She loved playing the drums from the time she was a kid, and fortunately for her, she had a very supportive dad who saw her potential. She began performing locally, and gradually, she worked her way up in the music business. Other musicians who watched her perform were very impressed: they didn't expect a young woman to play as well as she did. She became a student of drumming, who eagerly learned from some of the biggest names, and always tried to improve her skills.
But as good as she was at her craft, Viola Smith never became famous. She probably should have-- even some of the critics said she was a gifted musician. Unfortunately, she was performing during the 1920s through the 1950s-- an era when "girl drummers" were still considered a novelty. They were expected to be proficient but never lose their femininity; in fact, one of the network radio programs she regularly appeared on was called the "Hour of Charm." Most female musicians back then could only find work in an "all-girl orchestra"-- Viola's band was called the Coquettes and they were well-received wherever they toured. She repeatedly showed that she was a skilled and talented drummer, and as good as any man. But she never got the kind of recognition that her male counterparts received, nor did she make the money they made. Still, she carved out a successful niche, despite the fact that it was a different time. And although she sometimes had to fight to be taken seriously, it was a fight she usually won. When Viola Smith died in October 2020 at age 107 (!), she had a long list of remarkable achievements.
When I was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early October of 2025, a lot of the folks in attendance were surprised to learn from Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson that Rush would be getting back together and planning a tour with the new drummer they had chosen. And the new drummer was a woman, Anika Nilles. Of course, as a second-wave feminist, hearing that Rush would now have a female drummer made me very happy. But it also reminded me that even with Rush, things had changed. I recalled a conversation about feminism that I'd had with Neil decades ago (he wasn't a fan of it-- you may have seen the Rush Deep Dive webcast I was part of circa 2022, where I did a feminist interpretation of "The Trees").
In fairness to Neil, in the 1970s and 1980s, he was an acolyte of Ayn Rand, and much more traditional about gender roles. I never heard anyone in the band making sexist remarks, but I doubt they would have been seeking a female musician for their band at that time; the music industry was male-dominated, and most of the rock bands were all male (other than a couple of all-female bands, just like in Viola's day).
But times definitely changed. When his health made it impossible for him to continue, Neil was happy to teach his little daughter Olivia about drumming; he was so proud of her when she showed an aptitude for it. And I have the feeling that, were he still here, he'd be absolutely fine about a female drummer for Rush, especially someone as talented as Anika. In fact, she wouldn't be a "female drummer"-- she'd just be considered a drummer. And isn't that the way it should be? When I was growing up, young girls were not encouraged to be drummers. Today, young girls have a wide range of options, and being a drummer isn't regarded as so unusual anymore. Meanwhile, Anika has settled in as Rush's new drummer, welcomed and loved by the fans. And somewhere in rock and roll heaven, Viola Smith is probably smiling.
No comments:
Post a Comment