Music Insider

Introducing the Trans Charter for the Music Industry

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The music industry has always been a space of expression, culture-shifting sound, and innovation—but it hasn’t always been safe or inclusive for everyone. That’s exactly what seasoned music professional and advocate Saskhia Menendez is setting out to change with the launch of the Trans Charter for the Music Industry.

With over a decade of experience under her belt, Saskhia is a multi-racial trans woman whose work spans podcasting, public speaking, DEI consultancy, and grassroots activism. You may know her as a 2023 Innovator at Keychange, a former board member at The F List Music, or the award-nominated host of the Music Industry Insights Worldwide podcast. She’s also been recognised by the Access All Areas Inclusion and Diversity Awards, and was inducted into the Roll of Honour Women in Music 2023. In short, she’s a powerhouse—and her latest initiative, the Trans Charter, is another vital step in her ongoing mission to make the industry safer and more equitable for all.

What is the Trans Charter?

The Trans Charter for the Music Industry is a transformative initiative designed to create real, systemic change. It offers a set of actionable guidelines that music organisations, labels, venues, festivals, and professionals can commit to. This isn’t just lip service—it’s a roadmap for building a more inclusive and affirming environment for trans and non-binary artists and professionals.

The Charter’s core pillars include:

  • Establishing trans-affirming policies and best practices.

  • Amplifying trans and non-binary voices through authentic representation.

  • Providing comprehensive educational resources and training.

  • Creating networks of support and collaboration for marginalised communities.

“It’s more than a document,” Saskhia explains. “It’s a call to action for the industry to step up and become a force for inclusivity.”

What inspired you to create the Trans Charter for the Music Industry?

The inspiration for creating the Trans Charter stems from years of witnessing the harsh realities that trans and non-binary individuals face in the music industry, ranging from exclusion and misrepresentation to unsafe working environments. As someone who's lived through these challenges, I felt a deep responsibility to take action. The Trans Charter is my response—a proactive solution that promotes accountability, creates safer spaces, and ensures that every trans and non-binary voice is heard, respected, and valued within the industry. This Charter is about building a future where inclusivity and respect are not just ideals, but everyday practices in the music world.

What are the biggest barriers trans and non-binary individuals currently face in the music industry, and how does the Charter address them?

Trans and non-binary individuals in music face multiple barriers, including a lack of representation, systemic bias, and environments that are often unsafe or unwelcoming. These issues are compounded by limited visibility in leadership roles, underrepresentation in key areas, and challenges with discriminatory practices. The Trans Charter directly addresses these obstacles by offering a clear framework for change, through policy development, advocacy, and the creation of inclusive spaces. It lays out actionable steps that promote diversity, representation, and systemic change. By filling these gaps, the Charter works to create an environment where trans and non-binary talent can thrive, be celebrated, and contribute meaningfully to the industry.

How can industry professionals, organizations, and allies support the Charter’s principles?

Supporting the principles of the Trans Charter is about more than just signing a document, it's about real, tangible action. Industry professionals, organizations, and allies must actively engage with the Charter's guidelines, foster inclusive practices, and continuously educate themselves on the challenges faced by trans and non-binary individuals. This can include amplifying trans voices, creating mentorship programs, and making intentional efforts to ensure that their spaces are safe and supportive. True allyship involves standing up against discrimination, advocating for equal opportunities, and helping shape an industry where everyone, regardless of gender identity, can succeed and be celebrated.

How can people reach out to you?

If you're interested in learning more, exploring partnership opportunities, or joining the movement to support trans and non-binary inclusivity in the music industry, please feel free to contact me at saskhia.menendez@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. Let's work together to build a music industry that truly values diversity and inclusivity.

Want to Be Part of the Change?

Saskhia and the growing community behind the Trans Charter are inviting industry professionals, allies, and organisations to sign up, show their support, and take the next step toward real change.

Sign the Charter HERE.

Connect with Saskhia Menendez

Email: saskhia.menendez@gmail.com
Instagram: @mizsaskia
LinkedIn: Saskhia Menendez

Liaison Artists’ Mariesa Stevens & Emma Hoser Talk Coachella, Festival Bookings & Mentorship in Music

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For Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting two incredible women making an impact in the electronic music industry—Mariesa Stevens, Partner & VP at Liaison Artists, and Emma Hoser, Senior Agent at the agency.

With years of experience in artist bookings, festival placements, and mentorship, Mariesa and Emma have played key roles in shaping the careers of some of the most influential house and techno artists. But their work goes beyond talent representation—they are committed to supporting and mentoring the next generation of women in the music business.

In this Q&A for shesaid.so, they share their journeys, biggest career milestones, and advice for women looking to break into the industry. From overcoming industry challenges to securing major festival slots, their insights provide valuable lessons for anyone looking to grow in music.

Mariesa Stevens (Partner/VP), Liaison Artists

Mariesa Stevens serves as Partner and Vice President at Liaison Artists, a prestigious San Francisco-based booking agency. Since joining as the agency's 3rd employee in 2008, Mariesa has been instrumental in establishing Liaison Artists as the foremost destination for securing top-tier electronic music talent. Inspired by San Francisco's dynamic underground electronic scene, she acknowledges iconic SF figures and events for shaping her passion for music, including Mark Farina, Doc Martin, the Sunset Campout, the monthly [Kontrol] party at The EndUp, and the Dirtybird BBQ in Golden Gate Park.

Throughout her 16-year tenure, Mariesa has significantly influenced the agency's trajectory by meticulously curating a roster of exceptional, yet undiscovered, house and techno artists. Renowned for bridging the gap between US and European talents, Mariesa has introduced numerous artists, such as Maya Jane Coles, Maceo Plex, Bruno Pronsato, Sammy Dee, Hot Since 82, and Ash Lauryn, to audiences in North and South America. She has also played a pivotal role in expanding Liaison Artists' presence at the Coachella music festival, from securing the agency's first artist slot in 2013 to commanding 7% of the festival's entire roster in 2022.

As a black woman, Mariesa places utmost importance on representation, which constantly drives her endeavors within the agency. Recognizing the scarcity of black women in the electronic music scene, both as artists and agents, she remains committed to providing platforms for women, particularly women of color, to flourish in previously underrepresented spaces. Her greatest source of pride in her career stems from mentoring young women in the industry and witnessing their growing achievements.

What was your start in music, and what inspired you to pursue this path?

I was always a huge music nerd I would consume as much as I could.  It was big in my house.  My Dad had a huge record collection and we’d sit around and discuss and listen together.  Artists like Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin and my Dad’s favorite artists The Temptations and Aretha Franklin really shaped me. 

On a visit to San Francisco in the early 2000’s with some friends they convinced me to go out to Club Mighty where Miguel Migs and Mark Farina were playing and I just fell in love immediately.  The sense of community on the dancefloor that night was something I’d never seen before. 

I was hooked and ended up moving to San Francisco  in 2008 and was working as an intern at a tiny start-up agency, but never felt like I fully belonged there.  I was a regular at the infamous KONTROL parties at The EndUp and made friends with their incredible DJ and resident, Nikola Baytala who went on to introduce me to Andrew Kelsey and the rest is history. 

Liaison Artists has had a big presence at festivals like Coachella. Could you share a couple of top tips on how artists can stand out and make an impact on such big stages?

As you can imagine a festival like Coachella is incredibly competitive and only so many slots.  As agents we’re pitching them all year long.  We use content like video clips of past performances and relevant press.  IN addition to that the artist will need a solid history of playing in the Los Angeles market often times will play a part in getting on Coachella.  

With social media and streaming being so important today, what advice do you give artists to stay authentic while building a strong connection with their fans online?

Authenticity is the key word here, I think that is something that fans can see immediately.  

I think giving fans a glimpse into your creative process, daily life, and the journey of your artistry. This transparency can help foster a deeper connection. 

I’d stick to what matters to you, as that will attract like-minded fans who resonate with your message. While it's important to showcase your music, sharing other interests and aspects of your life that reflect who you are and provide fans with more to connect with. It’s all about telling YOUR story. 

My biggest piece of advice is simply to stay true to your values and  don’t compromise your beliefs or artistic vision to fit trends.

Looking back at your career, what are some of the moments you’re most proud of?

There have been so many moments over the years but some that come to mind, booking my first artist on Coachella, selling out my first tour, 

I think the thing I am most proud of is helping to mentor our young staff many of whom started as interns / assistants and are now incredibly successful and hard working agents. 

Playing a part in helping them build their careers is just as rewarding as what we do for our artists 

What am I listening to these days? 

My taste is all over the place and I tend to have 10 or so artists that never leave my rotation like Erykah Badu, Frank Ocean,  Portishead, Aaliyah,  DMX, Mariah.

Wizkid’s Made in Lagos has been a constant as well.

Love what a lot of the rap girlies are doing at the moment Flo, Doechii, Megan and GloRilla - way too many to list!

Emma Hoser

Emma Hoser is a senior agent at Liaison Artists, representing a diverse roster of electronic DJs and producers with a heavy focus on the underground house and techno sound. Emma’s roster includes clients Adam Beyer, CirezD, Eli & Fur, Nicole Moudaber, Paco Osuna, Pawsa, Sasha, and many more. Emma volunteers as a mentor for young adults at local organizations including the Lower East Side Girls Club and The LGBTQI+ Center in NY.

Emma began her journey in music as a club promoter in Florida during college. She later moved to San Francisco to finish her degree, and continued pursuing her love for music by selling mixtapes to stores all over the USA. Through these endeavors she met many DJs, promoters, and agents.

Upon finishing college she moved to New York to start working in the agency business. After stints at several different agencies, she found her home in 2008 working for Paul Morris at AM Only. AM Only partnered with Paradigm in 2012 and fully merged into Paradigm in 2017. In 2020, she started at Liaison Artists, the best independent agency in the US and who specialize in cutting edge international talent with a laser focused personalized touch.


What was your start in music, and what inspired you to pursue this path? *

I fell in love with electronic dance music and the DJ culture during my college years in Gainesville, Florida. There’s this incredible club there called Simon’s that hosted some of the biggest names in the industry, like Sasha, John Digweed & Laurent Garnier. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music, but I wasn’t sure what path to take. So, I decided to throw a few parties to see if that was something I genuinely enjoyed.

After finishing my first two years of college in Florida, I moved to San Francisco to complete my remaining studies. There, I worked for a couple of DJs, helping them sell their mix tapes across the United States. These experiences exposed me to a diverse network of DJs, promoters, and agents, which ultimately led me to an exciting opportunity.

I was offered a summer job at an agency in New York City. After the summer, I finished my studies and relocated to the Big Apple to join the agency full-time. From that moment on, I knew that this was the career I wanted to pursue. 

Emma, you’re also involved in mentoring young adults. What advice would you give to young women hoping to enter the music business?

Breaking into the music industry as a woman can be challenging, but with persistence, self-belief, and the right strategies, you can carve out a fulfilling career. It involves continuous learning, networking, advocating for yourself, and uplifting other women. Be prepared for criticism and setbacks, but don’t let them derail your confidence or your goals.

The music industry can be tough, with challenges and rejections being a part of the journey. The key is to learn from these experiences and use them as fuel for your growth. Focus on your abilities and be ready to listen and learn, but also don’t hesitate to speak up.

Embrace failure as a stepping stone to success. The most successful individuals learn from their mistakes and use them as catalysts for future success. Building strong, authentic relationships with artists, managers, promoters, and your co-workers is a powerful way to gain respect. Learning to assert yourself in meetings, take initiative, and ensure your voice is heard, and over time that earns you trust and credibility in the industry.

What have been some of the challenges you’ve both faced as women in the industry? *

Like many women in the music industry, I’ve personally witnessed how male dominance can sometimes pose challenges, such as being underestimated, overlooked, or having to prove myself more than my male counterparts. Despite the challenges of navigating a business where women are underrepresented, I’ve consistently found that staying true to myself, maintaining resilience, and collaborating with like-minded individuals, including artists, managers, and my company’s representatives, is imperative for success. 

Looking back at your careers, what are some of the moments you’re most proud of? *

I absolutely thrive on the success of my artists, especially when I start from the very beginning with them and witness their growth from performing at small venues to selling out big venues and headlining festivals. However, what fills me with the greatest pride in my career is mentoring young individuals, whether it’s in educational settings,

LGBTQ+ centers, or the Lower Eastside Girls Club. I take great pleasure in providing advice to other women in the music industry and the people I work with.

I enjoy helping them navigate the next steps in their careers and guiding them through the intricacies of the business. My passion lies in elevating young women from the early stages of their music careers to becoming successful agents!

Connect with Mariesa Stevens & Emma Hosser | Liaison Artists

Olivia Shalhoup: From Assistant to CEO, Helping Artists to Grow

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As an early believer in the power of social media for artists, Olivia Shalhoup is the Founder and CEO of Amethyst Collab, one of the music industry's most cutting edge social media marketing agencies. There, she has led digital marketing and PR campaigns for chart-topping artists such as Ashanti, Trippie Redd, DaniLeigh, and more, as well as working alongside label clients Interscope, Universal Music Group, Def Jam Recordings, Warner Music, Sony Music, 300 Ent, and others.

Going from assistant to renowned CEO in just 2 years, Olivia began her journey in music as a concerts assistant at ICM Partners in Los Angeles. After experiencing the corporate world of music, Olivia decided to create a company that challenged the norms of how business and rising through the ranks of the music industry occurred. Since, Olivia has been an outspoken advocate of entrepreneurship in the music industry, especially for young women.

How did you get your start in music?

I began interning at Carpark Records in Washington DC. I cold emailed the founder and offered to intern, met them for an interview, and a few weeks later I was part of the team. I really enjoyed working with Carpark, it definitely sparked my love of the music industry and my appreciation for independent record labels. 

Describe a day in your life as the founder of Amethyst Collab.

A lot of computer time! Ha. It’s a lot less fancy shoot days and a lot more time spent emailing, editing, and scouring the internet. The less glamorous side is what leads to results though. 

Not every artist has a big budget for marketing. What are some of the most effective ways independent artists can grow their audience online without a big budget?

Social media is the best resource we have - and it just so happens to be free! Consistency will get you far. 

What advice would you give to young professionals who want to start their own business in music?

Make sure you’re as excited and prepared for the business side of things as you are for the music side.

There will be days when you’ll have to chase down payments from big record labels while fronting your employees the money out of your own pocket. There are countless uncomfortable conversations that you’ll need to have on a daily basis.

Entrepreneurship is highly glamorized without acknowledging all the hardships we face. If you’re doing this because you don’t want a 9-5, you’re going to hate a 24/7. 

A lot of artists blow up on TikTok but struggle to turn that into long-term success. What do you think makes the difference between a viral moment and a sustainable music career?

The ability to create great music, first and foremost. Your marketing can only take you as far as your music goes. 

Running a company in such a fast-moving industry must come with a lot of challenges. What’s been the hardest part of growing Amethyst Collab?

That’s hard to say, because I truly enjoy every aspect of running Amethyst Collab. Probably attempting to have a personal life balance, lol. 

Tips for anyone who wants to get into your industry

Be overly passionate! Be a little crazy! Use too many exclamation points! Pitch that big idea! 

3 things you can’t live without in your bag 

  1. Ami Cole lip gloss

  2. A portable phone battery, as every social media professional knows 

  3. Sunglasses that double as prescription glasses, cause sometimes a girl’s gotta see  

What are you listening to right now?

Bad Bunny’s DTmF album on repeat, my favorite songs right now are WELTiTA and VeLDÁ but they tend to change every week. 

