Part I This song changed my life. I sang this song to myself through two engineering degrees. First Architectural, then Chemical. When the Dean of the University of Illinois told me a woman could not do it, I laughed because I had Willie singing in my head since I was in high school. In high school my guidance councilor said I should be a teacher or social worker. Instead I listened to Willie Tyson and went on to be an Engineer.
I just sent this to my wife. Pregnant at 18 and two kids to raise as a bookkeeper and then a BS in Accounting. When we got together 15 years later she started over with an AA in land surveying. Said she never met a CPA who she liked anyway. Today, another 20 years later, she is a geospatial engineer with two engineering masters degrees from the Colorado School of Mines and Texas A&M and working internationally. She will love this song.
Part II I sang it during the day when the professors and other students laughed and during the nights while I worked in a factory to earn my tuition. When I was forced to take typing class in middle school (a required class for girls) I hated that class because I did not want to be a secretary. Now I am grateful I can type because it helped me in my job as an Engineer and in writing my book. As an Engineer I built Power Plants and worked for Intel Corporation for 20 years.
My dad sang this to my sister and I as a kid, and it (the Frankie Armstrong version) became our fast favorite. Every car ride for years, we belted out this beautiful song. Now I sing it to my son! Thanks for posting!!
Part III I helped develop the first Pentium Computer chip while working at Intel Corporation. So if anyone asks what modern technology and Feminism have in common -- this song is the answer. When we had Diversity Days at Intel I would always play this song for the employees.
Part IV The greatest reward for me was in the early 2000's a woman Engineer at Intel came up to me during one of our Diversity Events after hearing I'm Gonna Be an Engineer and said 'I don't understand. Who would not want a woman to be an engineer?' Deborah Rettke
Peggy Seeger is a brilliant performer, and obviously a strong feminist as well. I was at a concert of hers in which she contrasted the folk songs about happy bachelors with ones about unhappy old maids, to make the point about how men and women are taught different things about marriage.
And to answer the question of the musicians in the Seeger family: Charles (father, musicologist), Ruth Crawford (notable classical composer, Peggy's mom), Pete (from Charles' first marriage), Peggy, Mike, Barbara, and Penny. Pete, Peggy, Mike, Barbara, and Penny (who died rather young) all were folk performers of some stripe or another. I've only had the privilege of seeing Pete, Peggy, and Mike perform, but an incredibly talented family, without question.
I love this song and if I ever am asked along by Desert Island Discs this will be my Number One. I first heard it a long time ago and thought it was amazing. I think I heard Pete do it in the Seventies. Only now have I hard Peggy do it herself and trully she gets in the throwaway lines that Pete has excised. Good points. I know I`m third class on account of pay but a first class engineer. How many of us can make the same claim?? Quite a few I reckon. Why isn`t Shevey writing about film for the New Yorker?
Thank you BBC Radio 3's Fiona Talkington (Late Junction) for making me aware that Pete had a sister! The very fact I wasn't aware of this kinda makes Peggy's point. :(
Oh Peggy, what has changed in all these years? I wanted (19070s) so much for women to be what they wanted - engiineers or mammiies - but we are still thirled to the uterus and child care!
A bit has changed - there still aren't too many female engineers but people haven't told them all their life they should be secretaries and wives, nor can anyone openly paid them less than the men. There are schemes to get women into STEM nowadays
Most of the women I know in STEM still have multiple stories of being told throughout their life that STEM is too hard for a woman. A lot of them also leave for several years after having kids and don't advance as much in their careers as a result. Meanwhile their partners career prospects improve because they have a family to support. Women are expected to have careers now but still expected to do most of the childcare and housework. Little girls are still taught to play with dolls while STEM toys are generally thought of as boys toys. Have you been in a toy store lately? There is still lots of room for improvement.
WOW! I wish this wasn’t still topical. It’s a sad reality that society hasn’t moved that far from this mindset. Sexism and misogyny are alive and well. The fight for equal pay and equal rights, goes on. I’m sending this to my daughter. A punk musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who STILL has to complete for recognition as a PERSON, not “good, for a girl”. A bit disheartening.
