FELLOW CHANGE-MAKERS: SHEROES (((RESOURCES & LINKS)))
There are so many incredible organizations fighting the good fight, and doing work that informs and inspires the SHEROES mission. Many support both female-identifying music industry professionals and aspiring youth. Knowledge is power, so read on!
We will be updating this list regularly, and if there is something we missed, please let us know.
FIRST - DATA. WE LOVE DATA.
Numbers are irrefutable. We have lots of feelings, but we also have hard numbers.
(Then we see the numbers, and we have more feelings.)
Book More Women provides a great quick overview of the state of gender (in)equality in music.
Mission: The inspiration behind #bookmorewomen is the pervasive gender imbalance that currently plagues music festivals.
The goal is to provide a visual representation of the problem, start conversations, and work towards better representation on future lineups.
Methodology: Any band, group, or solo artist who is or features at least one woman or non-binary musician as a permanent member will remain on the poster. Official facebook pages and press photos are used to determine who is and is not an official member of a group.
Percentages posted on twitter and instagram are based on the total number of musical acts playing the festival and the total number of musical acts who meet the above criteria.
For a deeper dive, check out USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative: The Music Coalition. The vision of The Music Coalition is to create diversity and inclusion in the music industry. The mission of the coalition is to engage and work with leaders and executives in the music space to cultivate an inclusive industry culture and business practices that advance equality among artists, musicians, and employees. Guided by the individuals and expertise behind the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Music Coalition will leave a lasting global footprint on consumers by ensuring that music is openly accessible to all.
Their annual report on inclusion in music examines gender and race/ethnicity of artists and content creators across 800 popular songs on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts from 2012 to 2019. The study also evaluates gender for six years of Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Best New Artist.
MUSIC INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS
The shesaid.so community consists of women and gender minorities from all sectors of the music industry: from record labels, artist management companies, and booking agencies, through to technology platforms, creative agencies, composers, artists and more. With headquarters in London and LA, shesaid.so has 15+ global chapters around the world including NYC, France, Italy, and Mumbai to name a few. A majority of their members are decision-makers in their fields and they are increasingly welcoming more and more young people to the network as well.
Shesaid.so’s mission is to connect and empower underrepresented communities towards a more equitable music industry for all, one woman or gender minority at a time.
She Is The Music is a nonprofit organization increasing the number of women working in music – songwriters, engineers, producers, artists and industry professionals.
They are an independent, global network that operates as a unifying organization for women from across the industry, creating strength and impact on a global scale. As an umbrella nonprofit, they also provide resources and support for female-focused initiatives that are working to create meaningful change – both through their own programs, as well as external efforts around the world.
Programs include an all-female songwriting series, industry database of women creators and mentorship program, with more to come. Initiatives serve women in the industry today while fostering the development of future generations.
A first-of-its-kind collaboration spanning the music industry, SITM is powered by creators, publishers, record labels, talent agencies, industry groups, media companies, streaming services, and more.
Together, they are creating change for women and building an equal future for music.
Women in Music is an organization with a mission to advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition.
Women in Music hosts educational, career development and networking events alongside broader programming initiatives to serve the needs of diverse communities around the world.
Women in Music’s seminars, panels, showcases, achievement awards, and youth initiatives celebrate the female contribution to the music world, and strengthens community ties.
Woman In CTRL is a community of women in business and creative industries looking to advance their careers in the music & arts industries.
FOR MUSICIANS / ENGINEERS / PRODUCERS
SoundGirls’ mission is to inspire and empower the next generation of women in audio. They aim to create a supportive community for women in audio and music production, providing the tools, knowledge, and support to further their careers.
Women In Sound is a print and online zine dedicated to women and non-binary people in all areas of live and recorded sound.
She Shreds Magazine is the world's only print publication dedicated to women guitarists and bassists. They strive to change the way women guitarists and bassists are depicted and presented in the music industry and popular culture by creating a platform where people can listen, see and experience what it means to be a woman who shreds. Their goal is to transcend boundaries like gender and genre—supporting radicalism, respect and revolution.
Women’s Audio Mission addresses two critical issues:
Less than 5% of the people creating the sounds, music and media in the daily soundtrack of our lives are women/gender non-conforming (GNC) individuals.
The alarming 70% decline in women/girls enrolling in college STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programs since the year 2000.
Women’s Audio Mission is a San Francisco/Oakland-based nonprofit organization that uses music and media and an incredible “carrot” of a training environment – the only professional recording studio in the world built and run by women/GNC individuals – to attract over 2,000 underserved women/girls/GNC individuals every year to STEM and creative technology studies that inspire them to amplify their voices and become the innovators of tomorrow. WAM’s award-winning curriculum weaves art and music with science, technology and computer programming and works to close the critical gender gap in creative technology careers.
MUSIC EDUCATION FOR GIRLS
The Institute for Musical Arts was founded by Ann Hackler and June Millington in Northern California in 1986 and received its nonprofit status in 1987. It operated its studio and programs from Bodega, California’s historic Old Creamery until 2001 when property was purchased in Western Massachusetts for a permanent facility. The institute’s nonprofit mission is to support women and girls in music and music-related businesses. Rooted in the legacy of progressive equal rights movements, IMA’s development is guided by the visions, needs and concerns of women from a diversity of backgrounds and has grown from the need to nourish ourselves and each other.
The 25-acre estate on which IMA is now located features a house and several barns all built in the early 1800’s. The largest barn has been converted into a recording, performance and teaching facility. The space accommodates a multitude of artistic endeavors and has a seating capacity of 200, a recording chamber that could hold an orchestra, and housing for up to 30 people. In addition to its summer programs for girls, IMA offers concerts and workshops year-round in support of its nonprofit mission which, unless otherwise noted, are open to the public.
Willie Mae Rock Camps For Girls (WMRC) is a non-profit music and mentoring program that empowers cisgender and trans girls, women and/or gender nonbinary youth and adults through music education, volunteerism, and activities that foster self-respect, leadership skills, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.