Connect with Olivia Shalhoup on Instagram | Amethyst Collab

Vicky Eacott: Building a Career in Independent Music

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Vicky Eacott runs Hit Reset, a project management, label management and marketing services company that works with independent artists and music companies. Vicky has over 15 years experience working in independent music in both artist management and label roles. She started her career at the internationally-renowned independent label Wichita Recordings, where she gained experience across all aspects of the day-to-day running of a label and managed release campaigns. Alongside her role at the label, she also worked for the artist management arm of the company, Wichita Management.

During her time at Wichita, she worked with artists including First Aid Kit, Best Coast, Gold Panda, Waxahatchee, Los Campesinos!, Veronica Falls and many more. In 2021 she joined project label management company Positive Subversion, where she worked closely with an eclectic roster of artist management and label clients.

Highlights during this time included project managing the award-winning campaign for Röyksopp’s Profound Mysteries, and leading on the release campaign for Dexys’ The Feminine Divine - which earned the band their highest charting album in over 40 years. Since launching Hit Reset, notable campaigns have included working closely with Los Campesinos! on the release of their seventh album, All Hell, on the band’s own label, Heart Swells. The album reached number 14 in the UK album charts - the first album in their 18 year career to earn a chart placement and their most successful release to date.

Describe a day in your life as a Founder at Hit Reset

Every day is different! I offer a lot of different services and the scope of my role is different for each client which means what I do on a day to day basis is quite varied which is something I really enjoy about my work. A typical day might include: a meeting with a client, working on the marketing and rollout plan for a release, liaising with a pressing plant on vinyl manufacturing, writing a playlisting pitch for a release, registering tracks at collection societies to make sure artists get paid… and listening to a lot of music!

How did you first get started in the music industry, and what drew you to independent music?

I studied a music business degree at university - as part of that degree I had to complete an internship. I interned at 4AD and loved it so much I stayed much longer than planned - then they heard Wichita Recordings were looking for an intern and recommended me for that. Pretty much straight after I started as an intern at Wichita the person who had brought me in left for another role in the music industry and I got her job! I was very fortunate to get that role as my first job in the music industry - it was a very small team so I got experience across all different aspects of a label, as well as artist management, there and I got to work with the best people and on records that I absolutely loved. 

In terms of what drew me to independent music - first and foremost, pretty much all of my favourite bands were signed to independent labels. I loved the spirit of independent music and it’s probably an obvious thing to say but the fact that the people are so driven by their love of music. The fact that artists working with independent labels have much more freedom and control vs artists signed to major labels was also a big factor!

Can you share some insights into what makes a release campaign successful, especially for independent artists?

I think how success is measured can vary a lot depending on the nature of the release, where the artist is at in their career and what their priorities are. One thing that is an important marker of success of a release for all artists is thinking about how it fits in with your development as an artist, and part of that is seeing fanbase growth and development during a campaign. The specifics of what that looks like will vary for each artist but you want to see an increase in metrics that show active engagement with your music and building things like your mailing list and D2C audience. I think it’s easy to get caught up on short term goals for a release - things like how many playlists you’re getting on. Those things are great too but actually converting listeners to fans and deepening that relationship is always the key goal for long term success.


What do you see as some of the biggest opportunities for independent artists in today’s music industry?

I think that artists having more options in terms of how they release music immediately opens up a lot of opportunities. Artists aren’t so reliant on getting a label deal to get their music out now - they can work with a distributor or label services company to get their music out or even release direct to fans on their own subscription service. Every artist is different and the traditional label set up makes sense for some artists - but if you’re in a position to self-release there’s obviously a lot of benefits to retaining ownership of your masters.

On a more general note I think there’s a growing sense of fatigue with content overload and the algorithm driven nature of social media and streaming platforms - people are hungry for deeper connection and community. Obviously it’s always been the case with music that fans want to connect with artists on a deeper level but that feels more heightened now and there’s an opportunity for artists to find ways to foster that with fans and break away from relying on those platforms in order to connect with them.


What’s been the most rewarding part of your career so far, and why?

It’s always rewarding when you get to work with artists for a long time and get to see their development and growth and be a part of that journey with them! One of my highlights of last year was working with Los Campesinos! on the release of their album All Hell on their own label. I’ve worked with the band for over 15 years (and been a fan for longer!) and it was amazing to see so much audience growth with the release of All Hell. It was their first album to chart in the UK (reaching #14) and the band sold out their biggest headline shows in the UK and US around the release.  One thing I particularly enjoy about working with LC! is how much the band always prioritise their fans - and in turn how dedicated and enthusiastic their fans are. It is really rewarding to see how much their music means to their fans and to get to play a part in helping them to release it.


For someone looking to follow a similar path in the music industry, what advice would you give about getting started and finding their niche?

I think in terms of getting started it’s really about getting as much experience as possible, learning as much as possible and also building connections and relationships with your peers. I think it’s only through actually doing that you get to find your strengths and find your niche so it’s important to keep an open mind and try out different things when you’re getting started.

NYC Multidisciplinary Artist and Producer Nikki Silva on Breaking Into the Music and Film Industry

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Nikki Silva is an actress, musician, and film/theater director based in NY. Some of her acting highlights include being nominated for best actress at the 2024 Chelsea Film festival for her role as “Susan” in feature film “Our Lady Of Queens” as well as receiving buzz in 2021 for her role as “Eve” in the short film “Eve” directed by Wesley Wang. Nikki spent 7 years as the lead singer and rapper in an original reggae-rock band, “The Big Happy” touring the east coast and opening for acts such as "Beres Hammond" , "Slightly Stoopid" and “Sublime with Rome.” 

After leaving the band, she started a production company and featured on songs with artists such as rapper nikmoody and pop singers Xristina Capous and Katt Rardi. Nikki Silva is the founder and director of a non-profit beauty pageant, which has been going strong for 11 years. The Exceptional Pageant is a unique organization, giving opportunities to shine and raise awareness for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Currently, Nikki is working with Producer and Musician Teddy Kumpel, on writing her solo artist debut album.

How did you land your first gig as a producer?

I think I was producing before I knew what producing was. I put on a whole original production in a homeless shelter when I was going through tough times as a kid.  

Then, I held auditions for a movie I made when I was 10 and had my whole family involved in making it. I scheduled shoot days and I filmed it on a camcorder and edited it in real time because I had no idea about editing softwares. 

In the real world, though, I started a non-profit when I was 18 and produced a beauty pageant for individuals with developmental disabilities. I still do that now, it is called “The Exceptional Pageant”  As far as theatre goes, I started getting involved with this one theatre company when I was like 21, taking photos of their rehearsals, auditioning, and acting. Then, eventually I was asked to be on the board and started learning how to produce. 

I produced and directed a music video for one of my vocal students and from there had others asking me to do the same and eventually just started a business doing it because I realized it kind of came naturally to me.

As a multidisciplinary artist, how do you manage to balance your creative pursuits in music, acting, and directing while running your production company?


I feel like there’s the passion side of it and then the business side of it. Running the production company allows me the freedom to take on acting projects at my own leisure while also working in the creative field.  And helping others' visions come to life is rewarding. 

I tend to lean toward pursuing acting as what I feel I am most called to do, it is probably my favorite part in the process of telling a story, like I enjoy the work of the actor as opposed to the other pieces of the puzzle. But all the pieces have their fun. And I look at music as more of a way to express my personal experience. And to connect with people on a more vulnerable level.

Life in NYC can be both thrilling and challenging for creatives—what’s your experience like living and working in such a dynamic city?

I’m obsessed with NYC. I’ve always been. I love that you can go to a jam mid-week and play with some of the most talented musicians. Or sometimes, I just walk down Broadway and take in the energy of the theatre, the spectators, it is all so thrilling. You can take in so much culture and meet/observe so many amazing people from diverse walks of life. 

On the downside, it is an expensive place to be and it could be heartbreaking to see how many people are struggling. You want to connect with the people on the street that are in pain but you also have to be careful and guarded, so that, I would say, is the most challenging part. It breaks my heart every time I walk past someone asking for money. I usually have a technique where I put $5-$10 one dollar bills in my pocket and support who I feel called to support.

For young creatives dreaming of making it in NYC, what are your top tips for navigating this fast-paced and competitive environment?

Put yourself in rooms with people who have more experience than you, people who intimidate you, people you can learn from. 

Meditate. It is so easy to get swept into this or that, having that center, that breath, your health. Connecting with the pure inner version of myself is important to me.

Keep reading, keep taking lessons, learn an instrument, keep WRITING.

Be careful who you trust. Collaboration is important but there are a lot of vultures out there.

What advice would you give to artists who want to explore alternative creative ventures?

DO IT! Explore everything. You have one life, man! If you are being drawn to something by a force, why not follow it. It is never too late. Especially acting because there is quite literally a place for every type of human, and animals, I mean maybe your dog is the next Airbud, you know? Haha but take an acting class. Go to a drama book shop and read some plays. Join Backstage or Actors Access and start submitting yourself, tape some auditions, see where it goes. Write a song, post it on social media. We have that luxury where making art is so accessible.  

Tips for anyone who wants to get into your industry (music or film) 

Never stop learning, take everything in. If you feel called to do something, there is a reason. Even if it feels like a saturated industry, there is room for you if you feel it in your soul. Writing is acting and living your life is connecting. With everything going on in the world, art may be the most important part to keep us connected as humans. Explore all the ideas, sometimes it takes 20 bad ideas to get to the golden one. If you want it that bad, you should live and breathe it. Read plays, go to the theatre, learn guitar, see concerts, watch interviews, put yourself in the world that you dream to live in. 


With new music in the works, what excites you most about your musical journey?

The fact that I am finally using my voice to tell my story. I’m not doing it for someone else. I am sharing my personal experiences. I also love performing on stage. To be able to do that again, with a live band, is what I am most excited about for the future.

Lucy Michael of 'Tru Thoughts' Shares Tips for Artists and Breaking into Music PR

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Lucy is the Content and Promotions Manager at Tru Thoughts, an independent record label based in Brighton that has spent 25 years working with an international roster of artists, including Bonobo, Quantic, Alice Russell, Hot 8 Brass Band, Tara Lily, WheelUP, and Footshooter.

She gained her experience across Brighton, from working club doors to promoting concerts with JOY. She also hosted a radio show on Brighton’s Platform B. Lucy has represented Tru Thoughts at festivals such as Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here, Love Supreme, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, and Offie Mag events, and she’s had the opportunity to support Mr. Scruff live.

How did you get your start in music?

I studied music production in college, driven by a fascination with sampling culture. While exploring the creative side, I became curious about the business side industry and was eager to gain practical, hands-on experience. To start, I approached my local venue and offered to help out.

After a few months of volunteering and learning the ropes, the event manager was happy for me to take over while he went on tour. That experience fueled my passion, and I began seeking opportunities to volunteer at festivals and reach out to music companies during my university years. This allowed me to explore various facets of the industry and understand how they are connected. My role at Tru Thoughts started with an internship inquiry that eventually became a full-time position which has developed over my time there.

Share 1 top strategy for content marketing for artists in 2025

A top strategy for content marketing in 2025 is to focus on genuinely connecting with your audience. I’d say it’s just as important to thank and reward your followers as it is to promote your work. Whether it’s a heartfelt thank-you, sharing a laugh or something you’re passionate about, or giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your world, those personal touches go a long way in building a loyal and engaged community around your music and artistry.

What advice do you have for artists looking to get signed by an indie label?

Once you’ve got a project you’re proud of, send demos to indie labels through their submission portals or A&R contacts. Share your story along with your music, labels value getting to know the artist behind the sound.

Keep your pitch concise and compelling. I’d recommend really researching the label to make sure your style fits their roster. A tailored approach will help you stand out. Importantly, don’t be discouraged by rejection, if you don’t hear back keep refining your craft and growing your network, and the right opportunity will come. 

Tips for anyone who wants to get into your industry

To break into music PR and promo, start by volunteering in your local scene to gain experience and build connections. Stay informed through music newsletters, podcasts, and platforms like shesaid.so. Follow the influencers, stations, and tastemakers shaping the industry. If you’re starting out, attend gigs, label showcases, and visit record shops to immerse yourself in the scene and don’t be shy about striking up conversations and building relationships. Pay attention to where music is shared and which press platforms and radio stations cover it. 

What are you listening to at the moment?

Bonnie Calista - Sunday Eve, Baby

Only the good times (burial remix) - L.B.Corp, Burial

Amy Whinehouse - Moody’s mood for love

Footshooter - Obelisk feat. Natty Wylah & brother portrait

Crafty 893 - Nothing Left

Connect with Lucy Michael on LinkedIn | Tru Thoughts

Iona Thomas: Sharing Careers and Opportunities in Electronic Music with Doors Open

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Iona works on Resident Advisor’s not-for-profit jobs and opportunities platform Doors Open, as well as managing their Community Partnerships to build out RA’s network across the globe. Iona has worked on these initiatives and been part of the RA team for almost three years.

Previously to RA, Iona was heavily involved with iconic London club space Dance Tunnel, where she made her way into the electronic music world as a DJ and industry pro.

Doors Open has recently been relaunched as a CIC (Community Interest Company), meaning that 100% of profits goes back into developing the next generation of artists and industry folk in the electronic music world.

Also featuring a new website and optimised functionalities and resources for learners, users and employers, the Doors Open platform is an essential tool in developing a healthy eco system for electronic music culture 

How did you get your start in music?

My music industry journey begins in the basement venues of Dalston circa 2013.

I started working on the door at Birthdays (now The Divine) for a few months before moving to Dance Tunnel (now the Karaoke Hole) where I worked on the door until its closure in Summer 2016 with intermittent stints working artist liaison (AL)  and on the bar. From there, I started doing more AL work alongside various event production roles at festivals which I found really engaging and gave me a good overview of what goes into producing and managing events. 

I’ve since worked in event management, programming/curation, show advancing, review writing, sound engineering and teaching (along with many more roles outside music!) before landing at Resident Advisor in 2019 to work part time in the platform support team dealing with customer and promoter queries then moving into my current role in the community team.

Describe a day in your life as Doors Open & Community Partnerships Manager for RA 

My job involves establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships with other music industry entities and not for profit organisations to shape RA’s programme of community initiatives and maximise their impact. I also project manage these initiatives from ideation, through planning stages, to event management and hosting during the live events (both IRL and online). I also manage all aspects of the Doors Open platform which involves website maintenance, account management for employers, new business development, and social media management, alongside running the Doors Open programme of events.

What’s your top tip for breaking into your industry and landing your dream job?

In my experience, working at music venues, nightclubs, record stores, and festivals all present good entry points to the music industry.

Everyone's path is different, but if you have to break into the music industry without a financial safety net or preexisting connections, you’ll likely take quite a roundabout path as you work out where you want to focus, so you might as well enjoy the process - try out as many different jobs as you can and do them all to the best of your ability, learning as much as possible along the way. 

Talk to the people around you and ask about their roles, it’s a great way to get an idea of the bigger picture of what you’re working on, and you never know which conversations might spark an interest in you or lead to further opportunities.

Learning what roles are out there and what they entail will also help you to work out where you fit into the industry - on the Doors Open website we’re building an archive of interviews called ‘The Glossary,” exploring the different roles within music which you can browse here.

Having certain skills under your belt will put you in good stead with most music industry employers, such as: graphic design, content creation, digital marketing, copywriting, photography/videography, video/audio editing, project management and SPREADSHEETS. Working knowledge in areas like these are all attractive to employers, and are good examples of things you might end up doing even if they sit outside your core job description, so stay on the lookout for training opportunities or opportunities to pick up these skills learning on jobs.

