Woburn Historical Society Hosting Lecture About Feminism In Music

WOBURN, MA — The Woburn Historical Society on Tuesday will be presenting a lecture titled "The History of Feminism in Music."

The lecture — which is in honor of Women's History Month, which was in March —is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Woburn Memorial High School Auditorium, 88 Montvale Ave. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served after the program.

John Clark, a musician, music historian, writer and lecturer, will deliver a PowerPoint program focusing on a 100-year period (1870 to 1970), and how music played a vital role in American women's struggles for equal status.

In the presentation, Clark will discuss topics like: songs in the late 19th and 20th centuries about women's suffrage and labor strikes, music about women's independence during the Roaring '20s, songs from WWII, and 1960s and 1970s feminist anthems.

Clark, who works under the banner The Great American Music Experience, delivered over 300 presentations last year focusing on music topics like: "Tuning into History: Understanding American History Through its Music," "From Abolition to Civil Rights in Music," and "Irish Music in America," in addition to "The History of Feminism in Music."

Clark has a Ph.D. in Musicology and has been a visiting professor at Connecticut College since 2004, teaching courses in American music, the history of jazz and Western music, and music theory, according to The Syncopated Times.

Additionally, Clark, who plays saxophone and clarinet, has written two books: 2017's "Experiencing Bessie Smith: A Listener's Companion," and 2023's "The Blues Entertainment Industry in the 1920s."