Sing Us a Song, Piano Woman: Female Fans and the Music of Tori Amos
InSing Us a Song, Piano Woman: Female Fans and the Music of Tori Amos, sociologist Adrienne Trier-Bieniek examines the myriad ways in which fans—particularly women–identify with female singer-songwriters like Amos and how these fans turn to her music for therapeutic purposes. Through her own interviews with more than 40 fans, critical analysis of Amos’ lyrics and examination of the life experiences that shaped the artist (and person) Amos is today, the author attempts to unravel this phenomenon. . . .The book focuses not just on the therapeutic uses of music, but also addresses the topics of gender, activism (such as Amos’ own involvement with RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and the methods by which female performers navigate—and oppose—the many limiting stereotypes of women so prevalent in pop culture. Ultimately,Sing Us a Song, Piano Womanshines a spotlight on the motivation and experiences of female fans, an audience often overlooked in traditional studies of music and fandom.(Boxx)It's refreshing to come across a study of a genuine, modern day feminist icon that examines her relationship with her female fans.Sing Us a Songbranches out into a wider exploration of female fan culture, the relationship between feminist music and activism, along with the stereotyping of women both performing and consuming music, but Tori remains a guiding light throughout. . . .Trier-Bienieck begins by dissecting the restrictive stereotypes of gender in pop culture - from 'cock rock' to 'teenybop' - which perpetuate themselves by constantly reminding young men and women of how they're expected to behave. She challenges the perception of many female pop stars as powerful, arguing that all too often they are silenced by the men who dominate the industry and who write, negotiate and profit on their behalf. . . .Sing Us a Songis a valuable contribution to pop music studies and will hopefully open the door for more examinations of female experiences.(The F Word)Any music history or women's studies library will be interested in acquiringSing Us a Song, Piano Woman. It explores now only Tori's music, but how female fans bond with feminist musicians; and it examines and analyzes her lyrics and music with an eye to blending in issues of gender and activism. Social studies classes will appreciate the focus on cultural stereotypes and how Amos represented a type of fan that went beyond the image of the screaming teen to analyze more intellectual lyrics. The focus on women's emotions and a more mature musical style makes for a powerful survey recommended for any college-level collection looking for more than light biography.(Midwest Book Review)This study paves the way for future research on female singer-songwriters and their multifaceted relationships to fan culture. The text serves as a strong resource for fans of Amos, sociologists, feminists, and people investigating the role of women in music.(Journal of American Culture)This book makes significant contributions to our understanding of female fan culture, the relationship between feminist music and feminist activism and how feminist musicians negotiate and challenge stereotypes in popular culture. As Adrienne Trier-Bieniek persuasively points out, female fans have largely been ignored in studies of fandom and music.(Patricia Leavy, author of Essentials of Transdisciplinary Research and Low-Fat Love)Sing Us a Song, Piano Womanis a timely text that broadens the scope and significance of fan studies. By accentuating the voices of women who self-identify as Tori Amos fans, Adrienne Trier-Bieniek uncovers the complex and meaningful ways in which popular music can be a considerable catalyst for empowerment, healing, and feminist activism.(Rebekah Farrugia, author of Beyond the Dance Floor: Female DJs, Technology, and Electronic Dance Music Culture)Until now, our understanding of fans and fan culture has focused primarily on men, or on the female fans of male rockers and boy bands. In this book, Adrienne Trier-Bieniek takes a long, deep look at Tori Amos' fans – and explores how women relate to the music and musicians that empower them. It's long overdue.(Beth Winegarner, managing editor of www.undented.com; author of Read the Music)