You can also apply to come and be a part of a Doors Open: Unlocked event - they happen both in person and online and we also host the recorded workshops and talks on our YouTube channel. 

Keep an eye on our Instagram for news on new Doors Open programmes and initiatives.

Tips for staying grounded on a tough day

Of course it’s a case of different strokes for different folks, but I think moving your body is a universally good way to relieve tension and change perspective. Going outside and stretching your legs and eyes can be a double win if you’re able to.

If I’m working from home, I turn up the speakers by my desk and sing along to my RnB playlist to relieve stress. I also recently learned that if you hum it stops you from (over)thinking, even briefly, which I’ve found calming at times.

There’s also an industry saying: “It’s PR not ER” and it is good to remember that no matter how tough it gets, lives aren’t generally hanging in the balance with most music industry jobs.

3 essential things you always carry with you in your bag


Neil’s Yard shea nut & rosehip lip balm, my phone and airpods. Super boring but I speak the truth, feel free to cut this one.

What are you listening to at the moment?

As I write this, I’m listening to Ill Logic’s 93-95 jungle mix on NTS, but the past couple of days  I’ve been listening to Dead or Alive’s You Spin Me Round a lot since it randomly popped into my head - the original and various white label remixes, mashups, bootlegs and edits - trying to find the perfect version for the club but maybe it’s just the OG? Anyway, great tune.

Connect with Iona Thomas on LinkedIn | Doors Open

Easol's Lisa Simpson: Supporting Creators and Transforming the Experience Industry

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Lisa Simpson began her journey in the music industry as Co-Founder of the snow sports and music festival Rise Festival in Europe. Frustrated by the myriad of IT tools they had to use to manage Rise, Lisa and her Co-Founder Ben created Easol as an ‘Experience-Commerce’ platform. Easol is designed to put the technology, ownership, and possibilities in the creator’s hands, from bookings, to payments, marketing, and more.

Describe a day in your life as Co-Founder of Easol.

My day typically starts around 7 a.m. I wake up, make a coffee, and maybe light some incense or a candle. I love starting the day with a journaling practice called Morning Pages, where I write three pages of whatever comes to mind. It helps clear my thoughts and prepares me for the day ahead. After that, I take a walk to our office in Hackney, London—our Easol House! We’re lucky to have such a great space to come to every day to work in with our amazing team.

My job as Chief Brand Officer is incredibly varied, which I love. I get to work with all the teams at Easol, whether it's brainstorming with the marketing team on a new campaign, finding creative ways to launch a feature with our product team, or sharing stories to champion our global community of Experience Creators.

I try to squeeze in a quick gym session at lunch, then afternoons often involve meetings with different Creators, reviewing design concepts , maybe even working on a new podcast. Evenings are for winding down—I love yoga, then early to bed and repeat!

How did your early experiences in the festival industry influence the development of Easol?

Before Easol, my husband and Co-Founder Ben and I started a snow sports and music festival called Rise in the French ski resort of Les Deux Alpes.

In the early days, growing the festival was challenging because we had to use six or seven different platforms to manage everything—one for the website, another for ticketing, payments, accommodation, transfers, equipment hire and more. This created what we describe as a "Frankenstein" of tools, stitched together under the hood. It was messy for us as the Creator and even worse for our customers, who had to navigate multiple channels to book everything. These challenges really highlighted the need for a better solution, which led us to building Easol’s all-in-one platform for your experience business. We wanted to empower Experience Creators by giving them control over every aspect of their business in one place.

Why did you believe there was a need for a platform like Easol in the experience industry?

When we were using so many different platforms to run our festival, we realized that these platforms were taking control over crucial aspects of our business—everything from our brand and the journey for our customers online, to our data, payments, and supporting our customers often, they even used our data to promote rival events! 

We got increasingly frustrated and felt like we were losing control of our own business, and we knew something had to change. We believed there was a need for a platform that would allow Experience Creators to run and sell their business in one place, where they could have full ownership and take back control over every aspect of their business,

What was the biggest hurdle you overcame when transitioning from running a festival to launching a tech platform?

Transitioning from running events and building real-life businesses to starting a technology SaaS business was a massive learning curve for us. However, in 2018, we were fortunate to be backed by Y Combinator, which is an accelerator programme for early stage start-ups in San Francisco and the first investors in businesses like AirBnb, Stripe, and Dropbox. We spent six months living and working together as a Founding team in Palo Alto in Silicon Valley, where we learned how to be laser-focused on the problem we were trying to solve, the importance of talking to your customers, understanding their needs, and how to build and launch your product. It was a critical stage to set Easol on the path to success. 

Tips for staying grounded on a tough day.

One of the values we created at Easol is about finding a constant rhythm of ‘Play, Push, Pause’. The goal is to find a balance in the middle—creating a rhythm where you find enjoyment your work, know when to push harder, and understand when and how to pause. The goal of being in this ‘equilibrium’ of the rhythm is how we can really learn to thrive. 

For me, I like to find ways to change the energy if I’m having a tough day . If I’m frustrated or receive challenging news, I’ll go outside, put on some music, get up from my desk and talk to somebody about their weekend, or light incense or a candle to change the atmosphere or the energy around me.

One piece of advice you'd give your younger self.

Looking back, I think I was too focused on where I would end up and long-term goals, rather than enjoying the moment and appreciating that I really was enjoying the work I was doing and the people I was working with. My advice to my younger self would be to trust yourself, find things you love doing in the moment, and don’t worry about the end game. Focus on finding people you want to work with, who energize, motivate, and inspire you, whilst doing something you really love.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Anything by Sault particularly the no.11 album . Childish Gambino’s new album is also on heavy rotation. And I’ve been listening to Barry Can’t Swim for working out which I can recommend!

Connect with Lisa Simpson on Instagram & LinkedIn

Check out Easol

Under One Roof: Alice Woods' Mission to Make Manchester's Dance Scene Inclusive for All

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Under One Roof is on a mission to democratize Manchester's dance music scene by creating an inclusive rave experience for everyone.

Founded by Alice Woods (founder and resident of of long running female-led Manchester techno party Meat Free and shesaid.so alumn), Under one Roof is designed as a safe, welcoming, and vibrant space, it caters specifically to adults with disabilities, alongside their friends, families, and carers, who are always welcome free of charge.

Over the past eight years, Under One Roof has fostered a community that not only invites disabled clubbers onto the dancefloor but also champions disabled DJs and performers, ensuring representation both in the booth and beyond.

How did the idea for Under One Roof come about?

It basically came about after a few years of running Meat Free, I'd felt so grateful for the new community I‘d found in Manchester through dance music (after having moved here on a whim from Belfast) that I wanted to find some way of giving back, by way of widening out the inclusive dancefloor that we'd worked hard to create through Meat Free.

I knew there were still so many people in the city that did not have access to the music scene, although at that stage I didn't know how or why I could reach them. I then saw online a party somewhere else in England that was for people with disabilities and it felt like a perfect thing to replicate here in Manchester so Under one Roof was created.

I was very lucky that from the get-go, local self-advocacy organisation Manchester People First were willing to work with me on it and have been an integral part of it ever since. I couldn't have done it without their help, and especially at the very start when I had zero experience or clue what I was doing! 

Can you share some of the key experiences and feedback you've received from disabled clubbers who have attended your events?

I had, like so many of us, always taken clubbing for granted - never really even considering wheelchair access to a space let alone the social environment. Under One Roof has been a continuous learning curve as well as a huge wake-up call - it has always shocked and saddened me when I hear that someone has never been to a club or dance music event before, and they may be in their 40s - especially as it's such a formative part if growing up for so many of us. 

Whilst it's amazing to be able to be part of this first clubbing experience for people - it does highlight a major problem in the scene too. That being said, it is truly such a special, fun and authentically joyous experience that I feel so lucky to be there, and the feedback I always get from DJs is that it's one of their favourite parties they have played - no phones on the dancefloor, no egos and the most enthusiastic and energetic crowd who dance from start to finish.

Photo Credit: Mia Nowells

What role do you see the Under One Roof community playing in the future of Manchester’s music and nightlife scene?

I hope more than anything, people with disabilities can feel more welcome and comfortable in more mainstream events and that Under One Roof can offer a stepping stone to that. I'm also striving to find ways to create a more cohesive network of events and organisations across the city (and beyond) so that people with disabilities can easily find accessible events and know where to look for that information - this is something I'm working on with ticketing outlet Skiddle, so keep your eyes peeled! 

What are your future plans for Under One Roof?

Honestly I'd love for it to have no need to exist, in an ideal world all electronic music spaces would be open, accessible, safe and welcoming to everyone. But in the short term, I am constantly on the lookout for more funding - to fund DJ workshops, and create more opportunities for our djs and dancers to enjoy and participate in the kinds of experiences that the rest of us take for granted.

Next Under One Roof Event

Thursday 5th September w/ Aletha (The Warehouse Project) & The Fat Britney
1800 - 2100
YES, 38 Charles Street
Manchester
M17DB

https://skiddle.com/e/39320832 

25 Years of MUTEK

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MUTEK Festival - the international celebration of electronic music and digital creativity - celebrates its 25th anniversary edition from August 20 to 25, 2024. Artists and music lovers from all over the world will gather in Tio'tia:ke / Mooniyang / Montréal for six days of immersion in sound and visual art.

Since its creation in 2000, MUTEK and its multiple venues have been the stage for the debuts of numerous artists, many of whom are now major figures in electronic music. In 2023, over 46,000 people enjoyed a rich and diverse selection of music, all of it free.

This year, the festival will put forth almost 80 live performances in several emblematic spaces in the heart of the city, bringing digital art to public spaces and offering Montrealers and tourists a unique, sensory experience through a journey of around twenty unique installations.

From August 15 to 29, 2024, the Village Numérique will be presented free of charge between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the Quartier des Spectacles, enabling everyone to discover this innovative, immersive art form.

In addition, more than 90 international experts in AI, XR, sustainability, music, architecture and video games will come together to explore the impact of technology on our lives. This edition of MUTEK’s Forum will take place from 20 to 23 August at the Monument-National and the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), with over 60 conferences, workshops and laboratories.

Music programmer and event management expert Marie-Laure Saidani reflects on MUTEK's 25th anniversary in this special feature. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Marie-Laure has been a co-programmer for MUTEK since 2020, contributing to the festival's esteemed reputation.

What are some special events planned to celebrate MUTEK's 25th anniversary?

MUTEK has been promoting electronic music and digital arts for 25 years. Its uniqueness lies in the predominantly live musical performances (as opposed to DJ sets). MUTEK's strength is in offering exclusive line-ups in North America, setting it apart from other festivals. However, this specificity can be a limitation, as most people do not recognize the names. Fortunately, our audience trusts us.

I remember a Reddit comment about one of our line-ups: "Are these made up names?" But, some of these artists are now performing at more mainstream festivals, for example, Honey Dijon, who played in 2018, just went on a stadium tour, or Overmono, who performed at our 20th edition and was at Osheaga this year.

To celebrate this anniversary edition, we have planned several large-scale international projects for the Experience stage (outdoors and free): Mathew Jonson, Maara, Bored Lord, Piezo, Marie Davidson, Waajeed, James K, Siete Catorce, Virginia, in addition to some artists performing live indoors and doing DJ sets outside.

Regarding digital arts, one of our special projects for this 25th anniversary is the free presentation of 23 works in public spaces for three weeks in the Quartier des spectacles. It's not the first time we've organized an exhibition, but it's the first of this scale. Its little name? Le Village Numérique. 

How has the festival managed to attract such a diverse lineup?

MUTEK aims to be a platform for multiple voices in the electronic music field. Participating in MUTEK can be an exciting moment in artists' careers. On the one hand, because MUTEK is internationally recognized for this genre of music, and on the other hand, because it can open the door to other opportunities, whether for dates in other countries or for artistic collaborations. And finally, everyone wants to come to Montreal!

The programming of our festival is built around several axes. At least 50% of our line-up are Canadian projects; artists from or living in the region (now called Canada). Some come from our “call for projects” launched every November, while others are selected following direct conversations with artists we follow. Those international projects we have been following for a long time, those we have fallen in love with in the past year during our outreach, and those suggested by our international partners (MUTEK is also based in Buenos Aires, Santiago, Mexico City, Tokyo, Barcelona, and Dubai).

MUTEKLIVE261 - Ellxandra

World Premiere at MUTEK Montréal | Édition 23 Play 2 on August 26, 2022

It is no secret that the music industry, and particularly electronic music, is dominated by men. Gender parity is always desired, never achieved, but we are often in the parity zone for performances. Over the past ten years, we made significant changes that are visible in our programming.

Presenting live performances adds an extra difficulty, requiring time to produce music, visuals, and scenography, as well as knowledge and access to instruments and equipment. The luxury of touring remains another obstacle.

For women and those identifying as women, barriers are omnipresent. We participate in the European gender parity program, Keychange. We have hosted several cohorts, whether artists or innovators. We also created the AMPLIFY D.A.I program for women or those identifying as women or non-binary in digital art and electronic music.

This project, set up and funded by the British Council, CAM, CCA, CALQ, Summer Set House Studios, MUTEK Montreal, Buenos Aires, and many other partners, lasted from 2018 to 2023, ending due to lack of funds. Each annual cohort benefited from mentoring, training, and one or two international dates, which helped create a strong and supportive network. Thanks to Patti Schmidt (Programmer from 2008 to 2019) for giving momentum to this movement.

Diversity is a cross-cutting issue, to be considered on stage and behind the scenes. The barriers faced by women are even more pronounced for women and non-binary BIPOC individuals. How can we break down these barriers and create a safe space for these artists to express themselves at MUTEK? Our entire team is aware of this context. We benefit from constructive feedback from our audience, artists, and engaged guests, which allows us to question ourselves and move forward. 

This year, we have the privilege of collaborating with Feminae Nox, a collective that promotes equity for women and BIPOC individuals who are non-binary in music and nightlife. In addition to co-presenting the Nocturne 4 dome, Feminae Nox is organizing a panel at the Forum on Friday titled “Electronic Music is Black Music - Reclaiming and Tracing Electronic Music’s Roots, Present and Future” and a workshop titled “Passion to Profession: Building a Global Brand in the Music Industry.”

Photo Credit: Bruno Destombes (MUTEK 21)

How has MUTEK influenced the local music and arts community in Montréal over the past 25 years?

MUTEK has always been a playground for artists. Many local artists (meaning artists living in Canada) have presented, and continue to present, their first-ever live performances at MUTEK. This requires a great deal of trust in the context (will the production means be efficient? Will the audience be receptive?). It's a risky endeavor. We can never thank them enough for giving us the opportunity to present them at the festival.

During MUTEK week, an entire local and international community gathers in Montreal to celebrate electronic music through performances, panels, conferences, and workshops. This stimulates creativity!

Networking is very important in music, as it can lead to new ideas, collaborations, and most importantly, sharing a collective experience.

In 2020, we launched an initiative to support Canadian artists in developing their careers: MUTEK Market. Each year, we support about twenty artists with training and workshops, and we organize meetings with festival programmers so they can promote themselves. These artists perform at the festival.

This year, we introduced a new initiative, MUTEK Incubator. This program supports 10 artists who wish to professionalize themselves through training and mentorship. Although these artists are not performing at the festival this year, they may well have the opportunity to do so in the near future! 

Eris Drew DJ set | Photo Credit: Frédérique Ménard-Aubin

What are some of your favorite moments from your time with the festival?

I have way too many fond memories of MUTEK. Before working there, it was my favorite festival, both personally and professionally. I'm talking about it in the past tense not because I don't love it anymore, but because I can't enjoy it the same way. Haha.

