As a general rule, most respondents made a very dichotomous split when discussing stereotypes. The basic idea is that woodwinds are for females, brass and percussion are for males.
However, there are already a few instruments that are viewed as neither masculine nor feminine. All these stereotypes vary from place to place, and band to band, but the alto sax and the French horn are often viewed as somewhat asexual. These instruments seem to embody both masculine and feminine qualities, while really embodying neither. They are generally quite neutral.
The French horn has been thrown into the brass category, based on mechanics, while the saxophone has been thrown into the woodwind category for the same reason, but neither really fits these restraints. Musically, the horn can emphasize woodwind parts or brass parts and it will often carry its own unique line, independent from either category. The saxophone too, can be powerful in aiding the brass section while it can also blend in with the other woodwinds. In fact, there is evidence from the responses that the horn actually has more feminine qualities, while the sax has a good deal of masculine qualities, despite their mechanical classifications that would categorize them differently.
Some described their experiences with the French horn this way:
It looks as though the horn actually has a lot in common with the flute. The horn is by far the most difficult in the brass family. It not only takes a good deal of air to play, but the smaller mouthpiece makes the whole instrument difficult to control, and it also takes a good ear to be able to find the pitches. Besides all that, it can also be awkward to hold properly. “Our sound, for one, is not traveling directly to the audience, it is absorbed by bodies on all sides of us.” Like the flute, it too is often portrayed in art and photographs as beautiful and decorative (particularly during the holiday season for some reason). So once again, the harder instrument has been given somewhat of a feminine stereotype, and once again there are factors that should give it a masculine one. “I also can't use stopped horn as efficiently as the males can, just because my hands are smaller. I also can't reach the trigger very well because of small hands.” Despite these physical difficulties and the fact that it is technically a brass instrument, the horn is still sometimes viewed musically as stereotypically feminine.
However, the horn also has a double identity attached to it. During the marching season, horn players become mellophone players. The mellophone, in looking more like a trumpet, can often have a more masculine identity than the horn. People who cannot actually play the French horn will sometimes be switched to mellophone for the marching season if the band needs more of this middle voice. As it is easier to play than horn, switching to the mellophone from another instrument, just for the marching season is not that out of the ordinary. As a result, the identity of this section from fall to spring can vary greatly.
The saxophone also has a bit of duality associated with it. Many respondents lumped it with the other woodwinds and labeled it “girly,” while others separated it and gave it a masculine label. Some of the saxophone players themselves pointed out that they are actually a minority within the section, despite the large scale label placed on them as “woodwinds.”
Whether or not they actually minded being a minority is a different story, as many of the female brass players did not really mind. The point is that, as sometimes there are more men on this instrument, the very dynamics of the section can change to make it one that is more threatening. As mentioned earlier, it is most often the primarily male sections that are likely to jokingly annoy and harass the others, but both the horn/mellophone and the saxophone can be either the harassed or the ones doing the harassing, depending on the gendered identity it has from band to band. If the male to female ratio is low, the section will probably have a feminine stereotype within that particular band. If the male to female ratio is high, it will probably have a masculine one.
This theory goes to show how completely arbitrary and constructed these positions are. The only factor in deciding whether these two sections will be masculine or feminine, is the actual gender content by numbers. These stereotypes are not assigned based on the mechanics of the instruments, but rather they are assigned by gender. It seems only natural then, to carry this concept to other instruments when examining masculine and feminine stereotypes. Why couldn’t the flute, for example, just as easily have been assigned to be a masculine instrument?
The saxophone and the French horn are really the gray areas of the band. The sax and horn respondents to this survey were not in agreement about the questions as often as many of the other respondents were. There were no clear ties that could be made and so I have drawn the conclusion that the personalities of these two sections vary greatly from place to place. Usually, like instruments would offer similar answers to questions about stereotypes and identities. For instance, trumpet players universally are thought to have big egos, but there was not the same unity to be found among horn and saxophone players. There was no singular identity to be found.
I argue that this can be related to the arbitrary manner in which men and women have been appointed gender roles within the band. There is a tendency for girls and boys to be somewhat separated from the beginning, and so the instruments themselves have developed identities accordingly. When we encounter exceptions, where gender lines have been less stringently guarded (like the horn and saxophone), we end up with gray areas that really are not as stigmatized as other instruments. These two sections are closer to destigmatization than most of the other instruments, and while destigmatization is the ultimate goal, this chameleon-like way in which identities can shift has not really accomplished much for the band and for women. If a section is more “harassable” depending on the number of women in it, then these sections are not really any more free than the others.