Reassessing gender musical traditions for female improved instrumentation in Deeper Life Bible Church, Port Harcourt Region

Instrumental music practice has witnessed enormous change over the years in sacred and secular environments due to changing worldviews relating to gender roles across cultures and religions of the world. Gender instrumental traditions remain a practice among most Christian denominations, thereby limiting the adequateness of female instrumentalist through less involved performance rolesin worship. Hence, this paper investigated the music ministry of Deeper Life Bible Church, Port Harcourt Region to ascertain gender instrumental music roles in worship. It adopts the use of hegemonic masculinity theory and ethnographic research design. Data were elicited through interviews, participant and nonparticipant observation methods from church leaders: Pastors, Music Directors, Choirmasters, Choir Mistresses and members of the church orchestra. Findings show that female gender is permitted to perform keyboard role in corporate worship experience only in exceptional cases. Also, women are restricted from performing brass musical instruments in any worship gatherings in Port Harcourt Region. The paper therefore recommends that church pastors and leadersshould develop an inclusive policy that accommodates women instrumentalists in training, performing and organizing comprehensive instrumental music activities for the growth and development of the adult music ministry of Deeper Life Bible Church.