In the early days of MUTEK, what I loved most (sarcasm intended): there were no lines for the women's restrooms, while there was a long queue for the men! Now, there are lines everywhere, partly because the audience has diversified, but also because the restrooms are no longer gendered.

I used to love going to the AVision program at the Monument National back then. These programs, where performances combine visual scenography and sound, were (and still are) the only ones at the festival with seated places. I could alternately take naps, marvel, not understand anything, and leave wondering what had happened.

Musically : Gangpol & Mit (2007), Underground Resistance (2008), Ricardo Villalobos & ZIP (2009), Ikonika (2010), Emptyset (2011), Jeff Mills (2012), RAMZi (2013), Marie Davidson (2014), Andy Stott (2015), Aïsha devi (2016), Surgeon & Lady Starlight (2018), fuse* presents Dökk (2019) , Being capable of producing shows (2020), Phèdre (2021), Tarta Relena (2022), Deena Abdelwahed (2023)

Can you share some highlights from your time programming MUTEK?

Programming a festival involves dealing with cancellations and travel-related complications: flight delays, missed connections, lost luggage, visa delays... It's ten days of a rollercoaster.

I particularly remember the Thursday night at MTelus in 2022. The lineup included MUE, Marina Herlop, Bendik Giske, SMERZ, and Caterina Barbieri. Marina Herlop was then supposed to go on tour in the United States and needed a visa that was taking a long time to arrive. Her entire team arrived in Montreal in dribs and drabs on the morning of the concert, except for her. She was in transit to Toronto.

Caterina Barbieri | Photo Credit: BRUNODESTOM

We had to modify the soundcheck schedule every hour to allow her to do one. But her flight from Toronto to Montreal was delayed due to a thunderstorm. So we reorganized everything: the venue was already open and the shows had started, but we changed the entire running order. The other artists were very generous and agreed to change their schedules. Finally, Marina arrived in Montreal and at MTelus. The concert took place. It was a very emotional moment for the artists, the programming team, and especially the production team!

From a development perspective, the Keychange and Amplify DAI projects remain among my best memories. These programs aim to promote the place of women, people who identify as women, and non-binary genders in music and digital art. The meetings, discussions, and performances that resulted will remain etched in my memory. I could probably elaborate on this point with many other anecdotes, but we could talk about that around a coffee !

What are you most excited for attendees to experience at this year's edition?

I can't wait to reconnect with the audience and the artists for a week and feel that ultra-creative and effervescent atmosphere that's unique to any festival.

I'm really looking forward to seeing many local artists: G L O W Z I, who is presenting a new live show; ÈBONY, who is releasing an album on the day of their performance; CHXMERAS, West Coast artists who released an album this year titled "Terminal City"; Jacques Greene, who is presenting the premiere of his live set with Nosaj Thing; the new AV live set for the dome by Sinjin Hawke and Zora Jones; Tati au miel's performance, who is also preparing an exhibition for the fall; Dj Hermano and OJPB, who will present "Club Merengue"; CLOUD BODIES, a dance performance designed for the dome; and Liliane Chlela, who will present her new album "Anatomy of a Jerk."

I could spend hours telling you everything I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to see it all, but I have to restrain myself because it's impossible to see everything (we share the events with my colleagues). The image of MUTEK may seem austere, but it's much more fun than you might think.

Do you have any artist recommendations for the audience to check out at the new venue New City Gas?

A stellar lineup in a unique venue, still relatively unknown to our audience. A former factory and EDM temple in Montreal, this place is also a superb concert hall. Last year, the reaction from the public and the NCG was very positive, so we decided to come back with an even more ambitious proposal.

Patrick Watson will present an experimental show, in the same vein as what he proposed in 2020. Kara-Lis Coverdale, whom we have been following for years, and Colin Stetson, a saxophonist with whom we have long wanted to collaborate, will also be part of this program.

Monica Mirabile: This Is A Performance School

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Photo Credit: Max Lakner

Monica Mirabile (b. Clearwater, Florida in 1988) is a performance artist living in NYC. She is a choreographer, painter, movement director, coach and educator.

Monica often works with musicians and has choreographed and movement directed live tours and music videos for SOPHIE, Mitski, Yaeji, Kenya Grace, Zsela, Zia Anger & Maggie Rogers. Her performance work has been in the Guggenheim, The Whitney, Performance Space New York, The Broad Museum, PS1, Miami Art Basel, HAU Berlin, NADA, Performa and the Queens Museum among others.

Mirabile is also one half of the performance duo Fluct, co-founded Otion Front Studio in 2014, co-founded THIS IS A PERFORMANCE school in 2023 and is the Director of Open Movement at Performance Space New York in the East Village.

What moments or experiences influenced the beginning of your career as an artist?

I always feel like i'm at the beginning. Way back when I was 4/5 years old, I was brought to a crab shack in Florida with my family. Brown craft paper was spread over the table so that when they dump the crabs the mess is contained. They set out crayons to draw on the table and my mom looked at me and drew a portrait of me. I was so excited and I told her I wanted to draw like that and I honestly decided right then that I wanted to be an artist. She gave me a sketchbook that week and I've never been without one since. That was destiny or something sacred I suppose, though my sketchbooks are mostly choreography notes, performance ideas and spells now. I actually just organized a surprise birthday party for my mom and we all wrote her 66 things we love about her. I wrote “i love that you drew a picture of me when i was little that inspired me so much that it became my career”.

How has your experience founding Otion Front Studio shaped your approach to connecting artistic communities in Brooklyn, New York?

Otion Front Studio grew out of many previous collective approaches earlier in my life. Before, Otion there were several girl gangs, an anarcho experimental dance collective and a diy theater in Baltimore, always co organized.

When I moved to NY with Sigrid Lauren after the birth of Fluct, the same things moved me, maybe it was the desire for an alternative without rigid structure or hierarchy.  I had known at that point that I cared about processing information through movement. I loved “rehearsals” being these potent gestation spaces with slippage between making sense and nonsense.

FlucT [Photo Credit: Yael Malka]

My Dads girlfriend, Donna, had given me $5k after she won a malpractice lawsuit. She won that lawsuit after losing the ability to walk. I'm so honored to have known her, she’s been gone now for 9 years. Her gift is maybe a testament to what I love about this kind of work, something where transformation can occur. I’m really just so grateful to all of the people who have come together to become friends and make this kind of work together.

Today, we're still there. It’s actually 10 years old this year. Fostering something for this long has allowed me to see that collectivity and support is amoebic in nature, it grows and changes over time. Today, I use Otion to hold rehearsals with the musicians and clients I'm working with and it continues to have this enchanted spirit in the walls as the community grows.

What was behind the creation of FlucT, and how does it continue to influence your artistic vision?

Fluct was born out of a need and a deep frustration. Sigrid and I were connected by our experiences of being young women under patriarchal capitalism- we were driven to exorcise and soothe in a playful creative processing with our bodies. We were bound up with each other's liberation in knowing that the ugly was beautiful, that support existed and that sometimes you could find the antidote in the problem. It will always influence my artistic vision. I found things in our practice that allowed me to be free and curious and ignorant- knowing answers were sometimes dangerous and that this was a kind of meditative bliss mixed with all that hurt. 

How has your experience directing live tours and videos for musicians such as SOPHIE, Mitski, and Yaeji influenced your artistic approach and collaborations within the music industry?

Working in collaboration is very dna, there is a helix that is unique to each artist and situation. I get really excited to see the material that spins off of a musician. Its body and emotion, lyrics, textures and of course sound. Every live tour is the caldron of depth that comes from an impulsive practice merged with what it took to make the album. Which is often a lot of emotion, desire, practical stress and yearning.

Monica Mirabile on stage with SOPHIE

When i'm working with an artist, I like to listen and shape what is there into something ritualistic or actually felt rather than develop something precomposed. With Mitski, it was about the light… I wanted the light to be a character in her show and i was so drawn to it, inspired by the lyrics.

We had a lot of fun letting fun mean engaging with the work. I got to work closely with her lighting designer Andy Watson and my favorite moment became a reality when she waltzes with the light in Heaven. Sophie became a friend and hired me and Sigrid to choreograph her first live tour after she transitioned. I felt that we were guiding each other through a new textural experience in that tour, that transformation was very visceral and palpable. I really could go on and on about the details in every experience ive had with the people ive worked with, i like to think about it. As far as being in the music industry, I wouldn't say that the music industry makes it easy, logistics are complicated, but I know what I need to make the environment conducive for this work, so it gets a little easier every time.

Can you explain more about the concept of authority in your work and how it manifests across different mediums?

Maybe the best way to answer is that i've always asked some version of the question, ‘Is it god or am I dog?’( which is also the title of a Fluct piece from 2018). It means, Is it that the conditions of my life are precomposed by an authority outside of my control or am i being controlled? Have I become obedient to the conditions? What has authority? Is it the culture, the government, the system, the spirit of chance? the god of me? What authority do I have to control what? What am I obedient to? It’s a riddle. There are many interpretations. This question shows up in everything I do. But in my life I've studied the way we absorb information without consent and I recognize how our bodies and behavior are affected by holding onto this information. Currently I know it is both god and dog in the act of processing movement. 

Monica Mirabile with Eartheater [Photo Credit: Kat Nijmedden]

What was the creative process like for your immersive performance "GUIDANCE" on March 1st, 2024, at your painting exhibition at Albert Projects, especially regarding your collaboration with Eartheater?

I've been interested in near death experiences for awhile, I've listened to thousands of stories.The soundtrack is made up of these stories, sound clips of my family and music including Eartheater. After a 15 year hiatus, I started painting again after my dad died in 2020. The painting show at Albert Projects was titled Guidance ,the process of making these paintings felt like being guided, often adding shadow and light to let something be revealed.

Eartheater and I have been friends for over a decade and have collaborated many times. In the performance she guided with her movement, voice and light.

The performance was a kind of ritual in more ways than I can say right now, but I had been searching for the light. In the performance, Eartheater finds me in the dark with the light. At one point she puts the light in my mouth and I swallow it, it lets me move and then Alex helps me through the struggle of my body before holding me. It was a testament of growth and support for both of us.

Do you have any dream collaborations in mind, either within the realm of visual arts or music, that you aspire to pursue in the future?

Honestly, I do but i dont know who they are yet, i feel very let god about connections. I know i want to do more scaled up performances and it seems more and more my performances are involving my paintings.

Could you walk us through a typical day in your life as an artist and choreographer?

Photo Credit: Max Lakner

I’m not sure that i have a typical day. I wake up, i try to eat healthy, right now im focusing on a healthy liver, the seat of vitality. I sometimes do yoga. I often meditate and then i go to my studio, whether its my painting studio or movement studio depends on what i’m working on.

Right now I am writing a new performance so a lot of my time is spent in meditation and writing. Soon I will contact performers and start to workshop in the studio, it will be playful at first and then it will begin to take form.

This coming Saturday i am movement directing a music video for an artist named Yatta in Forest Hills. We have had lunches and zoom calls to set the scene. I’ll arrive on Saturday and we will create compositions before each shot and rehearse in the margins. ill work with the artist, the band, the director and the DP to bring the dream to life. The days change and i love that.

How do you stay grounded and focused on a tough day?

On a tough day, I meditate. I let go and i go in. To ground, Ill do a body scan where i  identify sensations in my body and let myself explore there. I have a practice i call ‘unblocking’ that allows me to guide myself through these sensations and land in a pretty psychedelic impulse. I also guide others, you can find it on my website. Tough days are annoying but in retrospect they always have something to tell us, like “walk a little further” ( which is also what my girlfriend tells me).

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have for artists aspiring to work in your field?

Nobody can do what you do. I think we often dont recognize when our insecurities are sneaky telling us to conform, especially with social media giving so much input all of the time. Truthfully, you are made up of very unique experiences that inform your body language and that is not replicable, it’s like a fingerprint. If you are listening to your body, you'll find what feels right, trust it. Sometimes people need that thing only you have to offer. Continue fighting for liberation.

What are your aspirations or goals for the future of your artistic career?

To continue listening.

** Interview by ninakeh for shesaid.so

Monica Mirabile’s New Projects:

“Viscous” Painting show at Current in Baltimore, MD 

Opening July 27th. Closing August 17th.

THIS IS A PERFORMANCE school 

Sept 7-14th in Lincolnville Maine. Register online.

Open Movement  October 6th - June 15th 

Every Sunday 12-6pm at Performance Space New York in East Village, New York 

Paradise Container, A new performance by Mara Mckevitt and Monica Mirabile

January 2026 at Pioneer Works - more soon.

Website & More Links

Highlighting the Opportunities Within South Asian Music

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South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) is an annual celebration that runs from July 18 to August 17, honoring the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of people with roots in South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

Launched in 2020, SAHM aims to foster understanding and appreciation of the diverse heritage that connects the South Asian diaspora to the UK. This feature looks at how South Asian music is flourishing and reaching new audiences, with many positive shifts currently happening within the UK South Asian music ecosystem. These shifts are being driven by global trends and pioneering work being done in the UK.

In this interview, music diversity specialist, Sania Haq, explains more about these positive developments, including her involvement with pioneering South Asian organisations such as BollyCo and Going South. Sania Haq also discusses the wider importance of South Asian representation within music, in relation to inclusivity and dismantling cultural stereotypes.

Sania, your work spans over a decade within the music industry. What are some key insights from your research that have significantly impacted the industry?

For almost a decade now, I’ve specialised in music research, working on some of the industry’s flagship studies for trade bodies, labels, and platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud. One of my proudest achievements is helping the industry better understand the importance and value of global music markets and diverse listeners.

In around 2015, when I was Head of Research at AudienceNet, I began gathering data on people’s interest in music in different languages and global sounds. I noticed this insight was missing and believed it would encourage the industry to explore global music more. 

A few years later, we started to see more industry interest in global music markets. For example, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa emerged as the fastest-growing regions by some margin. I have supported the industry in gaining a deeper understanding of key new markets, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nigeria, India, and Indonesia. This research has helped drive a more inclusive approach in the industry, recognizing the richness and potential of diverse musical landscapes.

What inspired you to create the Bye to Stereotypes platform, and what are some notable successes you've achieved so far?

I set up Bye to Stereotypes as a way to integrate my work in research, training, and strategy. While I have a deep passion for research and everything I do is data-driven, I wanted to focus more on actionable outcomes. 

I've always been passionate about using data to create social impact, and it has been a real privilege to support international organizations in applying United Nations guidelines on leveraging data to achieve gender equality and address societal inequalities, particularly those affecting marginalized communities.

In the music industry, I've had the opportunity to write, speak, and work closely with organizations to drive change in relation to diversity. This includes being part of the team behind this year’s dedicated South Asian space at Glastonbury.

What are some common stereotypes about South Asian music and artists that you aim to dispel through your work?

Stereotypes about South Asian music have often hindered its recognition and respect within the wider industry, in the UK and beyond. When discussing South Asian music, people often resort to referencing stereotypes like "light bulb" dance moves, which can lead to underconfidence within communities and a feeling of needing to hide one's love for the genre. However, there is a shifting tide. Artists like Diljit Dosanjh, who authentically represent South Asian music, are breaking through mainstream barriers, as evidenced by his performance at Coachella. Diljit’s success is inspiring people to embrace South Asian music more openly. At BollyCo and through my work with organizations like Going South, we're actively working to dispel these stereotypes.

Congratulations on being part of the development of the first major South Asian space ‘Arrivals’ (in collaboration with Dialled In, Daytimers and Going South) at Glastonbury 2024. Can you share what inspired this initiative and how you envision it influencing the future of South Asian music in mainstream festivals?

