Shattering Gleam: A Podcast About Music and Gender

Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Her Electric Guitar

Episode Summary

Is the electric guitar really so masculine? Sasha Geffen unravels our misconceptions about how the electric guitar has been gendered since its creation, with a lens on today’s shredders like Willow, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent -- but starting from the beginning, with the Godmother of Rock 'N Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Geffen is joined by professor and author Gayle Wald to discuss Tharpe's musical career, style and influence, and the "slippery gendering" of the electric guitar.

Episode Notes

Is the electric guitar really so masculine? Sasha Geffen unravels our misconceptions about how the electric guitar has been gendered since its creation, with a lens on today’s shredders like Willow, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent -- but starting from the beginning, with the Godmother of Rock 'N Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Geffen is joined by professor and author Gayle Wald to discuss Tharpe's musical career, style and influence, and the "slippery gendering" of the electric guitar.