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Opportunities
for Women In Music: Why the Great Divide? |
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A Guest Editorial by Manada Mosher
There is a significant divide when it comes to opportunities for women
versus men in the music business. I currently co-lead a female-fronted
band, CALICO the band, and jointly operate a female owned record label,
California Country Records, both with Kirsten Proffit. I know what it is
like to be completely DIY (Do It Yourself) and participate in every
aspect of the business. I come from a music business background and
graduated from Berklee College of Music. I have lived and breathed music
my entire life. At one time our band was being considered by a
significant record label. Although that label expressed their love of
our music, they were unable to work with us because they already had
another “girl group” on the roster. I had to laugh at the ridiculousness
of that notion in particular. I cannot imagine that being the case for
any “guy bands.”
Billboard recently spotlighted a new report from the USC Annenberg
School for Communications and Journalism that states:
“In 2017, 83.2% of artists were men and only 16.8% were women.
2017 marked a six-year low for female artists in popular content.
Of 2,767 songwriters credited, 87.7% were male and 12.3% were female.
Nine male songwriters were responsible for 1/5 of the songs in the
sample.
Out of the study’s 651 producers, 98% were male and only 2% female.
A total of 899 individuals were nominated for a Grammy Award between
2013 and 2018. 90.7% of those were male and 9.3% were female.”
This is a reminder of what I have seen and experienced throughout my
career in both the business and artistic sides of music. When it comes
to territory within the music business platforms be it stage time, radio
time, support from labels and publishers, or inclusion on Spotify
playlists; access for women has been a battle.
Modern music business models were primarily set up and created by men in
the 1930s and the industry is still male-dominated today. Now, more than
ever, women are fearlessly tackling fields that were primarily reserved
for men in the past. When I say “reserved” I am referring to
pre-existing structures built by men, with the inclusion of pioneering
women being the rarity. When it comes to being a musical artist, having
proficiency in the technical fields of music, or being an executive
within the business, talent alone doesn’t cut it. Having business acumen
and the ability to fight for and negotiate for territory and access
plays a huge role. For artists, working with excellent talent management
or business management is an important step because no one is truly the
sole architect of success. From what I have seen, every success takes a
team.
The definition of “making it” is going to vary individually, but I like
to start with the baseline of a financially self-sustaining career in
music. The pioneering women in the music field who are “making it,” are
as fierce as or more so than the men in the same field. Often artists
are championed by the competitive men and / or women who comprise their
business team.
As an artist I can speak to the joy of creating and sharing. That is at
the heart of it in its most simple form. The connection between artist
and audience is a priceless human experience. If music could remain in
that space it would be utopian; however, that quickly morphs when art
enters the marketplace. Selling, showcasing, and sharing art is when
women still face their biggest challenge. When those who control the
existing power structures tell you that there is not room on the radio,
or playlists, or stages, or label positions for women, it takes an
infusion of will to push past that and not only stand in the worth of
your creation and value, but to sell it against the odds.
We are now in the midst of the #metoo and #timesup movements, which
developed on the heels of women’s rights taking center stage politically
to the tune of millions of women and men marching in the United States
(and around the world) during the Women’s Marches of 2017 and 2018. It
is clear that now is the time to address the whys and continue working
towards fixing the inequalities faced by women. Much of that, I believe,
starts with the initial education and awareness of the struggles women
face.
Regardless of the resistance I feel as a woman in music, I think it is
important to remain positive and continue to move forward. The climate
for women in the music business will change once the industry’s gender
inequities are faced, understood, and recognized by everyone. I am
forever grateful to all of the women and men who have blazed the trail,
and to the great people I had the pleasure of working with over the
years. I truly believe that continuing steps towards equality will
happen as long as we do not give up.
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From
the comments that I receive on social media, it is clear many men
believe the divide in equality is fabricated, imagined, or an effect of
women not wanting to do the work or take a seat at the table. This is
untrue. I have had the pleasure of working with and witnessing
incredibly hard-working women threaded through the entirety of the
business; it is just that there are so few of them.