Over the last few years, I’ve been supporting the team at Going South, spearheaded by legendary DJ Bobby Friction, to highlight the need for greater South Asian representation at mainstream festivals. Given that South Asians comprise around 9% of the population, it is surprising that they are not more prominently featured at festivals, either as artists or attendees.

South Asian music is currently experiencing a surge in popularity and being embraced by global festivals, exemplified by Diljit Dosanjh's performance at Coachella. Thus, increasing South Asian representation at festivals isn't solely a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative; it can also enhance the global profile of these festivals and attract a broader audience.

Credit: Photo by David Fisher/Shutterstock (12794063gk)Joy Crookes42nd BRIT Awards, Arrivals, The O2 Arena, London, UK - 08 Feb 2022 David Fisher/Shutterstock

While South Asian Melas have long been a part of the UK's music ecosystem, these events are often free or very affordable (e.g. £20). Consequently, both South Asian and non-South Asian audiences may not value South Asian artists to the same extent as more mainstream acts. When South Asian artists begin to feature more prominently in mainstream settings such as festivals or awards shows, it will positively influence audience perceptions and encourage greater investment of time and money in supporting these artists. This, in turn, will help South Asian music from the UK diaspora to thrive.

“Glastonbury 2024 represents an important milestone, with Going South collaborating with culture collectives Dialled In and Daytimers to create the Arrivals space.” (Sania Haq)

“There have been waves of south Asian takeovers [at Glastonbury] before, where artists would come and perform on existing spaces and stages, but this space is created entirely by us. We’ve never been given 360-degree scope like this before.” (Ahsan-Elahi Shujaat, director of events at Dialled In Guardian, June 2024)

I hope it is just the beginning of a broader movement to integrate South Asian music into the mainstream festival circuit. I’m looking forward to supporting the industry to make this a reality.

Despite the recent successes, South Asian diaspora artists still face challenges such as lack of exposure and support. What do you think are the most crucial steps that need to be taken to overcome these obstacles and sustain the momentum?

South Asian diaspora artists face a number of unique challenges:

South Asian audiences are spoilt for choice—they have access to the best music coming out of their countries of origin as well as the best of Western music. As a diaspora artist, you are competing with both Bollywood hits and global icons like Taylor Swift. No matter how talented you are, it is hard to cut through all that noise to reach audiences.

We lack in-depth data on South Asian music audiences in the UK, which is something I’m working to improve. For now, we can get an understanding of some of the challenges and opportunities for South Asian artists by looking at streaming data, ticket sales, and social media trends.

Broadly, we see that awareness and exposure are significant challenges for diaspora artists. For example, they are rarely seen in mainstream settings. This leads to less awareness and, sadly, less consideration among potential audiences.

Diljit Dosanjh: Born to Shine/G.O.A.T. | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Jun 18, 2024)

Thankfully, we are seeing some success for artists from the global diaspora, such as AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla. However, these artists tend to have grown up in South Asia and then moved to Western countries later in life. They are therefore able to straddle cultures and have a broader audience that is likely to be aware of and interested in them (i.e. diaspora audiences plus over a billion people in South Asia).

While artists born and brought up outside South Asia do still have the opportunity to appeal globally, as an industry, we need to help them better navigate very specific challenges for diaspora artists.

To sustain the momentum and overcome these obstacles, we need to:

  • Increase Representation: Ensure that South Asian artists are featured in mainstream settings, from festivals to award shows.

  • Enhance Visibility: Use data from surveys, streaming, ticket sales, and social media to understand audience preferences and trends, then use this insight to promote diaspora artists more effectively.

  • Audience Engagement Support: Provide resources and support to help artists born and raised outside South Asia to better connect with both Western and South Asian audiences.

  • Community Engagement: Foster strong community support and grassroots movements to build a dedicated fanbase.

By addressing these areas, we can create a more supportive environment for South Asian diaspora artists, giving them a fairer opportunity to achieve success.

BollyCo

Can you tell us more about BollyCo and the collaborations it has been involved in?

BollyCo is a London-based, South Asian-focused dance, content, and events company. Established in 2013, it is female-founded and led by choreographer, producer, host, and entrepreneur Nileeka Bose. I’ve been working with Nileeka since she launched BollyCo, and focus on our brand and partnerships management.

The company’s mission is to be a place where "music meets dance," supporting the music industry and brands through dance-related services and content.We’ve had the pleasure of working with a broad range of South Asian and non-South Asian artists, including DJ Snake, Steven Wilson, Badshah, Stefflon Don, and Sidhu Moose Wala.

Our creative direction and choreography have also been featured in globally recognized productions such as Marvel Studios' The Eternals and Universal Pictures' Polite Society, as well as landmark shows like the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Concert. We also curate our own shows under the brand "BollyCo Live," supporting diaspora artists and also bringing global South Asian talent to the UK. 

We've collaborated with major brands like Adidas, Burberry, Deliveroo, Peloton, and Samsung, advising on and curating events and campaigns that celebrate South Asia’s rich and diverse heritage.

With our social media platforms reaching an average of 1 million viewers each month, BollyCo has become a vibrant space for celebrating, embracing, and expressing South Asian identity. Our commitment to uplifting South Asian culture with respect and reverence has made us a trusted partner for brands and artists who care as deeply about these audiences as we do.

What do you see as the most promising opportunities for South Asian music to continue its rise globally?

South Asian music is thriving and connecting with audiences both in the region and within the diaspora, largely driven by the rapid spread of streaming and trends through social media. Unlike a few years ago, when the strategy for global success focused on trying to "cross over" to engage broader, non-South Asian audiences, the current focus is on creating authentic music.

Diljit Dosanjh exemplifies this success. He sings in Punjabi, dresses traditionally, and speaks little English, yet he finds himself on global platforms such as Coachella and the Jimmy Fallon show. His success shows that the wider industry is also starting to see the commercial value of cultural authenticity.

However, supporting artists from the diaspora still presents challenges. They are not finding it easy to benefit from the global rise of South Asian music due to their unique circumstances. The UK music ecosystem needs to support these artists more effectively by raising awareness of their work and providing guidance on navigating their specific challenges. With this support, diaspora artists can add significant value to the UK music industry, including the potential to reach massive audiences across South Asia.

Connect with Sania Haq

Bye To Stereotypes Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Connect with Nileeka Bose

Bolly Co London Website | Instagram

Michelle Kambasha: Curating Black Alternative Music on 'Black Radical'

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Michelle Kambasha is a music publicist, journalist, public speaker and educator. Her work primarily focuses on the intersection of Black representation in alternative music spaces. As a publicist, she worked at Secretly Group and Satellite414 covering acts like Sharon Van Etten, Bon Iver, William Eggleston, Lonnie Holley, Jamila Woods, Moses Sumney, Dave, Amber Mark and more.

She also frequently writes for major publications such as the Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent and frequently hosts industry focused talks on panels alongside running her PR company, KP Communications (where she works with Kara Jackson, Jamila Woods, Aja Monet, Madison McFerrin) as well as organisations like The Black Curriculum.

Michelle launched “Black Radical” (a new substack newsletter that will exclusively feature black artists that perform in alternative and/or less mainstream music genres e.g. post punk, singer-songwriter, indie, jazz, guitars, rock, experimental etc.) in early July.

"Black Radical" subscribers already include top music journalists, independent and major label figures, booking agents, sync executives, and music fans. Artists of any experience, age, gender, and level are welcome, and coverage isn’t beholden to upcoming release schedules.

How did you start your career in music?

I started my career properly as a junior music publicist at Secretly Group (Dead Oceans, Jagjawar and Secretly Canadian). It was a very exciting time to be working at the company; they had a small team, dedicated to establishing the label in the UK and Europe. The staff was  experienced and came from different music backgrounds. Being only 21 at the time, I was really lucky to work with people who were willing to help guide me. 

At the time, the label was known for working with artists that were firmly in the US indie-rock tradition, such as the War on Drugs, Bon Iver, Black Mountain, Sharon Van Etten and more. In the years that I worked at the company, the label progressed to being much more diverse - both in its roster and its workforce. It meant that I had the privilege of working with artists of the global majority like Jamila Woods, Moses Sumney, Japanese Breakfast, Lonnie Holley and Durand Jones. It was clear that there were higher-ups in the organisation that were making a concerted effort to stay true to themselves and evolve while doing so. It’s an ethos that I’ve taken with me and embedded more radically to my own working practices. 

What inspired you to create the black radical newsletter? 

It was a combination of things. Over the last year, I began to renegotiate what I wanted my participation in the music industry to look like. I’d spent many years as a publicist, with a few other things tacked on, but I felt I needed to be re-energised in a different way, that combined my expertise and my values. I did a personal audit and my interests and passions began to reveal themselves. The key question became: how do I create a simple project that combines my work as a publicist/writer with my love of Black alternative and radical traditions within music? Many ideas floated, then suddenly the idea for this newsletter came to me. Over the last five or so years, there’s been a re-emergence of Black alternative musicians in the indie mainstream (we have always been there), which I’ve found encouraging. But I’ve often found it frustrating that some writers struggled to tackle the racial question in a nuanced way or reduced stories to ones merely about race, when it isn’t called for. 

Article by Michelle Kambasha at the Guardian | Jun 2022

Oftentimes Black musicians have to offer up their identities on a platter, only for it to be reduced to racialised headlines and questions that had nothing to do with their music. That, or they’ve mishandled the questions that were about race. Beyond articles, I’ve seen this in action as a publicist working for Black alternative artists. 

At the same time, I was reading the work of different poets, journalists, artists and theorists who tackled the questions of Black alternative existence: Saidiya Hartman, Kodwo Eshun, Neil Kulkarni, Craig Jenkins, Hanif Abduraqqib, Dele Fadele, Greg Tate, Hilton Als, Amiri Baraka, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, June Jordan, Christina Sharpe, Julie Dash, folk of the Black Arts Movement, Horace Ove, Stephanie Phillips, John Akomfrah and the Black Audio Film Collective and many many more - this is where the radical element of the newsletter comes into play.

I am also concerned with Black publications that don’t highlight the work of Black alternative musicians. While they may not have the influence of white media, I believe they have a responsibility in showing all of us. This isn’t a new struggle - even when there were more Black titles, there is a long tradition of them not covering key aspects of Black music tradition, be it jazz, blues and electronic music. 

Was there a particular event or realisation that made you feel the need to create a dedicated platform for showcasing black artists in alternative music genres?

Along with some of what I’ve mentioned already, I was particularly catalysed by how Black Music Month was covered by major organisations like Apple, NPR, Grammy.com and many more. There was a keen focus on Black music of the R&B and hip-hop tradition, but nothing about our place in genres like rock, punk, alternative and (maybe most shockingly) electronic music and jazz.

Omitting our presence further erodes the public perception that we weren’t/aren’t present in this space, when quote the opposite is true. It felt like a huge oversight and missed opportunity. More generally, It’s the same publications and organisations that commission one-off articles about the reclamation of Black people in these spaces, but elsewhere continue to categorise us as being ‘just one thing’. There has been no real commitment. The newsletter just feels like a very small way of re-addressing this issue. 

oreglo - Not Real People (Full EP) on Brownswood Recordings YouTube Channel

How do you find and select artists and what criteria do they have to meet?

Simply, it's music that I like, whether that comes from something that I've organically found, a PR has sent to me and they think that I might like or something that a friend or another peer has sent to me because they think that it might be up my street. I take submissions from anyone, whether it's formal or informal. In terms of the criteria, the artists have to be black or they have to be a member of a group that might have other white members in it. I'm quite a conversationalist so they have to be artists that are really interested in getting into the weeds of their kind of creative process and their influences.

The main agenda is to be excited about the music that I'm covering. I am also making sure that it is for the sake of the music. Nothing is going to be brought in to it. It’s not about a specific album timeline or anything like that. One of the great things about doing something like this is that I don't have to align with editorial policies - e.g, to work towards a word count or pick up and on a specific agenda, something that's topical. That's not really the point of this newsletter. I’m hoping that people come on that journey with me.

What do you hope readers and subscribers take away from the newsletter? 

My hope is that readers are left with a more holistic view of Black music and a deeper understanding of what it takes to make their music and art - one that lives within or goes beyond their racial identities. It might be the case that these artists don’t talk about race at all, since it may not be a central focus of the music they put it out. 

Introducing people to new ways of seeing how music works with other artistic disciplines like film, art and poetry and radical thought is also going to be a big focus. I also want people to just discover new music that they might be interested in - and by new, I mean new to them (and me!). The newsletter won’t be beholden to just new bands or new releases - it’ll also work like the Wayback machine. 

What impact are you aiming to achieve within the music community?

My aim is to purely platform the art of what I call the Black Alternative (which is inclusive of more than just music) and hope that in some small and humble way, we begin to make a more sustained and solid effort to change how we discuss Black alternative music. I also want Black people to know and internalise the breadth of what Black music is. I love the work that the likes of Skepta are doing to introduce Black people to Black electronic music roots. There needs to be an understanding that music genres that appear to be predominantly performed by white people is, more often than not, Black music. I’m also really keen to partner up with other initiatives that are sympathetic to this work.

If you’re an artist that fits the remit, or knows artists that do, please email michelle kambasha on blkradicals@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Substack here: https://blackradical.substack.com/

Links to social: LinkedIn

The Erasure of Female Guitarists in the Media: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Forgotten Guitar Goddesses of Rock and Blues

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Izzy Fincher is a classical guitarist, writer, and activist based in Milwaukee. As a queer Japanese American woman, Izzy is passionate about sharing the stories of diverse BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creatives through research and activism.

Izzy is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Classical Guitar Performance and Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research focuses on journalism, media and mass communication, popular music, intersectional feminism, racism, and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Izzy’s honors thesis, “An examination of mainstream media’s treatment of female guitarists,” has been published in the Journal of Popular Music Studies and featured in Guitar World. She has presented her research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, the UW-Madison Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium, the Guitar Foundation of America Conference, and the International Communication Association Conference.

In 2023, Izzy graduated from CU Boulder with bachelor’s degrees in Classical Guitar Performance and Journalism. She received the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award from the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Music and the College of Media, Communication and Information’s William W. White Outstanding Graduate. Awards include the Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation’s Gerke Collegiate Award, the Presser Foundation’s Undergraduate Scholar Award, and the UW Milwaukee Women’s and Gender Studies Department’s 2024 Florence L. Healy Scholarship.

What initially inspired you to focus your research on the representation of female guitarists in mainstream media? Has your own experience as a female guitarist and journalist influenced your research?

As a queer Japanese American woman, I am interested in researching the intersection of journalism, media and mass communication, feminism, racism, LGBTQIA+ rights, and popular music. The inspiration for this project, “Mainstream Media’s Treatment of Female Guitarists,” came from my personal experiences of the sexism and gender-based barriers faced by women in guitar and my passion for music journalism. As a young musician, I didn’t have any female role models in guitar and rarely saw women featured in male-dominated music magazines, such as Guitar World, Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, and Rolling Stone.

With my experiences as a female guitarist and journalist, I am very passionate about representation for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creatives in the arts and media. For my undergraduate honors thesis in journalism, I decided to research media representations of 43 influential female guitarists in 10 mainstream publications from the 1960s to 2023.

This is the first research paper published in a peer-reviewed academic journal about this topic; therefore, it is an important step toward raising awareness of the erasure and marginalization of female guitarists in the music press.

Photograph of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, taken by James J. Kriegsmann. Courtesy of user Blz 2049 of Wikimedia Commons.

Who are some of the 43 female guitarists you mention in your analysis?

