Determined to steer clear of a corporate, monopolized music industry, folk rocker Ani DiFranco has come to be known as a modern day pioneer of both feminist ideals and the do-it-yourself movement.

DiFranco founded Righteous Babe Records in 1990, at the age of 20. Setting up shop in her hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., the young woman searched for an alternative means of distributing her music, leading her to run her own successful independent record label.

“I don’t think the music industry is conducive to artistic and social change and growth,” said DiFranco in the June 10, 1995 issue of Newsday. “It does a lot to exploit and homogenize art and artists. In order to challenge the corporate music industry, I feel it necessary to remain outside it. I could be selling a lot more albums. Life could be a lot more cushy. But it’s much more interesting to try and hammer out an alternative route without the music industry and maybe be an example for other musicians.”

The success of Righteous Babe opened doors for DiFranco’s own personal musical success and launched her career as a singer/songwriter.

“I think that she achieved something anyone could be proud of. She is the epitome of do-it-yourself,” said local folk artist Kathryn Musilek. “Although her issues are controversial, she is still able to maintain her artistic integrity. She has the money to live, and is set for the rest of her life, and she owes it to no one, but herself.”

DiFranco’s lyrics are deeply pensive and very political, and having jurisdiction over her own label has given DiFranco total creative control of her alternative rock/folk sound.

David Stuart, associate professor of music, said having such control can be a double-edged sword. On one hand the artist does not have to cave into what other people want, yet they pose the risk of becoming self-indulgent, not caring how their actions effect anyone else.

“But with Ani this doesn’t seem the case,” Stuart says. “She continues to grow and learn and experiment.”

Stuart said he is unsure if DiFranco was responsible for the surge of female singer/songwriters, but he insists she was definitely part of it. He said many of today’s popular female musicians are falling away from the idea of writing quality, original music.

“We had these women doing quality music that was really great and now we have bimbo rock,” Stuart said.

Musilek said DiFranco is a definite pioneer – a complete success because of her own hard work.

While many agree on DiFranco’s role as a forging female musician, Patrick Fleming of Bi-Fi Records is quick to point out that she is standing on the shoulders of giants.

“I believe Ani is following in the footsteps of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell,” Fleming said, “but she lacks the universal message that the other two had in their songs.”

Musilek said DiFranco’s strong feminist ideals are important to her place as a musician. She said feminism isn’t about being a woman, but about equal opportunity.

“I want to be treated like I’m a human, for the love of God,” Musilek said. “Ani is good at expressing that we need to be treated as humans, as individuals.”

Fleming agreed, saying he believes men and women should be treated as equals in all aspects.

He maintains that people should respect DiFranco for what she has done for her label and with her music, and not merely because she is a woman.

Still, the fact that DiFranco is a strong female in the world of music means a lot to young female musical hopefuls all over the nation. DiFranco, for example, played a big part in Musilek’s decision to begin writing.

“Just by seeing a female role model doing what I wanted to do – I was inspired,” Musilek said. “She got me started, and I am now finding my own voice.”

Despite her work as pure folk rocker, DiFranco’s music is still regarded by many as a form of feminist credo.

“If you’re in a minority, such as feminists or lesbians might be, people tend to throw everyone together,” Stuart said. “People tend to over-generalize the minority, where there is a whole variety of women attracted to Ani’s music because it is good.”

DiFranco doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to be thrust into the role of spokeswoman or representative for anyone.

DiFranco, illustrates this on her 1998 album “Little Plastic Castles”: “People talk about my image/ like I come in two dimensions/ my lipstick is a sign of my declining mind/ and what I happen to be wearing/ the day that someone takes a picture/ is my new statement for all of womankind.”

“We tend to recycle people,” Stuart said. “People need to reinvent the wheel and discover people for themselves. Whatever compromise Ani has made in her career has been her dealing with the business side of the business, not someone else being in power that certainly gives her a spot in rock `n’ roll history.”