That is not what an engineer is. That is a conductor. Engineering is the study and practice of turning scientific advancements into real-world products, solving problems using technological solutions, etc
Yes, she would be and was for decades. Peggy Seeger is a "source" singer. Kind of like Jean Ritchie. She was raised by Ruth Crawford Seeger, a collector of traditional music from the U.S. Her voice has always carried her folk roots. She is Pete's half sister and younger. She was married for years to Ewan MacCall, a fabulous traditional Scots singer/actor/song writer and together they made a whole bunch of great radio shows for BBC about the traditional jobs being lost and the music that went with them. They made sets of recordings of the Child Ballads that I studied as a singer of traditional ballads. Peggy plays everything and is a really fine instrumentalist as well as a true "folk" singer. She may be an acquired taste. I suggest that you listen on RUclips to some of her earlier recordings, you just might come to like her voice. She writes a lot of her songs now as did Ewan before he passed. She lived in England and raised her kids there. Lives here now. Ewan passed a few decades back and I feel so fortunate that I got to hear them perform live here in Berkeley.
![[DRAGON BALL LEGENDS REVEALS ＆ STUFF] LEGENDS FESTIVAL 2024 Special Edition Part 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/af0phKxitX8/mqdefault.jpg)
Part I
This song changed my life. I sang this song to myself through two engineering degrees. First Architectural, then Chemical. When the Dean of the University of Illinois told me a woman could not do it, I laughed because I had Willie singing in my head since I was in high school. In high school my guidance councilor said I should be a teacher or social worker. Instead I listened to Willie Tyson and went on to be an Engineer.
Congrats! I'm glad you persisted and pursued your interests.
I just sent this to my wife. Pregnant at 18 and two kids to raise as a bookkeeper and then a BS in Accounting. When we got together 15 years later she started over with an AA in land surveying. Said she never met a CPA who she liked anyway. Today, another 20 years later, she is a geospatial engineer with two engineering masters degrees from the Colorado School of Mines and Texas A&M and working internationally. She will love this song.
Part II
I sang it during the day when the professors and other students laughed and during the nights while I worked in a factory to earn my tuition. When I was forced to take typing class in middle school (a required class for girls) I hated that class because I did not want to be a secretary. Now I am grateful I can type because it helped me in my job as an Engineer and in writing my book. As an Engineer I built Power Plants and worked for Intel Corporation for 20 years.
This is the beautiful part of RUclips where people aren't terrible. I appreciate you all. And especially Peggy Seeger! :D
My dad sang this to my sister and I as a kid, and it (the Frankie Armstrong version) became our fast favorite. Every car ride for years, we belted out this beautiful song. Now I sing it to my son! Thanks for posting!!
Part III
I helped develop the first Pentium Computer chip while working at Intel Corporation. So if anyone asks what modern technology and Feminism have in common -- this song is the answer. When we had Diversity Days at Intel I would always play this song for the employees.
Part IV
The greatest reward for me was in the early 2000's a woman Engineer at Intel came up to me during one of our Diversity Events after hearing I'm Gonna Be an Engineer and said 'I don't understand. Who would not want a woman to be an engineer?'
Deborah Rettke
Thanks to Peggy Seeger for writing this wonderful song and thanks to you for sharing this performance of it.
When I was 11 my Dad bought me a Peggy Server album Different therefore Equal. Amazing songs this one included. Thank you for uploading
This is so charming!
Peggy Seeger is a brilliant performer, and obviously a strong feminist as well. I was at a concert of hers in which she contrasted the folk songs about happy bachelors with ones about unhappy old maids, to make the point about how men and women are taught different things about marriage.
This woman is so lovely, I love her songs.
Just heard it today, oh how clever is this song. I love it
this song changed my life ... thanks for posting
Love this
Jesus, her memory for lyrics is astounding.
And to answer the question of the musicians in the Seeger family: Charles (father, musicologist), Ruth Crawford (notable classical composer, Peggy's mom), Pete (from Charles' first marriage), Peggy, Mike, Barbara, and Penny. Pete, Peggy, Mike, Barbara, and Penny (who died rather young) all were folk performers of some stripe or another. I've only had the privilege of seeing Pete, Peggy, and Mike perform, but an incredibly talented family, without question.
hi Peggy, Brigid here, met you and Ewan when in band with Hamish, Neill and Calum. Great song. You have inspired me to start writing again. Much love
This is lovely. Thanks for posting it.
she is wonderful.
I am a man and I have flunked out of engineering. My hat's off to anyone, female or otherwise, who can do it.
Go for it peggy, you'll be putting up sentries and dispensers in no time!