The list of 43 players comes from a combination of three lists: Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists” (2015); Guitar Player’s “50 Sensational Female Guitarists” (2020); and She Shreds Media’s “7 Guitarists That Prove Black Women Were Pioneers In Music History” (2020).

The study features many pioneering female guitarists in blues and rock, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the “Godmother of Rock ’n’ Roll”; Lady Bo (Peggy Jones), the “First Lady of Guitar;” Memphis Minnie, the “Queen of Blues”’ Elizabeth Cotten; Poison Ivy (Kristy Marlana Wallace), the “Queen of Psychobilly Punk”; Annie Clark (“St. Vincent”); Kaki King; Joni Mitchell; Joan Jett; and Bonnie Raitt.

What were some of the most surprising or unexpected findings from your research?

Although the underrepresentation of female guitarists is hardly surprising, the extent to which women in guitar have been systematically erased and marginalized in the American music press is still surprising. The findings of this study illustrate how the systemic gender and racial inequities of the press, the masculinization of guitar, and the whitewashing and patriarchal structures of rock have contributed to the erasure of female guitarists over six decades. According to this study, 16.3% of the women didn’t appear in a single article, and 46% were mentioned in fewer than 10 articles. In particular, Black women received even less press coverage: 27.9% of the women featured are Black, yet they were only featured in 10.6% of the articles analyzed.

How did the representation of female guitarists differ across various decades, from the 1960s to the present?

During the golden age of music journalism, male journalists rarely featured female guitarists and displayed blatant sexism in their coverage when they did. For example, In “Fanny, a Four-Girl Rock Group, Poses a Challenge to Male Ego,” the critic writes, “ Going to see an all-girl rock group, one has to bring a mixture of condescension and paranoia. What if they are good? What will that possibility do to the old male ego?” With the diversification of newsrooms and the rise of digital journalism, the representation for female guitarists has increased and improved in legacy mainstream media. The music press has begun to produce more content about female guitarists, such as the coverage of Susan Tedeschi, Orianthi, Kaki King, and Nita Strauss.

In particular, St. Vincent has received far more coverage relative to her career length (70 articles in 2009-2023) than Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt in their entire careers (91 articles each since the 60s and 70s). Certain publications, such as NPR, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times, have started producing retrospective articles about influential female guitarists from the past, such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie, and Elizabeth Cotten, to honor their legacies and contributions to popular music.

However, despite the significant progress from the 1960s, the underrepresentation and marginalization of female guitarists, especially women of color, is still a pervasive issue in the contemporary music press.

What role did race play in the media's portrayal of female guitarists, particularly Black women, according to your findings?

Black female guitarists face intersectional invisibility in the music press as a result of the double burden of sexism and racism. Of the 43 guitarists studied, 12 are Black women (27.9%); however, they are featured in only 79 articles of the 744 articles analyzed (10.6%). Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the “Godmother of Rock’n’Roll," appears in 29 of these articles (all written posthumously). The top five female guitarists are white women: Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell (91 articles), St. Vincent (70 articles), Ani DiFranco (53 articles), and Joan Jett (48 articles).

Furthermore, the marginalization of Black women in guitar illustrates the whitewashing and cultural appropriation of rock music culture, which has attempted to separate itself from the genre’s Black musical roots. Due to the masculinization of the electric guitar, influential pioneering musicians have received even less recognition than their male peers, such as Jimi Hendrix and Chuck Berry.

As Daphne Brooks writes in Liner Notes for a Revolution, thus illustrates the quandary faced by many Black women in the music industry– as“the world adores them and yet mishears them, celebrates them and yet ignores them, heralds them and simultaneously devalues them.”

In your opinion, what steps can be taken by journalists and media outlets to improve representation?

To address these systemic inequities in media coverage, the music press needs to feature more female guitarists, especially women of color.

Although the press has produced more content about women in guitar in recent years, the gender gap in media coverage is still a significant problem. The racial and gender inequities of the music press continue to undermine and limit the potential of professional female guitarists in the music industry, while also discouraging and disempowering young female players.

Next, the media needs to move away from the category of “women in guitar, which highlights the gender of female guitarists and reinforces the status quo of guitar as a male-dominated instrument. In addition, journalists should reduce the use of gender binaries and female markers and the hypersexualization of female guitarists in coverage – discursive frames that exclude women from serious consideration.

Over the past few years, representation for female and non-binary guitarists has improved in the media, as illustrated in retrospective articles in NPR and prolific coverage of St. Vincent. For example, Rolling Stone’s revised “250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” list features 48 female and one non-binary guitarist, including 17 women featured in this study. The list includes several influential Black female guitarists, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe (#6), Elizabeth Cotten (#36), Memphis Minnie (#147), and Barbara Lynn (#229).

Do you think social media and digital platforms are changing the narrative for female guitarists today?

In the digital age, the diminishing power of the music press and the democratization of content creation has empowered diverse female and non-binary guitarists, such as Yvette Young and St. Vincent, to define their artistry and music on their own terms. Furthermore, the proliferation of independent digital publications led by women and people of color is shifting the narrative for female guitarists today, thus challenging the gender and racial inequities of the mainstream music press. For example, She Shreds Media (c. 2012) and Guitar Girl Magazine (c. 2018) exclusively feature female and gender non-conforming guitarists, including diverse musicians of color. Thus, these publications critique the discourse and representations found in male-centric guitar magazines, such as Guitar Player and Guitar World. By challenging the underrepresentation, marginalization, and hypersexualization of female guitarists, these feminist publications model an alternative framework that needs to be reproduced on a larger scale in the music press.

Connect with Izzy Fincher

Instagram: @izzy_fincher

Facebook: Izzy Fincher - Guitarist

Website: izzyfincher.com

Charly Schaller: DJing with Disability

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While studying Philosophy at Cambridge, Charly Schaller discovered techno music during weekend trips to Berlin's techno clubs. This sparked a deep passion for techno and its harder subgenres and she soon played at venues like About Blank, Griessmühle, and Arena Club. In 2021, she released her first track on He.She.They, with a remix by Radio Slave, and launched an event series at Zurich's EXIL featuring artists like VTSS and DJ Spit and her music was released on labels like Second State, LAP, and DURCH.

In 2021, Charly became severely disabled due to complications from spine surgery. Now, she advocates for disabled DJs, promoting inclusivity and necessary accommodations in the music scene.

Can you briefly share your journey of becoming a DJ and how it all started for you?

Music has always been my thing, I grew up listening to classical music and in my youth had a great time discovering mainly the 60s, 70s and 80s, especially psychedelic rock and acts like the Beatles and Pink Floyd. I didn’t know too much about electronic music until I visited my friends in Berlin in my gap year after high school. We all went to Tresor as a group and in the morning when they went home, I went all by myself to Berghain, at the age of 18 in colorful clothes and with ginger braids and luckily got in. That was the first time I heard proper Techno and I was immediately in love. In this week I went to Berghain three times and my love for Techno was born.

After my gap year, I started a Philosophy degree at the University of Cambridge in England and while everyone else was doing internships at big companies in the school holidays, I went back to Berlin to go clubbing. It was both the music, but also the community, freedom and acceptance that I experienced in Berlin’s clubs that caught me. 

I think at some point, when I stood in a club, I looked at the DJ in front of me and thought: ‘This is what I want to spend my life doing’. I’ve always been a person who’s going for the things in life that I’m passionate about. So while still at Cambridge I first bought my first synthesizer, later CDJs and autodidactically taught myself the first production and DJing skills as I didn’t know any DJs at the time. After finishing my BA, I moved back to Berlin, worked different small jobs, and slowly improved my DJing skills until at the end of 2017, I was lucky that a friend who was a promoter at About Blank granted me an intro slot at his party. I’ve never been so nervous in my life and was shaking during the whole set, but it went great and I noticed that luckily my taste in music seemed to appealing for other people, too. I had never played in front of people before, so I had no idea how they would like my style. But after that, it slowly all took off, through more and more regular performances, becoming a promoter myself and finally allowed me to have a professional career.

How did your life change when you became severely disabled three years ago?

Everything changed for me. Due to severe scoliosis I had a surgery where two metal rods were inserted right and left of my spine. As a result, my back is completely stiff, I cannot bend it anymore. There were also major complication and after I woke up in extreme pain after the surgery, the pain never went away. Since then, I always have strong pain when standing and walking and can only stand and walk for a limited amount of time. Consequently, a lot of the things that I used to love doing, like hiking, rock climbing, snowboarding or simply strolling through a city aren’t possible anymore. The worst thing however is, what constant pain is doing to your mental wellbeing- it is extremely exhausting. Is is as though 50% of my thoughts are constantly occupied with pain, so my whole capacity is at 50%. It changes you, when you cannot simply walk down the street and enjoy the sunshine anymore.

What are some specific challenges you faced as a DJ after becoming disabled?

Unfortunately I faced many challenges. First and foremost, that standing for more than 30min is now extremely (!) painful for me. So in order to play with less pain I needed a chair with a backrest (The pain only goes away, if my back is not vertically burdened). Even though I asked my agency to tell the promoters about my condition, that chair was maybe provided 50% of the time and in most cases it was a barstool standing meters away from the booth. Even when a chair was provided, I could not play while sitting because the equipment would be far too high, so I had to take short rests during my set which makes mixing a lot trickier. 

Charly Schaller ft. Dani DeLion - Queen Of The Night [He.She.They.] Uploaded on YouTube May 5, 2021

If I had been already very successful and established, I probably could have requested the promoter to arrange everything so that playing seated would be possible. I will always remember for example Kyle Geiger playing a Berghain closing with a broken leg, and he will always be a hero and source of inspiration for me for this.

But as an upcoming DJ, you cannot really make such requests that cost extra money or require the whole set up to be changed before and after you play. How should this be possible when even changing the mixer is sometimes considered an annoying effort. And it is indeed an effort, which I know from being a promoter myself. But this really demonstrates that our scene is not inclusive for people with physical disabilities.

I’m sure that wheel chair users face the same problem that the DJ booths are far too high for them and to the reader: think about how often you’ve seen DJs in a wheel chair. So we really need to find a solution here. If people were generally aware of these special needs of people with disabilities, every club could possibly have a podium or second smaller booth. Sure, this involves effort and is costly and will lead to breaks between two DJ sets, but I think there is no question that inclusivity is more important than a neat transition between two sets. 


With my back being weak from the surgery, I was not allowed to carry anything so I needed the promoters help to carry my luggage. When sitting, I always needed a chair with a backrest. Without a backrest, I would be in strong pain. Unfortunately, many times, either my agency or the promoters forgot about communicating this clearly and I ended up stranded in situations with extreme pain.

Promoters would be confused why I left artist dinners directly after arriving or why the first thing I did after arriving at the airport was asking whether they could carry my luggage. When somebody is not informed, it is very uncomfortable for me when the first thing I need to talk about with them is my disability. I am now talking openly about it, but it is still something very private and it is uncomfortable being forced to open up to a total stranger without wanting to do so but out of necessity. It has meant over and over again brandmarking myself as somehow less than capable. So it was also hard that people, despite knowing about my condition, often couldn’t grasp its severity. I think this is because you don’t see it, not because they didn’t mean well, but still it hurt.

Furthermore, effective marketing became almost impossible: I felt ashamed to see myself DJing on videos, how stiff I looked. I used to dance a lot when playing and now, I looked stiff and potentially bored and unengaged to other people.

We all know how important video content is these days, perhaps the most important marketing material to increase ones reach.. High quality video content of DJs dancing ecstatically at gigs is perhaps the most important marketing material these days. But not only at gigs, recording yourself playing at Hör or doing streams is very relevant for social media. With releases sadly loosing importance it nowadays seems impossible to make a career without outstanding video content. But video content where the DJ is standing stiff as a stick will hardly go viral. On top of that, while I was trying to make peace with myself, I still got the advice from people from the music industry that I should dance more when playing so that the video content would look cooler, even though they knew about my condition. This really really hurt.

Additionally, networking is so so important and it often happens at events, in the backstage, behind the stage or in the smoking area and all while standing. So not being able to attend many events anymore, you quickly loose contact with the scene. At big productions like Time Warp for example, people stand for hours behind the stages and get to network there and there isn’t any seating at all, so unless you can stand for hours, you cannot go there. Even when there are seating areas, people still are usually all standing up and when sitting all by yourself you won’t meet anyone. I don’t want to speak for wheelchair users as I’m obviously not in their feet, but can imagine that it must be hard for them, too, to approach people they’ve only met once or twice in their life or never before in a dark and load environment. 

Due to the fusion of my spine, dancing is now very different, I cannot let my body move naturally to the music and again, however great the music, when you are in strong pain, dancing is only partly enjoyable. This was very sad for me as I absolutely loved dancing, but it also made me feel alienated from the people around me at parties.

​​Overall, I felt alienated from the whole scene. I still loved playing more than anything, but at gigs, I felt alone with my pain, I felt estranged from everyone surrounding me who didn’t realise how lucky they were to have the liberty to dance freely and without pain. So I didn’t see a way forward and thought the only option I had was to quit DJing and start a new life. This is why I stopped posting on social media and even left Berlin to pursue a different path in life.

What challenges have you faced in other situations e.g. navigating airports with your disability ID card, despite being able to walk?

At airports, for a long time I was unable to wait in the queues and needed help with carrying my luggage, but as I could still walk it didn’t feel right to use the disability service. What many people don’t know: You must use a wheelchair to use the service, even if you tell them that you can walk. When I tried to skip queues using my disability ID card. Multiple times I got shouted at, insulted and harassed and people didn’t let me pass despite me explaining I was in pain. Even if I had used the wheel chair service, the problem would have been that this service can be very slow in many countries and you might have to wait 1h for being picked up while my gig was within only a few hours. Generally, anything that involved long times of standing and walking became a challenge.

How did your management respond to your disability, and what impact did it have on your career?

I think that they meant well, but couldn’t really grasp the severity of my condition as it is not visible. InI believe anyone with an invisible (physical) disability faces this really big problem, that even though people mean well and they have good intentions, they fail to provide the support you really need. For example, people will be confused or wonder why you’re not constantly complaining about your pain if your pain is really that strong or why you still seem to have a good time. But obviously you get used to the pain and obviously you cannot send your life complaining whenever you’re standing or walking ;)

So again, I had people still advising me to dance more so that the video content would look cooler and I was also advised against communicating openly about my disability, which hurt. I believe that if it had been visually obvious that I had a disability, things would have been different. 

Overall, I would have wished more guidance and more help on navigating my disability. The only way how my career could have worked out is by being open about my disability, I think this applies for most disabled people and so having my management on my side with this and campaigning together for the inclusivity of disabled people would have been helpful. 

Why do you think the current discourse around diversity in the music scene lacks a focus on disability?

Nobody is talking about it, that’s a fact. But it’s not only the music scene but society in general that omits disability from the diversity discourse. When I applied to do an MBA in New York where I lived for half a year, there were many diversity scholarships, but having a disability was never part of the criteria that made one eligible to apply. Disability is not part of the mainstream discourse. 

And the fact that the special assistance that I requested could not be provided and all my other challenges show that it’s not on people’s (especially also promoters’) minds that some some people need special assistance in order to be able to play a gig. If disability was part of the diversity discourse, it would not be a new topic for people, that some DJs cannot stand behind the booth for their set and clubs would be equipped to accommodate this. 

How can people and organizations in the music industry better support disabled DJs?

