Introducing the Backstage Chats Foundation
I am thrilled to announce the formation of Backstage Chats Foundation! Our nonprofit organization’s mission is to eliminate gender disparity in modern music by amplifying the voices of women in music and accelerating their careers through grants and scholarships.
One value our foundation holds true is that “Music is the Great Unifier.” Music brings together people from different cultures, age groups, races, and economic status.
Music Motivates – think of your workout playlist!
Music Expresses Love – like the song played during the first dance at your wedding!
Music Heals – remember your first heartbreak or loss of a loved one?
Music Incites Change – protest songs have fueled revolution for centuries.
All that being said, the modern music industry continues to greatly struggle with gender disparity. While women make up Fifty Percent of listening audiences and concert attendees, we are sorely underrepresented on stage, on air, and behind the scenes. Here are just a few of the startling statistics:
% of female GRAMMY nominees 2013-2018
% of female songwriters of 600 most popular songs
2012-2017
% of female sound engineers in the United States
% of female artists on Billboard’s Top 20 Country Airplay Chart, Dec 2018
Arts patrons throughout our community are paramount to paving the road to inclusivity – what we call “gender harmony.” BCF has an ambitious one year goal of raising $100,000 toward funding education, mentor ships, resources, publicity, and opportunity for women. We are committed to collaborating with proven providers like SoundGirls.org, which empower a new generation of female stars in the music industry. We know massive shifts take time. Help jump start that shift with us!
Even better, BCF’s donation tiers include some pretty exiting tax-exempt marketing opportunities should you want to take advantage of them. BCF produces a podcast called “Backstage Chats with Women in Music” which launches in Spring of 2019. It is a digital audio show that has the potential to reach millions of consumers who embrace brands that support music. Episodes feature interviews and exposes with female artists, songwriters, engineers, produces, DJ’s, managers, agents, and anyone involved in the music making process. They will share their personal stories and the highs and lows of working in the business. We’re putting women in front of audiences by going beyond their red carpet fashion, the size of their Instagram following, or their sex appeal. This is about the human experience and relating to each other in terms of our universal language: music.
Whether you want to be a branded sponsor or an anonymous donor, lifting these women up will lift you up. For they remind us to be dreamers, to be rule breakers, and that we’re all rock stars!
Thank you for your support!
Thea Wood, President/Host
Subscribe To Podcast
available May 6th