industry: Strategies for Success covered how to balance a career in music with parenting and how to address the unique compromises women often have to make. Also, the Women In Music Meet Up provided a special networking opportunity specifically for women in the industry.

4. Showcasing Female Artists

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This year's expansive music festival lineup included a diverse array of artists, including plenty of focus on female musicians, whether it's the blues/soul of Deva Mahal, the pop sounds of newcomers Pronoun, Common Holly and Mallrat, stellar guitarist Kaki King, folk/Americana singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus, electronic R&B innovator DVWEZ, and so many more. With every genre represented, it's clear that women not only have a major presence in the music world, in many cases, they're steering the ship. In addition, SXSW's focus on emerging artists gives us a peek into the future of music, and it looks certain that the future looks bright for women.

5. Addressing The #MeToo Movement In Music

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Finally, a panel titled Sexual Misconduct in the Music Industry provided an open forum for women to discuss their experiences of harassment and the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements while brainstorming ways to move forward. The panelists, including Vice's Andrea Domanick, Art Not Love Records' Peggy Hogan, Danger Village's Beth Martinez, and Uproxx's Caitlin White, frankly discussed high-profile sexual misconduct cases in music, the complicated causes for continued abuses, and the impact of social media and call out culture. While the discussion yielded no single solution, and the burden of solving sexual misconduct isn't solely women's to bear, panelist expressed hope that the #MeToo movement will provide a break in the status quo.

"What had long been enshrined as rock star behavior is now clearly sexual misconduct," Domanick said. "People don't want to reckon with that because everyone will have some story. It's about accepting that we can change and evolve."

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"