Due to the problems  I mentioned that disabled DJs face with marketing and networking, I believe that some sort of affirmative action and special support would be effective and necessary to increase their visibility and balance their disadvantages. This is because for some of the problems other than providing special assistance, like networking, there doesn’t seem to be a straightforward solution. Just as it was and still is a topic that female DJs should be particularly supported- many promoters now check that they have female DJs on their line up- disabled DJs need to be supported in a similar way. If as a promoter, you know a disabled DJ, give them a preference when it comes to booking. Promoters, agents and managers would need to become active here. But I’m also just starting to campaign for disabled people so I don’t have the perfect solution in my hands. But acknowledging the problem is anyway the first step.

Promoters, regardless of how established and big, should have on their minds that some people need special assistance, e.g. cannot stand for the whole time of the set behind the booth or might need any other kind of help for their journey. When booking a DJ, promoters could actively ask whether any special assistance is necessary. This should be the industry standard. To this point, I still don’t grasp how so many promoters could simply forget about providing a chair for me, even though it should have been explicitly requested. 

Talk to everyone you know about this topic. If you work at a club, raise this topic at a team meeting, think about which restrictions disabled DJs might face and how you can accomodate them. If you are a manager or agent, take your artist seriously when they mention to you challenges that they face. Be proactive. 

With regards to marketing, I believe the only solution is to be open about the disability and have a team behind you supporting you with this. In my case, my community needs to know about my condition to understand that I’m not simply standing bored and unengaged behind the booth. 

What are your next steps?

I would love to connect with other disabled artists, talk to promoters, clubs, agents and managers and create awareness. But I am also just working on my comeback now, am looking for a new agency and management that will be happy to align with my mission. I hope they’re out there. 

I hope that at some point, any disabled DJ at any stage in their career will without question get the special assistance and accommodations they need, will be seen, heard and have the same chances of becoming successful as ablebodied DJs, as well as feel as an equal member of the music community. 

Connect with Charly Schaller

Tackling Bullying and Harassment in the Music Industry: Dr Charisse Oyediwura & Sania Haq on BLiM's "YourSafetyYourSay" Survey

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Black Lives In Music (BLiM) is an organisation that is achieving equality for Black musicians and professionals in the music industry through research and advocacy and are at the vanguard of the effort to combat racism, uniting organisations and musicians to create a truly inclusive and diverse music industry.

BLiM launched the "YourSafetyYourSay" survey in April to address bullying and harassment in the music industry. Supported by prominent figures such as VV Brown, Nova Twins, and Grammy-winning artist Kamille, who have shared their personal experiences and called for change, this anonymous survey aims to collect real-world data to inform legislation, support the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), and guide the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) in their efforts. The data will also contribute to BLiM’s forthcoming Anti-Racist Code of Conduct and reporting tool, striving to eradicate discrimination throughout the music ecosystem.

As the survey’s deadline approaches, we chatted with Dr. Charisse Oyediwura, Chief Executive of BLiM, and the Award-Winning Diversity & Inclusion Specialist Sania Haq (and Founder of Bye to Stereotypes), about their work and how BLiM's "YourSafetyYourSay" survey is paving the way for a safer, more inclusive music industry.

Dr Charisse Oyediwura, BLiM

Dr Charisse Oyediwura is the chief executive at Black Lives in Music. With 18+ years of experience, Dr Oyediwura is recognized for her advisory work in music and entertainment. She has collaborated with corporate businesses, media organizations, and artists in the UK and US and serves on the boards of Help Musicians and the LIVE Group, chairs the EDI workforce committee, and advises at War Child UK.

When Black Lives in Music commissioned a survey on the personal experiences of Black music creators and industry professionals, they engaged nearly 2,000 respondents. Dr Charisse Oyediwura was among the first called to give evidence at the UK Government Women and Equalities Select Committee's Misogyny in Music inquiry.

Utilizing data from the report, Dr Oyediwura highlighted the industry-wide issues that persistently affect Black female music creators and professionals. The report, "Being Black in the UK Music Industry," achieved over 3,000 downloads in just one week, and its subsequent media campaign reached 788.9 million. It provided key insights into the experiences of Black music creators and professionals in today’s music industry.

Sania Haq, Founder, Bye to Stereotypes 

Sania has over a decade of hands-on experience working within the South Asian music industry through BollyCo, a dance and entertainment company she helps manage.

This is coupled with 12+ years within research, seven of which she spent leading on AudienceNet’s music and entertainment-related work, working closely with clients such as the IPO, IFPI, Sony, UMG, Warner, Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube, the BPI and ERA, among others. 

Sania's advocacy for cultural understanding in music is evident through her leadership in pivotal research projects like the UK Music’s Music Creator Study and the IFPI’s Global Music Consumer Study. Nominated for a Women in Music Award, she's also an award-winning Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practitioner. In 2023, she founded Bye 2 Stereotypes, providing research, training, and strategic support for addressing societal inequalities and increasing South Asian representation in the industry.

BLiM’s recent survey ‘Being Black in the UK music industry’ on the personal experiences of Black music creators and industry professionals engaged nearly 2,000 respondents. What were some of the most surprising findings from this survey?

Dr Charisse Oyediwura: There was nothing that was surprising, unfortunately as that was our lived experience,  so we already knew it. However the data showed a disparity between Black women and others in music industry and was probably the most eye opening part. That Black women being the most under paid (17% less than Black men, 25% less than white women and 52% less than white men),44% Black women reporting that their mental health had declined since starting their career in the music industry and 40% of women feeling the need to change their appearance in order to assimilate into the music industry.

What prompted BLiM to initiate the “YourSafetyYourSay” survey?

Sania Haq: The “YourSafetyYourSay” survey was initiated by Black Lives in Music (BLiM) following the insights gained from their inaugural survey, “Being Black in the Music Industry.” This initial survey highlighted significant issues of bullying and harassment within the industry, underscoring the need for a more focused investigation.

What role do you currently play in the survey process of BLiM's YourSafetyYourSay?

CO: As the ideator for the YourSafetyYourSay research, I was deeply moved to take action due to the pressing concerns that emerged from numerous conversations and meetings. BLiM's focus on Bullying and Harassment in the UK Music Industry is driven by a profound necessity. At Black Lives in Music, we receive countless calls from individuals of all backgrounds who are facing bullying and harassment. Gathering data, stories, and insights is crucial to provide the music industry with informed recommendations for impactful change. Historically, participation from Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse communities in this type of research has been incredibly low, and it's time we address this gap. There's a prevalent misconception that the struggles faced by Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse people are solely racial. However, bullying and harassment are fundamentally about the abuse of power, often rooted in prejudices like misogyny, racism, and homophobia. We are here to amplify those voices and challenge these narratives.

Collaborating with brilliant minds like researcher Sania Haq and Dr. Cassandra Jones, along with psychotherapists Natasha Hendry and Dawn Estefan, gender activists, and our dedicated BLiM Taskforce, has been nothing short of inspiring. Together with numerous key stakeholders, we are paving the way for our upcoming Anti-Racist Code of Conduct and reporting tool. We aim to eradicate discrimination, bullying, and harassment across the music ecosystem, protecting all people groups and the intersections of race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and gender. 

What are some common difficulties you've encountered during the survey process, and how have you managed to address them?

SH: I led on designing the survey, drawing on my expertise in conducting inclusive research and providing industry training on this for the Market Research Society. This survey presented unique challenges due to the sensitive nature of the topics it addresses. To ensure its effectiveness and participant safety, we consulted with specialists and organizations experienced in similar studies. Their input enabled us to feel confident that we had created a survey that is impactful yet sensitive to participant needs. Additionally, I am actively promoting awareness of the survey within my networks, particularly among South Asians working in the music industry.

In light of the findings from the Misogyny in Music Inquiry, how do you envision the YourSafetyYourSay survey contributing to a cultural shift within the music industry towards greater accountability and inclusivity?

SH: The findings from the Misogyny in Music Inquiry revealed pervasive issues of gender-based discrimination and harassment, which helped shape the focus and urgency of the “YourSafetyYourSay” survey. This survey aims to build on these findings by capturing data directly from music creators and professionals. Along with misogyny impacting the direct lived experiences of those working within music, it also permeates into society. Music is powerful and it can either combat or reinforce stereotypes and misogyny within society. Our aim is to use findings from the survey to influence industry standards and practices, encouraging organizations to implement robust anti-harassment policies and create a safer, more equitable environment for all​​.

Given the normalization of bullying and harassment in the music industry, what immediate proactive measures do you believe everyone should implement to address these issues effectively?

CO: There is a culture of silence and enabling that cloaks the normalisation of abuse in the industry and that needs to be uncovered. There are people who are genuinely fearful of the consequence of speaking out. But the consequence should not be on them instead it should be on the person who has committed the offence. I think listening to people in the music industry regarding their experiences is important, not gaslighting or sweeping it under the rug. Rather the opposite encouraging them to report their experiences. End the misuse of NDA’s in the cases of bullying, abuse or discrimination as it does not protect the victim but empowers the perpetrators.  But our voices especially collectively are powerful that's why we want as many people to use their voice (anonymously) through the YourSafetyYourSay survey.

What support systems or resources would you expect music companies or industry leaders to provide for those affected by bullying and harassment in the industry?  

CO: I think organisations should encourage people and workers to report their experiences to the police or other organisations such as Help Musicians, ISM or Musicians’ Union. Who will provide advice and support. We are only months away from the launch of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) so we are encouraging all organisations however large or small to sign up.

Looking ahead, what are your goals for the YourSafetyYourSay survey, and how do you plan to use the findings to drive meaningful change within the music industry?

CO: We plan to use the survey results to support the work of BLiM's Anti-Racist Code of Conduct and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) to also inform our work with the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the UK Government to share the landscape and scale of the problem and to provide legislation that will enable change at the highest level. Our job is to hold the music industry to account and that is what we will do.

Music Insider: Sarah McBriar

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Sarah McBriar | Photo Credit: Sarah Ellis (TellYourMumITookPhotos)

Sarah McBriar is the Founder & Creative Director of AVA & UP Productions, specializing in large-scale festival and conference creation, production design, and programming across the audio-visual arts (AVA) sector. Her extensive experience spans over 12 years across live entertainment, events, and cultural sectors.

Sarah's achievements include partnering with high-profile brands like the BBC, Avant Arte, Boiler Room, and Broadwick Live. She's been nominated for the title of ‘Underground Hero’ in DJ Mag’s Best of British Awards for championing grassroots UK music communities.

Sarah's notable projects include pioneering and project managing a large-scale tourism development project for Manchester City FC between 2012-2015, securing international investment and achieving leading attraction status in the city. She has also collaborated with Glastonbury's Block 9, the Manchester International Festival, and the Warehouse Project in Greater Manchester.

Recognized for her innovative and bold approach, Sarah was the first creative producer to receive the CET (Commercial Enterprise Trust) award. She's a guest lecturer at the Central School of Speech and Drama, where she developed the University’s first online Creative Producing course. Additionally, Sarah is a member of the Belfast Music Steering Group that secured UNESCO City of Music Status for Belfast in 2021. She actively lobbied for government support for the music and events industry during the pandemic.

In 2020, Sarah became one of 16 newly appointed Creative Entrepreneur Experts at the Säid Business School, University of Oxford, where she mentors MBA students and small businesses.

How did you get your start in music?

My first experience in music was helping friends run parties, then I got an artist liaison volunteer role at the Warehouse Project in Manchester then a volunteer role at MIF, Manchester International Festival which really opened my eyes to collaboration, commission and boundary pushing art and music. After this experience, I started an MA in Creative Producing, and did a placement with Block9 at Glastonbury for 6 months, where I learnt a lot, and this opened my eyes to the scale & detail needed in running a music festival.

How did you grow AVA from its beginnings in Belfast to hosting events in multiple cities?

Developing relationships with other promoters in London, Glasgow, Dublin, Amsterdam and the many other cities we have taken it to. This was through attending events, speaking at summits and conferences, hosting promoters and other partners at our festival in Belfast. We also developed our International reputation, from the early years of AVA through our broadcasts, our programming and our campaigns. This led to international cities and promoters approaching us too.

Sarah McBriar | Photo Credit: Sarah Ellis (TellYourMumITookPhotos)

Describe a day in your life as a Founder & Creative Director at AVA/Up Productions?

Few days are the same. I usually get up around 6.30/7am, work out, have a coffee, go to the office, and then do emails, meetings, meet with partners, potentially clients, visit new venues, design work, do more emails and meetings, and then finish around 6-7pm. During the event period my time will be split between on-site and office work, discussing exciting projects and the programme with the media, and promoting everything that we are doing! When I go on holiday, I really try to switch off. Recently I have gotten into Surfing, as it is a form of meditation and beautiful focus whilst in the water, you have no option to think about anything else but the waves and the water! You surrender to the sea, and I love that.

From your diverse career journey, spanning roles in arts production, academia,project management etc, what core principles or values have consistently guided your decision-making process?

The quality of the work is essential. Paying close attention to the content, the presentation, the design, and building relationships with artists and industry professionals all leads to great work. I think the biggest lesson I have learnt along my career, spanning all facets, is that it takes time. We live in a very instant world, where expectations aren't really aligned with the reality of how long it takes to build relationships, a reputation and reach a point where you can deliver a project of scale. If you understand this principle, and work on building the right relationships and reputation, then you can almost guarantee you will reach the point you want to reach, if you continue down the right path, building each step with integrity and respect.

How does it feel to reflect on the journey of AVA as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary?

It feels great and strange in equal measures. I can’t really believe that it is 10 years. It doesn’t feel like it. Reflecting on the journey I feel proud to have played a role in shaping culture and promoting and developing talent, and enabling artists particularly in Northern Ireland to reach for the stars and obtain what some may have felt unattainable.

What do you see as the most significant milestones or achievements during this decade-long journey?

Surviving Covid, and delivering one of our best Festival’s to date out the other side.

Surviving three major site changes, and settling in at the Titanic Slipways.

Surviving licensing challenges.

Growing an incredible team, and watching them develop.

Reaching ten years of AVA.

What's something about your work that fills you with joy and excitement, and conversely, what's something you find less enjoyable or challenging?

Joy & Excitement > Creative Collaborations, commissioning or debuting new work, seeing new artists break through the barriers and rise up, and helping to support them.

Less Enjoyable > Writing funding reports, working on audits, social media in general (not my bag, so I do much less of that now)

One piece of advice you'd give your younger self

For every 10+ fails, there will come a win. Celebrate the wins, and accept the failures, it is part of it. Every ‘wrong turn’ usually leads you to somewhere you are meant to be, so go with it!

Tips for anyone who wants to get into your industry

Put yourself out there, get jobs and experience as much as possible. Building your reputation and relationships are the most important thing you can do, focus on that, and your craft & the direction you want to go in.

AVA Festival runs from Friday 31st May – Saturday 1st June at the Titanic Slipways in Belfast.

Music Insider: Linda Walker

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Linda Walker is a music industry executive with a commitment to integrity and a passion for nurturing talent. She is known for her success in forming partnerships with top artists such as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Dua Lipa.

Linda’s adept communication and stakeholder engagement have facilitated collaborations with major digital music platforms like Apple, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Amazon, driving successful campaigns worldwide.

She has been recognized as a prominent advocate for Women in the Music Industry, earning her a place in Music Week's Women in Music, Roll of Honour in 2020.

How did you get your start in music?

I used to spend all my spare time (and money!) in a local Indie Record Store. They got so used to me being in there, one day they offered me a job. I was working in a law office at the time, but I handed my notice in that same day, started in the record store the following week, and absolutely loved my job from day one. Through working in the store, I met many sales reps that worked for the record labels, and I basically drove them all crazy by asking them to get me a job! Eventually, through continually plugging away, I got an interview at Warner Music to be part of their sales team. I really thought I had messed up the interview, but I got the job and never looked back.

