[Keeping Tempo With Music Biz] — Don’t Just Be An Ally, Be An Advocate – Music’s Reckoning
Op-Ed by Jessica Vaughn, President, Head Bitch Music and Head of Sync, Venice Music
I don’t want words, I want action.
The industry continues to be an unsafe and inequitable environment for women and marginalized people. I am sick of the panels, politically correct wording, thoughtless gestures, status quo, the “not yet”, and the blatant absurdity of it all.
I am tired of the talking behind closed doors where everyone shares a commonly held opinion in the quiet rooms where the predators aren’t. The more we shy away from what connects us and what’s true, the more nothing ever happens. Don’t just be an ally, be an advocate.
The entertainment industry is rooted in “power and control” – the exact DNA of abuse. It doesn’t surprise me that we haven’t been able to rid ourselves of our beginnings. We’re all trauma survivors – we can’t begin anew without collectively healing ourselves and putting new healthy boundaries up. We’re never going to get there without a reckoning.
We must call out the injustice, name it, and have zero tolerance for it.
How many whispered discussions need to take place where we cry to each other about salary disparity? Sexual assault? Harassment? Verbal abuse? Stolen songs? Split persuasion? Not getting credit where credit is due? Emotional outbursts from men in power when you show up calmly with receipts and facts?
We often get too exhausted to even take a stand and we don’t want the secondary abuse that comes with calling these injustices out.
Women continue to have to be more qualified than their male counterparts in order to receive opportunities, and remain extremely vulnerable to this behavior. Even more so if you are a woman of color.
The music industry is built off of ART. Built off of what makes us human – why are we so quick to forget our humanity? Isn’t that why we all got into this business in the first place? If it isn’t, please kindly exit and go to therapy.
What can we do and where do we go from here? I’ll tell you one thing, being quiet is not the answer. It’s going to be uncomfortable and it’s going to take all of us making a commitment to change. Are you truly happy with the industry we are participating in? Don’t you want more for yourself? For your team? Your friends? Your artists? For music?
Here is my solemn vow to the industry. I will continue to be a disruptor. I won’t make the meeting easier… I will say the hard thing. I won’t diminish my value to support your interests. I will be professional but I won’t be agreeable if I disagree. I will compromise, but I won’t compromise myself, the artists I represent, or my colleagues. Got it?
Buckle up, I’m only getting started.
Are you with me? What is your vow to the music industry?
Organizations to get involved in:
You can read past “Keeping Tempo” articles via the portal linked here. And, stay tuned for more insightful discussions from our members and partners from across the industry!