I heard this song 50 years ago, a duet with a guy named Bill Vanaveer and a woman. Great song. Hurray WBAI.
I love this song (I know lots of female engineers). The melody is an old one, originally from Erik Satie in the 1800's (Jack in the Box Prelude).
Thank you for the information :)
For nysengineer Pete has another great musical sister CAROL BAYER Seeger , Check her out too.
I love this song and if I ever am asked along by Desert Island Discs this will be my Number One. I first heard it a long time ago and thought it was amazing. I think I heard Pete do it in the Seventies. Only now have I hard Peggy do it herself and trully she gets in the throwaway lines that Pete has excised.
Good points. I know I`m third class on account of pay but a first class engineer. How many of us can make the same claim?? Quite a few I reckon.
Why isn`t Shevey writing about film for the New Yorker?
+Sandra Shevey Truth!
+Sandra Shevey Did you hear Peggy on desert island discs?
+irish66 No but I saw her in person in concert last year....
+Sandra Shevey I din;t know if you can receive this, where you are but here ye go-www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00948mh
+irish66 Got it and thanks....I live in London...
Thank you BBC Radio 3's Fiona Talkington (Late Junction) for making me aware that Pete had a sister! The very fact I wasn't aware of this kinda makes Peggy's point. :(
If you know where Willie Tyson is please tell her THANK YOU!!!!!!
Oh Peggy, what has changed in all these years? I wanted (19070s) so much for women to be what they wanted - engiineers or mammiies - but we are still thirled to the uterus and child care!
Some mistake I think, Carole Bayer Sager no relation to the Seeger dynasty.
A bit has changed - there still aren't too many female engineers but people haven't told them all their life they should be secretaries and wives, nor can anyone openly paid them less than the men. There are schemes to get women into STEM nowadays
Most of the women I know in STEM still have multiple stories of being told throughout their life that STEM is too hard for a woman. A lot of them also leave for several years after having kids and don't advance as much in their careers as a result. Meanwhile their partners career prospects improve because they have a family to support. Women are expected to have careers now but still expected to do most of the childcare and housework. Little girls are still taught to play with dolls while STEM toys are generally thought of as boys toys. Have you been in a toy store lately?
There is still lots of room for improvement.
WOW! I wish this wasn’t still topical. It’s a sad reality that society hasn’t moved that far from this mindset. Sexism and misogyny are alive and well. The fight for equal pay and equal rights, goes on. I’m sending this to my daughter. A punk musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who STILL has to complete for recognition as a PERSON, not “good, for a girl”. A bit disheartening.
Do you really need that much education just to drive a train?
That is not what an engineer is. That is a conductor. Engineering is the study and practice of turning scientific advancements into real-world products, solving problems using technological solutions, etc
Thames I thought a conductor just took the tickets?
Arundhati Bakshi , I may be mistaken but what do conductors have to do with the song?
Thames
You *really* need to develop a sense of humour.
Thames
You really need to expand your vocabulary:
dictionary.reference.com/browse/engineer?s=t
If her last name weren't Seeger, would she be on stage? Peggy ain't Pete. So no. She's not "brilliant." She's Pete's sister and rather mediocre. zzzzz
She can't sing. She can barely play and she has pretty much zero stage presence. Let's be honest.
Pete is obviously a legend but Peggy is far and away a better vocalist. It isn't even close.
Yes, she would be and was for decades. Peggy Seeger is a "source" singer. Kind of like Jean Ritchie. She was raised by Ruth Crawford Seeger, a collector of traditional music from the U.S. Her voice has always carried her folk roots. She is Pete's half sister and younger. She was married for years to Ewan MacCall, a fabulous traditional Scots singer/actor/song writer and together they made a whole bunch of great radio shows for BBC about the traditional jobs being lost and the music that went with them. They made sets of recordings of the Child Ballads that I studied as a singer of traditional ballads. Peggy plays everything and is a really fine instrumentalist as well as a true "folk" singer. She may be an acquired taste. I suggest that you listen on RUclips to some of her earlier recordings, you just might come to like her voice. She writes a lot of her songs now as did Ewan before he passed. She lived in England and raised her kids there. Lives here now. Ewan passed a few decades back and I feel so fortunate that I got to hear them perform live here in Berkeley.
Kinky
She’s fingerpicking her guitar which ain’t for beginners, her vocals are on pitch. 😄
Kinky BTW - The story is brilliant too.
This woman is so lovely, I love her songs.