Your career has been marked by successful partnerships with globally renowned artists like Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Dua Lipa. Can you share some key strategies you’ve employed to cultivate these creative commercial partnerships? 

Partnership is the keyword when you are working on campaigns such as these. Great relationships and a clear understanding of how your commercial partners work is essential to building a strong, commercially, and creatively impactful partnership. The starting point for me has always been to dig into the key objectives for a project from the artist, management and label’s perspective, and then to build a commercial strategy and partnership plan that achieves these objectives. With huge global artists like Ed, Coldplay and Dua, you must approach everything you do with a global mindset, building plans that are truly global in their ambition and reach.

Can you provide insights into how you approach and build strong relationships in the music industry - e.g. with stakeholders or music companies?

Relationships are a two-way thing and need to be nurtured, so be an active listener and remember, if you are building anything, you must keep coming back to it. I also think it’s important to be your true self, people will respect you for that and will generally see through you if you put on an act.

As a leader in transforming a music business into a predominantly digital operation, what challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

I remember when as a business, we first started speaking about digital music platforms, there was a slightly reluctant and fearful attitude towards the change. I always felt that we just needed to embrace the change and actively look for the positive impact it would have on our business. I jumped at the chance to work with iTunes when they first launched a store in the UK, as it just felt so exciting to be involved with something new and future facing. My point is, embrace the change!

What advice would you give to independent artists or smaller labels looking to optimize their strategies for a successful music release?

I don’t think there has ever been a better time to be an independent artist or label. You now have the tools to do so much for yourselves and you understand your audience better than anyone. There is an overwhelming amount of music released onto streaming platforms every single day, and it’s hard to get cut through, however, I would say focus your energy on what you can control, rather than what you can’t. Actively help your audience to find your music, they are your audience and your fans, not the streaming platforms’ so build that fan relationship and allow them to be part of your journey. This relationship goes beyond just streaming consumption so build a commercial strategy that encompasses all the elements that speaks to your audience.

What are some key trends or changes you currently observe in the music industry? - e.g. AI or anything else?

Well, leading on from the previous question, there is certainly an exciting time ahead for the independent sector. My old school record store self is delighted to see how well vinyl is doing and to see the indie retail sector so strong. AI is here to stay and will continually evolve, so as an industry, we need to grow with it, embrace the change and not be scared. There are going to be positive impacts, as well as negative, so the industry needs to pull together to harness the positives and work with legislators to protect against the negatives.

In your journey, how have you effectively balanced the creative aspects of the music industry with the necessary business acumen? 

Creativity is at the heart of the music industry, and I hope that never changes! Having a clear commercial strategy that delivers on short, mid and long-term goals, can easily weave together creative ideas alongside business ambition. One is not exclusive of the other.

What tips can you share with aspiring professionals to strike a harmonious balance between artistic vision and commercial success?

Understand what success means to you, it’s actually quite an individual thing to measure. Understanding this helps you to map out the steps needed to achieve your goals and how your artistry feeds into these plans. You should always remember why you do what you do and be your authentic self. Your passion, authenticity and purpose will drive you forward.

Tips on finding your first music job?

Work hard on building out your network and never be afraid to reach out to people who you find interesting and whom you think you could learn from. I can’t tell you how many people that I’ve never met before, have agreed to jump on a call or meet me for a coffee. The worst that can happen is that they don’t reply or say no, but you’ll probably be surprised by how many people will say yes. Also, don’t shut yourself off to one specific type of role, learn as much as you can about the industry (from your newly formed network) as there may be roles that you didn’t even know existed that spark your interest.

Tips for anyone who wants to get into your industry

Learn as much as you can about how the industry works. You have many resources available to you, so use them. And remember, music is a broad industry so don’t be afraid to explore all options.

Connect with Linda Walker

Music Insider: Zamaera

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Malaysian artist Zamaera is a household name in Southeast Asian music, navigating an 11-year career that transitioned from TV hosting to music. She’s a skilled storyteller who continues to break barriers and recently organized Malaysia's inaugural all-female music festival, 'Queendom Fest' dedicated to spotlighting and empowering talent in the industry.

Zamaera marked her solo debut with the grime-inspired single 'Helly Kelly' in 2017 - featured alongside Malaysia’s hip-hop icon Joe Flizzow and has been independent since 2021. Her music skills flourished in a male-dominated scene, where she had to break boundaries and prove herself.

Her new track 'Big Fish' features Kuala Lumpur-based DJ/producer Daaliah, is influenced by hip-hop, pop, garage, and soul, and reflects Zamaera's desire to break free from her artistic constraints.

The song originated from a candid conversation with Daaliah in July 2023, expressing her feeling of being a 'big fish in a small pond' and her aspiration to step outside her comfort zone. 'Big Fish' is out now through Zamaera’s ‘Mean Malaya Entertainment’.

Tell us more about your collaboration with Daaliah on Big Fish.

‘Big Fish’ is me stepping out of my comfort zone and I really love this new venture. It’s a very different kind of song that I wouldn’t normally do, because I predominantly work on Hip Hop and R&B music (but I've always loved electronic and I’ve always loved House Music and Techno). My relationship with Daaliah is that we were the only German speaking artists in Malaysia and it kind of grew from there. We've known each other since 2019 and made some demos together but never really had the chance to put something out.

I met up with him last year and we had this conversation about how we were doing (just catching up) and I told him in my exact words “I felt like a big fish in a small pond”. That exact sentence was what sparked the idea.

We went to Daaliah’s studio and it was just the right vibe, the right energy as Daaliah had just come back from a tour in Europe and he was really inspired by Garage Music and different types of sounds (that in Malaysia, producers won't particularly look or touch on).

You had a 30 minute time crunch when creating “Big Fish”. How did you tap into creativity and stay focused under pressure?

Honestly for this project, I did not feel like there was any pressure involved just because everything felt so seamless and natural; from the moment that we were talking, to us deciding that we were going to make a song. It really felt like it was exactly what it needed to be. Even though there was this “time crunch”, we were using it as a way to to be even more creative. The time crunch helped us find exactly what we wanted.

It took out that deciding factor, that time to think and decide whether we wanted something “in this way or that way”. For example, there is a sound that you hear (the piano) that’s a sample by an amazing producer and I was writing at the back (coming with the melody) while Daaliah was producing and it just came together. I think the pressure on the time was a great thing for us.

As an independent artist, how do you think the independent music scene in Malaysia has grown?

I do feel that independent music and independent artists have taken a step forward hugely - all thanks to accessibility and information coming via YouTube videos, courses, social media etc. A lot of people understand now that we don't need to rely on traditional mediums such as radio or TV to get to the point of visibility. We can always use socials and also other forms of content for us to showcase our creativity.

Artists are now pivoting to a more independent style that is giving us the freedom and leeway to really be fully and creatively ourselves.

I do feel that a lot of independent artists (such as myself) lean towards working with brands. For example, with Big Fish and our music video premiere party, we got the chance to work with a really amazing global brand (they unearth and uplift independent artists such as myself and Daaliah and graffiti artists in Malaysia).

Can you share a memorable moment from your music career

I would say that the biggest one or the most recent one for me was organising my very first all female music festival. Throughout all my years of being a musician I had never ever organised an event for more than 5 - 10 artists (let alone 15 women and creatives) with the idea of building a strong community and platform to really uplift and showcase their talent in Malaysia.

After 11 years of doing this work, I realised we have all this amazing talent which was not reflected in the live performance space in Malaysia (and I thought that was really necessary). That's one of the most memorable things. I have a lot more, but then this conversation might never end!

What are your goals for ‘Queendom Fest’ in 2024?

My goal is to take everything I’ve learned from the first edition (the feedback, the critique etc) and really look into how we can better manage the festival. As an artist, I tend to look at things more on the artistic side (e.g. whether the artists are going to have a great time performing or how the lighting and the visuals, the music and the sound will be), but there's also this very important aspect which is the management of behind the scenes (running with your project manager, the vendors, the production team, and stuff like that).

I really want to take everything that I've learned and make it bigger, make it better. And of course I want to have more way more artists for 2024 and also hopefully international acts as well. So stay tuned.

What's your least favorite thing about making music?

That's actually quite an easy question to answer. My least favourite thing about making music is that I do not know how to play all of the instruments and that really frustrates me sometimes.

I know that you can learn stuff (make sounds on e.g. Logic or any digital audio workstation) but I feel like I always am so hard on myself because I feel like “oh my gosh, if I just knew how to play the violin, or if I just knew how to play the cello”. It stops me from actually going out and learn.

Thinking that “I can only play the piano or the guitar” makes me feel like it's not enough. I want to be able to do more but I have to take a little step back and chill. You can’t play everything but you can collaborate with so many amazing, talented people out there. So if you play the cello, you know who to call.. (call me, I'm gonna work with you).

What is a valuable piece of advice for an artist that wants to enter your industry?

You should just not think and do it. A lot of people might be worried about what other people might think because of maybe e.g. a taboo that surrounds your passions. I don't think this is only the case with music, it goes with pretty much with anything you want to achieve in your life.

Stopping yourself because of what other people might think and not taking a chance on doing what you love could be one of the biggest regrets.

Don't think about what other people think of you (because people are going to say something anyway, so you might as well just do what you love). Let the music be your life.

Connect with Zamaera

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Music Insider: Moni Saldaña

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Moni Saldaña is a music industry executive with over 16 years of experience. Currently residing in Mexico City, Moni serves as the Artist and Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify Mexico.

Before her tenure at Spotify, Moni was the director of NRMAL, an international community based in Mexico. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of the annual festival that spotlighted emerging global talents. Additionally, her time at Turista Universal involved contributing to musical supervision for films, series, and diverse projects.

Being a passionate advocate for equality and diversity in the music industry, Moni is actively involved in Spotify's EQUAL and GLOW committees. (EQUAL, a global program promoting women in music, and GLOW, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ artists and creators.)

In this interview, Moni shares her journey in music, emphasizing her commitment to helping emerging artists and projects with a particular focus on Latin America.

How did you get your start in music?

I got my start in music a bit by chance. I was studying journalism, but I always loved music. I didn't know how to get involved. I told myself “Oh, if I was a boy, I would have a band” but I didn't believe or I didn't know how to be a part of it. I then came across NRMAL - a project that I was a part of for the past 15 years. I sent them an email because they had a blog, and I just told them “hey, I want to get involved in any way or capacity that you see fit”. So I started going to festivals and concerts, then I wrote reviews for their blog, and that's how I eventually got involved with the events that they were putting out. It was something very special and important for me, it literally changed my life professionally and personally as well.

As an Artist and Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify, you oversee various initiatives. Can you tell us more about them?

Currently, I am part of the Artists and Label Partnerships team at Spotify based in Mexico. And my job is literally having those conversations and relationships with what we call “our partners” (the artists, labels or distributors etc). We are having conversations about what's coming up, about their plans and other projects. We are trying to know what's happening outside, to be able to translate that insight within the company and to be able to come up with plans, ideas, etc. We’re the bridge for artists to reach the platform, but also the bridge for other departments in the company to be able to reach the artists. I get to talk, oversee and work with a lot of amazing artists from all sorts of genres, all sorts of backgrounds. 

Obviously, with that comes the responsibility, in order to give as much visibility as I can to all sorts of artists and partners. Every single day, I learn about new things, I learn about new music, about new artists and projects and that just keeps everything very exciting. We have to understand trends and more things  that are happening at the moment. Our job is to be experts and to know what's going on, to dig deeper, to come up and develop new ideas.

Because of my background and because of where I come from, working in that side of music feels more like “defending” emerging artists or giving more visibility on women's representation within the music industry. You have to be present every single day.  So for me, it's very, very fun, fulfilling and very interesting to be able to connect with more and more creators around the world and particularly in Mexico.

You've worked with both established brands and emerging artists. How do you bridge the gap between these two worlds within the music industry? 

Throughout these years working in music I’ve done a lot of things. My core has been about working with emerging artists and giving a platform to them or creating spaces for them. I’ve also done a lot of work with established brands doing events or working now at Spotify. Being able to learn from these huge companies and brands that have great standards and have been there for so long (and from the amazing people that work there). Also, coming from that background of independence or not having lots of resources and that struggle, made myself more creative. 

That’s why I always try to collaborate a lot, work here and there, and just allow myself to keep evolving and learning. I think that’s the key of it; understanding where we can connect, and how we can balance those spaces. That’s always been my vision and nowadays that’s still very important to me. 

What has been a notable highlight from your journey in the music industry?

It's gonna sound very cheesy, but I think it is the journey itself. I've been a part of the music industry for the past 16 or 17 years now. It is a journey. It is a process. You're never fully there. You keep learning and you gotta keep yourself grounded because it's very difficult. It's very hard, but at the same time, it's so beautiful and amazing.

Why? It’s because I love music. I can't really separate my personal from my professional life because it's something that I really love. You get invested emotionally very hard - and I think that's a lesson that you usually learn the hard way. Something very important is that you have to eventually understand how to balance your life, how to balance your work, how to keep being very passionate and invested, but at the same time how to give yourself a break and understand your limits when it's time to give up on a project.

“I feel very lucky and fortunate that my job, even though I don't make music,  is to connect with people through music. That's something very precious and valuable that I just can't take for granted. Also, when you understand the power that culture and music have. It's not just entertainment; you can actually connect and change people's lives through music. I think that's something very powerful”.

What you do matters, what you do is part of your legacy, particularly being a woman in the music industry. That's something that I will carry with myself every step of the way. And I don't look at it as a burden, I look at it as a gift, as something that gives me a unique perspective and that allows me to add value to whatever projects I've been a part of or will be a part of.

Can you share some insights into the challenges and opportunities you've encountered in promoting emerging and independent music projects in Latin America? 

Promoting music or artists from or within Latin America is very interesting but at the same time, we still don't have the same spaces or infrastructure or resources that other countries have (like in the States or Europe). At the same time we have a very active and passionate audience.  We have Music Fans. Who is better to tell us what was happening at specific music scene or club or festival than the people that are working there? That's why we always love collaborating with promoters, with festivals, with collectives, with labels, because they are the experts.

We have to treat the audience, right. We have to respect the audience. That's why building a community is more important, because you're not building an audience. You don't want someone that will pay just when something is interesting for them. You want to build an engaged community.

“For me, in a community, we talk to each other. We listen to each other. It's not just me talking to you”.

It’s very important to open up these conversations. It's great to see how, in recent years, a lot of amazing markets and festivals and venues and opportunities have grown for the rest of Latin America, and how interconnected we are nowadays.  I think we're doing great and I really really love how we keep connecting. But there's still a lot of room to grow.

What’s your best advice for people who want to enter your industry.

I don't think there's a perfect answer to this. If we had a formula, everything would be easier. I wish we had it. There's so many things that I could talk about - you know, like “being persistent and being patient and this is tough and just keep yourself curious” - all of this. There is a phrase that I really like that says “Culture isn’t what you intended it to be, it's not what you hope or aspire for it to be. It's what you do so, so do better”. That’s it.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I think it's very simple, but it's important: just to not be afraid. I was very afraid when I was younger. I was very afraid to speak up. I was very afraid to make certain decisions. I was very afraid to follow certain things, because of what people might think. I was very afraid to say things when I wanted to say them. There's so much you can miss out by being afraid.

Now, I feel very proud of myself because I did a lot of great things for myself. In my professional life, at least, I switched careers when I felt I wanted to switch. I gave up some things to follow my dreams. I sent that email when I wanted to reach out. I’ve worked really hard to get where I am right now.

Also, to love myself more because that's how you will connect with more people. That's how you will enjoy things. That's how you will make things better.

Connect with Moni Saldaña on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X).

Moni Saldaña’s work.