Local artists help Smash the Glass
By Kate Hargreaves
Lance Writer
April 2, 2008
Last April when female musicians took to the stage for the first ever Smash the Glass show, Windsor took notice. The event was such a great success that organizer Sonia Nizzer felt she owed it to the community to bring it back this year, bigger and better than before.
Nizzer, 19, a women’s studies and social work major at the University of Windsor, was inspired to create the event when she learned about the glass ceiling phenomenon in one of her classes. The idea describes an invisible barrier that stops qualified women from advancing in their fields solely because of their gender.
This glass ceiling is most recognizable in the business world, but can also been seen in the generally male-dominated music scene.
With Smash the Glass, Nizzer brings together a wide variety of female talent from Southwestern Ontario. She looks to showcase the often overlooked female presence in the music scene and empower women at the same time.
This year, Smash the Glass has expanded into a mini festival. It runs over three days: April 3 at Milk, April 4 at Phog, and April 5 at the Basement.
Nizzer says she was inspired to expand the event by Ladyfest, a global based women-organized music and arts festival.
“Windsor needs something new and exciting artistically,” said Nizzer. “I wanted to bring the event up a notch and I think I surpassed that goal by creating a three day festival.”
With three nights of music to fill this year’s Smash the Glass festival, the line-up is vast and varied.
The first night at Milk features acoustic performances from Windsor musicians Tara Watts, Monique Belanger, Steph Copeland, and This is Me as a Woman. The April 4 show at Phog brings together Guelph acts Rouge, Arrows, and Elbow Beach Surf Club, together with Hot Kid from Cambridge. The final night at the Basement sees Windsor’s Amour Amour, Hamilton’s Hunter Eves, Detroit’s Sneaky and the Rat and the Nice Device, as well as Toronto bands Hot Monogamy, Buckets Of, and The Guest Bedroom, take the stage.
When selecting performers for the show, Nizzer says her main criterion was having a female performer in the band.
“I also try to look for bands who have some kind of feminist ethic, but that’s not required at all,” she explained.
While Smash the Glass features many local performers, Nizzer says there is always room for improvement in the local music atmosphere when it comes to female musicians. “We do, however, have phenomenal female talent,” she stressed, “and I believe that Windsor definitely recognizes that.”
With Smash the Glass building success and looking to become an annual event, there is no doubt that the opportunities for women in Windsor’s music scene are growing. Nizzer hopes to expand the event further in the future, perhaps to collaborate with Ladyfest on a joint project.
“This is a very important cause for me and I would like to continue it for as long as I can,” she said.
While all three nights of Smash the Glass are free of charge, Nizzer welcomes donations to be made to another important cause. She will be donating proceeds to Hiatus House, which helps women and children who are the victims of domestic violence. Also, a donation will be directed to the women’s studies department at the University of Windsor, who Nizzer credits as the source of her ideas.
Smash the Glass runs April 3-5. For more information, check out www.myspace.com/smashtheglassceiling.
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