what does turn up the volume mean?

A message from Carmel Holt:

Dearest listener,

I am so glad you are here. And you are listening. And now that you are here, and listening, I want to share some real talk with you about what SHEROES Radio is about, and why its very existence is so vitally important. It carries a message. Yes, I want to celebrate and amplify womxn in music. But I also feel very strongly that going beyond the echo-chamber of girl power and female-empowerment is crucial if we are going to make real change happen. You with me so far? Awesome.

Here’s the deal.

From on air hosts to the playlists they present, radio has always been dominated by male voices. The volume of female-identifying voices is historically, and remains stubbornly, low.
 In fact, it is still rare to hear songs by womxn or by female-fronted bands back-to-back on radio playlists, and female-identifying hosts and programmers are still in the minority. It is also rare to hear two radio programs hosted by womxn back to back. Drivetime morning shows and afternoon shows are typically the airshifts with the highest listenership, and therefore the more powerful on-air positions, but with the exception of having female sidekicks, these are typically hosted by men. Have you ever noticed this when you’re listening to radio? If not, I invite you to listen with fresh ears.

The sad truth is, wherever you look, statistics show that womxn are underrepresented across the board in music - from festival lineups to the Grammy's, and yes, your airwaves. 

So while SHEROES Radio is here to create a space to increase the volume of womxn heard on the radio, it is also here to raise awareness of these gender disparities. To get louder about the gender biases and sexist ageism that have been baked into how radio is programmed, as well as the systematic misogyny that determines what artists get promoted, how festival lineups are booked, and even - how you hear the playlists that the experts are curating for you (who are, by the way, overwhelmingly male and white). SHEROES Radio is here to give you a chance to hear something you may not even be aware you are missing. 


SHEROES Radio is an invitation to you to open your ears a bit wider to experience - perhaps for the very first time - what an hour of womxn’s voices on the radio sounds like. And, it is a rallying cry. Womxn, non-binary folx, POC: it is time to TURN UP THE VOLUME of those that don’t have an equal seat at the table. The stations that carry this show are now part of the movement. By listening, so are you. Together we can start shifting the narrative. Gender is not a genre. Music is meant to be shared. By everyone. So keep tuning in. Let’s make it louder until they listen.

All love, always,

Carmel