Lin-Manuel Miranda. Pasek and Paul. Kooman and Dimond. Stephen Schwartz. Jason Robert Brown. All musical role models of mine. All men. How did we get here?

I don’t know if anyone else is as aware of representation and female work in composition, but this weighs on my mind almost every day. It comes from finding a place in this world of writing, but I regularly wonder why all the “famous” musical theatre composers are men. Even though there’s a rise in female composing, where are all the women?

I have some theories: it’s just taking a little longer. Women have only been mainstream creating for two hundred years, give or take. That’s not a lengthy history to come from, in the scheme of the world. This also means there aren’t as many role models. Maybe I’m wrong and our lack of timely history doesn’t relate to the few female icons, but the truth still stands. It’s a vicious cycle I’ve found: women don’t create because they don’t see any women creating. This is the same as female entrepreneurship, or really any other career that has been male dominated. Just judging by the fact that I think about the lack of female role models so frequently means it is affecting my thought processes.

These are all the causes I can suggest. I really don’t have a good answer, except that they’re there. She might not have the same fame or following as Lin or Dear Evan Hansen, but if you’ve heard of Fun Home, you’ve heard of one of the most prolific, contemporary female composers. Jeanine Tesori just isn’t on our radar. Maybe because she doesn’t have a Twitter. Maybe because she’s not young and hip and zany. Truth is, she doesn’t need to be any of those things because her work is successful and she’s making a career. I just wish more people would get as excited as I do when "Ring of Keys" comes on shuffle.

So, listen to each other. Create if you’re following that path. Don’t let anyone stand in your way. Allow your dreams to scare you they’re so big. As long as we’re continuing to push art to better society, it doesn’t matter who you are or how you’re identified. Art is what’s on the pedestal. But it would be nice for the next Lin-Manuel Miranda to be a woman, no offense to the hero of my life.