-Just cogitating over treasured breakfast-and noticed the common term for elderly or revered flute or whistle players,“geezer” - is applied only to older/accomplished male musicians.
-There really should be a gender-specific term for accomplished women flutists,whistlers or musicians of other types-as much for linguistic equity as for many highly accomplished women in trad music currently and historically. “Geezess” and “geezeress” are both laughable (well, “geezer” is silly anyway) and laboriously derivative of the male honorific. “Maven” isn’t quite it IMHO as its meaning is a little different.
-Suggestions for a female-specific corollary of “geezer” to indicate respect of skill, tradition or culture? There must be
a term right for this, or do I just have too much time on my hands and too little on my plate? (Those affirming the latter are invited to keep their own counsel. )
‘Crone’ always sounds like an old witch! i.e. “You OLD CRONE!”
‘FluteGrannies’? Nah,doesn’t sound right!
‘Flute mother’? hmm… sounds a bit like ‘Earthmother’..o.k.if you are a ‘new age’ type…
Then again turn it round and it sounds quite funky..like something out of a Blaxsploitation film “HEY,You MOTHER-FLUTER!!!”
Well, “geezer” is not ordinarily thought of as a compliment, either; if we hadn’t collectively slapped that label on a bunch of fantastic old-time recordings of great trad players, I don’t think most men over the age of – what? – fifty? sixty? eighty? would much appreciate being called a geezer.
Hey, look at them ol’ geezers!
They ain’t geezers, they’ze the Rollin’ Stones!
So, that said, for women, how 'bout “old biddy” players?
…but you just can’t win in the end. Why not simply use the gender-neutral “elder”? But it implies knowhow; this may be up for debate. “Venerable” works, but implies that I might like her playing. Context, context. “Ancient” conjures up “hag”, only handling it with tongs.
I suppose I’ll keep resorting to multiworded laudatories instead.
Long before the band Cherish the Ladies, there was a great album called Cherish the Ladies by Peg McGrath (flute), Kathleen Smyth (fiddle), and Mary Mulholland (piano), which included the jig by the same name.
-A term tasteful & descriptive enough to apply to Etta Baker or the late Elizabeth Cotten would serve, ’ though for guitar and voice in lieu of flute. I’ve heard of Mrs.Crotty but don’t know much about her. Perhaps this could apply to her as well. (treading tenderly on ITM forum boundaries…)
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